So you’ve found yourself in Australia’s 12th largest city—but where to eat? Skip the fast food joint you were thinking about, because while you may have to fight a croc for a spot on some of the beaches up here, you won't be given the same grief trying to find and score some shockingly good food and drink. Start booking dinner reservations, here are the best Townsville restaurants and bars to hit up on your trip
Townsville Restaurants
Miss Songs
67 Sir Leslie Thiess Drive, Townsville CBD
Nestled in gorgeous surrounds of The Ville, ultra-fresh meets ultra-zesty on the menu at Miss Songs—think Asian fine dining with a modern, tropical Queensland twist. If you know what's good for you you’ll round up the squad and luck out on one of the banquets which you can cop for as little as 75 bucks. Yeah, we were pretty keen when we heard about it too.
Marmor
Sir Leslie Thiess Drive, Townsville CBD
Image credit: Marmor | Supplied
An intimate, high-end seafood and steak restaurant where ocean meets pasture in a bold union of land and sea, Marmor is the place to indulge in prime cuts of beef from Australia’s most renowned cattle producers and catch-of-the-day seafood from the North Queensland coastline. Get the best of both worlds with the Bass Strait Beef with crayfish tail—a sophisticated version of the classic reef and beef. The wine list here is equally impressive, so make sure you peruse the menu for the perfect bottle to match.
A Touch of Salt
86-124 Ogden Street, Townsville CBD
A balmy night, a drink in hand and the eats to die for—this is the experience you’ll have at A Touch Of Salt. Family-owned and operated, A Touch Of Salt is Townsville's answer to up-scale dining without the snooty vibes. An eclectic menu offers bangers from flash fried cuttlefish accompanied by davidson plum, chilli salt, lime aioli to generous mains like braised lamb with roasted beets, satsivi, soused carrots and parsley.
Longboards
80 Gregory Street, Townsville CBD
Waterfront vibe factory Longboards is an institution for a Sunday sesh, but you’re guaranteed a just as good, if not better, setup on any day of the week. Tex-Mex is the name of Longboards game, and with a menu as extensive as theirs you're sure to find something you froth. You know us, we’re going for the Baja tacos…and then the canitas tacos…and then thick and tangy BBQ chicken wings. And then about a dozen margaritas.
Terasu
45 Sir Leslie Thiess Drive, Townsville CBD
Image credit: Ardo | Supplied
Located inside Townsville’s luxe new hotel, Ardo, Terasu is a Tokyo-inspired Japanese restaurant that blends traditional Japanese techniques with Australian flavours. The open kitchen concept allows diners to witness the culinary mastery firsthand—wagyu sizzles as chefs craft artfully presented sushi and nigiri. Sit grillside for an immersive experience, in the main restaurant space or on the outside deck, where you can soak up waterfront views. Not sure what to order? The salmon nori tacos and the kingfish ceviche are sublime or go all out with the ‘Feed Me’ banquet.
Bridgewater
2/2 Dibbs Street, Townsville CBD
Bridgewater is all about five-star food in a more than approachable setting. Go for the menu—which features home runs like the mushroom risoni risotto with panko oyster mushrooms, kale and textures —and stay for the cocktail list which is sure to keep you happy for a couple of hours. Catering a crowd? The five-course degustation just so happens to have been masterfully curated with a wine pairing for every dish.
Quarterdeck
67 Sir Leslie Thiess Drive, Townsville CBD
Another gem nestled into the dining precinct The Ville, Quarterdeck is truly the best of both worlds. Alfresco, casual dining by day, adult playground by night, good times with uninterrupted views of Magnetic Island are on offer, as well as pub classics you know and love, except they're elevated about 10-fold. Also, in an absolute stroke of genius the gang has devised some seriously enviable share plates like the seafood tower—a feast consisting of queensland prawns, moreton bay bugs, pacific oystersm, bug & prawn sliders, huon smoked salmon, chilli & lime mussels and a generous serving of fries for $99.
JAM
1 Palmer Street, South Townsville
Image credit: JAM | Facebook
Parked right on the riverfront and a firm crowd-favourite, JAM has well and truly earned its plethora of Australia Good Food Guide awards (the most recent one is the 2023 Reader’s Choice award for Modern Australian). It’s always busy, probably thanks to its seasonal menu that gives the big marns of Australia’s restaurant scene a serious run for their money.
The Brewery
252 Flinders Street, Townsville CBD
What Townsville restaurants list would be complete without The Brewery on deck? Scoot in from the bustle of Flinders Street and you’ll find yourself in the perfect venue for an award-winning craft beer or spirits and the pub feed of your lifetime. They boast of having the coldest air-conditioning in town, which makes this regional-central-west-Queensland-hailing-writer nostalgic AF. If the weather permits, any spot on the outdoor deck is downright heavenly, as is any steak you could possibly order. A seat in the aircon at The Brewery gets snapped up faster than the speed of light, so book ahead.
Shorehouse
118 The Strand, North Ward
Townsville personified comes in the form of Shorehouse. Park up and soak up the breeze on the glorious deck in the casual lounge dining section, where a sky full of wooden Chinese lanterns sets the scene for the out-of-line scents coming from the kitchen. Perhaps what you can smell is the
tonkatsu beef glazed short rib with seasame and green cabbage—it’s what we’d be ordering. The creative cocktails slung at the bar here are also a must, so plan to be there a while.
Townsville Bars
Ardo Rooftop
45 Sir Leslie Thiess Drive, Townsville CBD
Image credit: Ardo | Supplied
If you like your cocktails with a side of ocean vistas, Ardo Rooftop has your name all over it. Perched atop the new luxury hotel, every aspect of the bar and eatery has been carefully designed to maximise the postcard-worthy views of the Coral Sea. The menu reflects the coastal surroundings—indulge in hot and cold tapas like mezze plates, burrata, fried calamari and flatbread pizzettes. You would be remiss not to try the Pearl Summer cocktail with Malfy Rosa gin, Moscato, popping pearls and lychee.
City Lane
383 Flinders Street, Townsville CBD
Worked up a thirst from simply existing in that North Queensland heat? City Lane is the watering hole for you. Shaw & Co, The Courtyard, Donna Bionda, Sakana Sushi Bar and The TapHouse have all set up shop in this sneaky little laneway, and all are worth a visit. From craft beers and vibes at The Courtyard to the perfect wine and woodfired pizza at Donna Bionda, City Lane is bursting with nightlife.
The TapHouse
383 Flinders Street, Townsville CBD
Ultra-cool meets ultra beer-y at The TapHouse, where you can sample more hops than you can poke a stick at. Deceptively tasty tapas and bar-style snacks are on offer which absolutely fly out when this place is packed—which is each and every weekend like clockwork so be sure to have your ducks in a row when venturing in.
Osk Bar
1/46 Gregory Street, North Ward
Image Credit: Osk Bar | Facebook
Ok, this is the spot where you take your friend who for some reason has just recently gotten really into mixology. Dark and moody, Osk Bar is the cream of the cocktail crop. For starters, there's an 11-page visual menu which we think should be the standard everywhere. Our go-to is the mint slice (for obvious reasons) but trust us when we say there's no way you won't find something up your alley.
Hooch & Fellow
81 Flinders Street, Townsville CBD
It's not every day you see a cocktail bar with such a unanimous 5-star rating. The day you do see that though is today, for none other than Hooch & Fellow. An established local fave, Hooch & Fellow is the Townsville bar where you’ll discover your next favourite cocktail. You can enjoy the $10 classic cocktail menu on a Wednesday night with confidence they know exactly what they're doing, when it comes to shaking up tipples that will have you licking your lips in satisfaction.
Rambutan Rooftop Bar
113-119 Flinders Street, Townsville CBD
About as luxe as it gets, Rambutan Rooftop Bar can only be described as an inner-city oasis. Chilling on the third floor of the Grand Central Hotel, this gem has undoubtedly the best views of the Ross River and the Flinders Street restaurant and nightlife precinct below. You can soak all of this up from all sorts of both covered and fully outdoor areas with Mediterranean-style ambience and a luscious pool. There's a spread and a half of options to chow down on and icy, ICY cold versions of your favourite bev.
Once you’ve sussed out the Townsville restaurants and bars, here’s the best things to do around town.
Image credit: Miss Songs | Facebook