A Guide to Queensland’s Most Unexpected Destination Diners

Those of us living in cities don’t know how good we’ve got it. Sometimes it feels as if we can’t move for inventive new eateries, such is the quality of Australia’s urban restaurant scene. But while it’s a treat to walk no more than a block for fine eats, there’s something magical about travelling beyond the noise to a real destination diner. From the bush to the beach, here are a few of our current Queensland favourites that are hidden away and off the main track.

Blume, Boonah

Among the ancient, undulating hills of the Scenic Rim is Boonah, just an hour from Brisbane. The valley town has long been an agricultural hub, and here you’ll find restaurants like Blume, dedicated to making the most of the famed local produce. Such is the quality of Blume, it inspired one Broadsheet writer to pen a gushing love letter to the diner’s crumbed mutton neck and black garlic sandwich. The set menu is small and constantly rotating (so you might not get that sandwich, I’m afraid), with chef Jack Stuart’s dishes reflecting the seasonal variation of the restaurant’s market garden and surrounds.

The Doonan, Noosa

Head inland from the main drag and you’ll come to the Noosa Hinterland, where the coast starts receding into the mountains. If you get to the town of Doonan you’ll want to make a beeline to its new namesake eatery, The Doonan. The two-hectare space is almost a town within itself with bars, beer gardens, dining areas, a cellar door and even an ice-creamery. The Italian-influenced menu is packed with wine-friendly snacks like scamorza and pumpkin arancini and more substantial bites like the butter-roasted chicken cotoletta and rustic, hand-stretched pizza.

Essen, Stanthorpe

The word “essen” means “to eat” in German and, if you’re in the Granite Belt town of Stanthorpe, it’s something you’ll do very well. Essen serves a six-course set menu and head chef Clarissa Pabst looks very much to local produce. On the rotating menu you might find dry aged Mount Dillon beef with chive butter, heirloom tomatoes from local farmers Heart & Soil dressed with a pumpkin seed oil vinaigrette, and fig leaf ice-cream. Oh and Stanthorpe is known for its wine, so bring a bottle of Granite Belt shiraz.

Water St Kitchen, Bundaberg

If you’re heading north of the Sunshine Coast you’ll hit Bundaberg – gateway to the Southern Great Barrier Reef and Lady Musgrave Island. Within Bundaberg, head to the suburb of Walkervale. Here you’ll find Water St Kitchen, an all-day eatery which wears its varied influences proudly. Breakfast favourites include a chicken katsu curry with poached eggs on brioche, while the lunch and dinner menus flit between eastern dishes like Szechuan prawns and European influences like the pea, zucchini and goat’s cheese risotto.

Exhibition Restaurant, Brisbane

Strictly speaking, Exhibition isn’t outside the city, but this intimate Brisbane spot is truly a destination. The 24-seat diner has been built deep under the Metro Arts Theatre in the former stables, designed to create an atmosphere that blends art and escapism. Chef Tim Scott’s menu is inspired by Japanese omakase, meaning you’ll be at the whim of the kitchen and will dine on at least 16 individual dishes that combine fresh seafood and biodynamic produce from across Queensland.

Oaks Kitchen and Garden, Port Douglas

A little south of Port Douglas, Oaks Kitchen and Garden is an ode to its owners’ deep love of Southeast Asian cuisine. Chef Benjamin Wallace (formerly of Longrain) and gardener Rachael Boon grow many of the ingredients on the four-acre property, mixing Australian native herbs and Southeast Asian fruit and veg to give Oaks its delicate balance of flavours. Visitors are generally there for Thai cooking classes but, each Saturday, you’ll find a nine-course, chef’s table lunch for just eight people per sitting. Best to book in advance for that one.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Queensland. Queensland's most diverse and remarkable destinations are ready to be explored - but you've probably never heard of them. Dig a little deeper and discover somewhere new.