11 of the best Lord Howe Island restaurants and cafes

From informal outdoor eating to the finest of island dining, Lord Howe Island has a variety of offerings to satisfy every craving.

Not taking up too much space on the map, the remote UNESCO World Heritage-listed paradise that is Lord Howe Island might not have a huge number of eating establishments to choose from, but what it lacks in quantity it certainly makes up for in the quality and diversity of its fare.

Here’s a list of the best – from pop-up gourmet picnics to Lord Howe Island restaurants and cafes to keep you fueled in between activities.

The Shortlist

Best fine dining – Capella Restaurant
Best casual eats – Lord Howe Island Brewery
Best outdoor – Benny’s Fish Truck
Best date spot – The Crooked Post

1. Capella Restaurant

views of Mounts Gower and Lidgbird at Capella Restaurant, Lord Howe Island — Enjoy relaxed dining with superb views of Mounts Gower and Lidgbird. (Image: Capella Lodge)

If you like your fine dining paired with premium views, the choice must be Capella Restaurant housed within Capella Lodge – though you’ll need to be a guest at the luxury resort to dine at its restaurant. While drinking in superb views of Mounts Gower and Lidgbird, you’ll dine on exquisite dishes from a menu that changes daily. Curated by Capella’s executive chef Dennis Tierney, expect starters like watermelon salad served with pistachio, pomegranate, rosewater, labneh and nasturtium; mains such as local kingfish with gai lan, green chilli with yuzu emulsion and salmon roe; and deserts like chocolate, caramel and peanut wrapped in a parcel of puffed rice.

Cuisine: Modern Australian
Average price: $$$$ – $$$$$
Atmosphere: Relaxed elegance
Review: 5/5
Location: Capella Lodge, Lagoon Road

2. Anchorage

alfresco dining at Anchorage, Lord Howe Island — Anchorage is a popular option for casual dining near Lagoon Beach. (Image: Supplied)

This restaurant’s style is elegant casual, and the food reflects this as well, with executive chef David Chlumsky having worked at some of Sydney’s finest dining institutions such as Otto, Quay and Longrain.

Expect modern Australian cuisine, complemented by plenty of locally caught fish and locally grown fruits and vegetables, plus artisan sourdough, Turkish bread, pies, cakes and pastries, all baked on site daily. Open from your morning flat white and avocado on toast through to your post-dinner lemon cheesecake and digestif, this restaurant located just a few steps from the golden shores of Lagoon Beach, hits the mark for every meal, seven days a week. A perennially popular option on the island, it’s best to book ahead at Anchorage for dinner.

Cuisine: Modern Australian
Average price: $$
Atmosphere: Casual
Review: 4/5
Location: The Anchorage, Ned’s Beach Road

3. The Crooked Post

ocean views through the pines from the veranda of The Crooked Post, Lord Howe Island — Nab a table for intimate and relaxed beachside dining. (Image: The Crooked Post)

If you’re looking for somewhere special to take your significant other or to meet others in a fun, modern small bar setting, The Crooked Post Bar is the perfect place. With ocean views through the pines from the veranda of the beautifully preserved historic house in which it is set, this small contemporary bar offers live music, island-inspired cocktails and delicious bites including pizzas and mezze plates. Open daily for lunch while dinner is served on Sunday and Monday nights.

Cuisine: Modern Australian
Average price: $$ – $$$
Atmosphere: Intimate, relaxed
Location: The Crooked Post, Ned’s Beach Road

4. Lord Howe Island Brewery

friends enjoying drinks at outdoor tables, Lord Howe Island Brewery — Find a breezy spot at one of the picnic tables. (Image: Heidi Morris)

If there’s any food and beverage that tastes better outdoors, it’s got to be wood-fired pizza, and beer. Lord Howe Island Brewery does them perfectly, often adding some live music into the mix. Lagers and pale ales are brewed onsite using island botanicals, while ingredients for the pizza toppings are plucked from the brewery’s glasshouse. Ever popular with a local crowd and tucked down a dirt track among the Kentia palms, this is the spot to plonk yourself down at a table in the afternoon and soak up island vibes.

Cuisine: Modern Australian
Average price: $$
Atmosphere: Casual
Review: 4/5
Location: Lord Howe Island Brewery

5. Love Lord Howe

a beachside picnic by Love Lord Howe — Indulge in a gourmet beachside picnic. (Image: Love Lord Howe)

Seeing as you’re visiting one of the world’s most beautiful UNESCO World Heritage-listed islands, it’s worth considering eating outdoors to make the most of Lord Howe’s natural surrounds.

While not a brick-and-mortar establishment, Love Lord Howe can set the perfect scene with their award-winning picnic pop-ups. Whether it’s at a secluded beach or beneath the pines, founder Danielle will choose the best location on the day, dictated by the weather conditions. With low picnic table, cushions, blankets, cutlery, crockery and gourmet platter and drinks, everything is ready and waiting for you to just turn up and enjoy. And the best thing is there’s no packing up afterwards.

Cuisine: Modern Australian
Average price: $$$$
Atmosphere: Casual
Location: Location TBA on the day

6. Thompsons General Store

Going strong since 1925, this general store purveys all the everyday essentials you might need, as well as a few extras, from souvenirs and fishing supplies to fresh bread and fruit. But it’s the takeaway service that has visitors rapt with its specialty coffee and gourmet rolls, a popular choice. While there are options for veggies, you’ll also find prawn burgers, chicken burgers, and the classic beef, beetroot and egg. Add on a cold beer and hot chips and eat your lunch under the shade of the palm trees outside, watching the world go by. If burgers aren’t your thing, then opt for the fish and chips, sandwiches or ready-to-go salads instead.

Cuisine: Takeaway
Average price: $
Atmosphere: Casual
Location: Thompson’s Store, Ned’s Beach Road

7. Arajilla Restaurant

a plate of food at Arajilla Restaurant, Lord Howe Island — Arajilla Restaurant serves a seasonal menu with locally sourced and pasture-fed meats. (Image: Destination NSW)

Like Capella Lodge’s Restaurant, Arajilla Restaurant has a seasonal menu that changes daily, and you’ll also need to be a staying guest at the resort to eat at this fine dining restaurant.

Arajilla boasts its own kitchen garden, which supplies the restaurant with organic veggies and herbs, while line-caught fish are brought in fresh from the island’s waters.

Artisan cheeses and pasture-fed meats are sourced from the mainland. And the experienced in-house chefs bake their own bread. As a result, the artfully plated dishes sing with freshness and vibrancy. Dinner might include lamb breast terrine with feta ravioli, crispy fried capers and romesco sauce for starters, sesame-crusted kingfish with a baby corn and miso broth for main, and a tonka bean bavarois for dessert. But even breakfast is a cut above (think miso-cured trout corn fritters with Japanese mustard greens, yuzu dressing and a poached egg). Moreover, the kitchen can accommodate all kinds of diners with dietaries, from vegans to celiacs.

Cuisine: Modern Australian
Average price: $$$$
Atmosphere: Relaxed elegance
Location: Arajilla Retreat, Old Settlement Beach

8. Driftwood Bar and Restaurant

steamed local flame snapper at Driftwood Bar and Restaurant, Lord Howe Island — This steamed local Flame Snapper is a specialty at Driftwood Bar and Restaurant.

Driftwood Bar and Restaurant might have only opened a few years ago but it’s quickly become a local favourite with its delicious food, intimate feel, warm local service and wonderfully nostalgic island decor and memorabilia. The restaurant located at Ocean View Apartments specialises in Asian inspired dishes with a focus on locally caught fish and seafood. The wahoo ceviche with chilli, lime, coconut and tobiko, and coconut fish curry is especially good, mopped up with some freshly fried roti.

Cuisine: Asian fusion
Average price: $$$
Atmosphere: Intimate, relaxed
Review: 4/5
Location: Ocean View Apartments, 1 Ocean View Drive

9. Benny’s Fish Truck

fish and chips at Benny’s Fish Truck, Lord Howe Island — Find the best fish and chips on the island at Benny’s Fish Truck. (Image: Supplied)

While not a restaurant as such, Benny’s Fish Truck is reputed to serve the best fish and chips in Australia, and is where you’ll find some of the tastiest and freshest seafood on the island. Often parked in front of the jetty near the centre of town, stroll down as the sun begins to set and take a seat on the grassed area like the locals do to enjoy the likes of kingfish sashimi, sesame-crusted yellowfin tuna or the good old, battered catch of the day.

Cuisine: Takeaway
Average price: $
Atmosphere: Casual
Review: 5/5
Location: Jetty, Ocean View Drive or TBA

10. Coral Cafe

the lush exterior of Coral Cafe, Lord Howe Island — Coral Cafe is tucked into a lush space within the Lord Howe Island Museum. (Image: Supplied)

You need to time it right at Coral Cafe . While the restaurant housed within the Lord Howe Island Museum is open daily for breakfast and lunch, it’s only open for dinner three nights a week.

This cosy and reasonably priced cafe has simple yet hearty breakfast and lunch options (think egg and bacon rolls, milkshakes, hamburgers, sandwiches, wraps and cakes).

Come dusk, a more sophisticated offering takes hold: dine on prawn and chilli linguine, grilled local kingfish, as well as the occasional Malaysian special.

Cuisine: Australian
Average price: $-$$
Atmosphere: Casual
Location: Lord Howe Island Museum and Visitor Centre, Middle Road

11. Lord Howe Island Bowling Club

There’s a limited menu at this Lord Howe institution, popular with locals and families, so choose your night wisely. Some nights pizzas are on special; some nights the chef spotlights the humble pie; and others still have a wider ranging traditional Aussie pub menu, plus a few more island-specific nods, such as grilled blue-eye trevalla, or kingfish sashimi. Similar to any kind of bowls club or RSL back on the mainland, this isn’t the place to go for glamour and haute cuisine: instead, come for a glass of wine, a good time and a hearty feed.

Cuisine: Classic Australian
Average price: $
Atmosphere: Casual
Location: Bowling Club, 1 Lagoon Rd

Originally written by Chloe Cann with updates by Bonita Grima

Discover the best accommodation on Lord Howe Island

Warmer days call for slowing down and relaxing in nature. Discover why The Tweed is the ultimate destination to do just that.

As the end of the year draws near, the need for rest and restoration grows ever more prominent. For many, that means heading into nature – and there’s plenty of science to back up the benefits of doing so. It quite literally makes us happier as it reduces stress hormones, lowers our blood pressure and more. And what better place to lean into this feel-good effect than during summer in The Tweed (in the Northern Rivers region of NSW)? Blending sparkling beaches, riverside towns and hinterland villages, this area has nature covered, while also offering top activities and dining options.

And of course, pack your SPF. We Are Feel Good Inc’s Ultra-Light Mineral Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 is a lightweight and fast-absorbing formula that keeps your skin hydrated and shielded, thanks to nourishing Coconut Oil and Vitamin E. But it’s also helping preserve the natural beauty around you on your Tweed vacation, thanks to 30 per cent ocean waste packaging.

Discover eight experiences that make The Tweed the perfect place for summer.

1. Underwater worlds

two people swimming after turtle on the tweed — Get a chance to swim with the locals.

There’s something about the ocean that calls to us as humans, and what’s below the surface is even more magical.

Green, hawksbill and loggerhead turtles (not to mention an abundance of other marine life) all use the protected waters around Cook Island, near Fingal Head, as their foraging ground, making it the perfect place to dive and snorkel to spot these adorable creatures.

Join Cooly Eco Adventures on a guided snorkelling tour that combines unforgettable turtle encounters with an inspiring look into marine conservation.

2. Farm-to-table dining

table spread at Potager restaurant — Treat your taste buds at Potager. (Image: Cara Sophie)

Respecting the land and nature also means appreciating its abundance of food. From farm-to-table cafes and boutique breweries to river cruises and restaurants championing local produce, dining around The Tweed often means engaging with the best local producers.

The award-winning Potager Restaurant , part of The Hinterland Collection , is the perfect example; beginning life as a kitchen garden, the passion to champion local producers is woven into every dish. Vegetables, fruit and herbs are picked from the garden or sourced from other local producers, the seafood comes from the Northern Rivers, and meat is sourced from ethical local producers. Even the cocktail list features local distillers.

Extend your stay with a night (or several) at boutique on-site accommodation, Potager House . This French-inspired country four-bedroom retreat boasts stunning views of the surrounding hills and nearby ocean, as well as a large pool, outdoor entertaining area and infrared sauna.

3. Water wellness

Waterguru Mindfulness in the Mangroves summer on the tweed — Find mindfulness in mangroves. (Image: Matt Johnson)

You’ll find mindfulness while floating around the mangroves of Kingscliff’s Cudgen Creek at any time, but Watersports Guru offers an immersive experience to help guests do so with more intent. Join a 90-minute guided session on a stand-up paddleboard to reconnect with nature and relax through breathwork, gentle movement and sensory awareness.

If you’re feeling more adventurous, Watersports Guru also offer Kayak fishing adventures or join a Sea Turtle Odyssey experience.

4. Restorative seaside stays

woman relaxing in spa at Halcyon Wellness, halcyon house — Unwind at Halcyon Wellness.

The Tweed encourages locals and visitors alike to slow down. To really indulge, a seaside stay is a must. Halcyon House has understood the assignment, blending a wellness philosophy centred on balance and self-discovery with luxurious surrounds. Stay in one of 22 rooms and suites (each individually designed by eclectic interior designer Anna Spiro) right on the beachfront. Book restorative treatments at the onsite spa, Halcyon Wellness, relax by the pool, dine at the hatted Paper Daisy restaurant and just let The Tweed work its magic.

While Blue Water Motel offers a relaxed coastal escape, just steps from Kingscliff Beach. Settle in stylish rooms, recently restyled by Jason Grant, nodding to the cool of Kingscliff with a fun retro vibe. Hire a bike from reception to explore the surrounding area.

5. Tasty drops

The owners at Husk Farm Distillery aren’t just about creating high-quality rum: they’re also farmers themselves. In fact, they create one of the world’s only single estate, farm-to-bottle spirits. Join a Farm to Bottle tour to discover the sustainable ‘full circle’ distilling practices used here, and even get hands-on with your own cane knife to help harvest and juice your own stalk of cane. And, of course, a welcome drink plus complimentary tastings along the way.

6. Rail trail adventures

Exploring the rolling green slopes and historic towns of the 24-kilometre Tweed section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail is one of the best ways to connect with the region’s lush hinterland and interesting heritage. In this section of the trail, discover the area’s railway history at heritage-listed Murwillumbah Railway Station, and traverse by 18 railway bridges and through two railway tunnels.

Linking vibrant towns and villages with the larger hub of Murwillumbah, this section of the trail is covered in asphalt or compacted gravel, making it accessible for all ages and abilities, from prams to adaptive bikes.

7. Linger longer

surfer at fingal heads the tweed — Enjoy beachside locations, like Fingal Heads.

Linger longer at one of the seven idyllic beach, river and creekside locations of Tweed Holiday Parks – including at Tweed Heads, Kingscliff Beach, Hastings Point and Pottsville South. All just steps from the water’s edge, they make the ideal base to unwind, or head out for exploration of The Tweed. Choose from luxury waterfront cabins, accessible cabins, surfari tents (yes, they are basically glamping tents) or spacious sites for caravans, motorhomes and campervans or tents.

Find your feel-good summer in The Tweed at visitthetweed.com.au .