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

Aussies might think they know what Port Stephens is all about – but it’s time to take another look.

You might’ve driven through this NSW coast town. Maybe even stopped for fish and chips or a quick dip. But spend a long weekend in the new Port Stephens , and you’ll seriously regret not doing it sooner. We’re talking treks across beaches, reef dives and up-close time with rescued koalas.

All in all? It only takes a day before you see Port Stephens in a whole new light, and not much longer until it’s locked in as your favourite family destination.

1. Stockton Sand Dunes

Port Stephens incredible Stockton Sand Dunes are the largest moving sand mass in the Southern Hemisphere. They shift like an endless magic trick across the Worimi Conservation Lands , a 4200-hectare coastal co-managed by the Traditional Owners.

Tear over them in a 4WD. Rev through valleys soft as melting ice cream on a quad. Carve down 30-metre slopes on a sandboard. However you choose to cross them, you’re guaranteed a seriously wild ride.

Four rugged 4WDs kick up trails of golden dust as they charge across the sweeping desert landscape. — Chase thrills across shifting sands. (Image: Destination NSW)

2. Scale Tomaree Head Summit Walk

A short climb through bushland opens up to the coastal drama of Tomaree Head . Spot Zenith, Wreck and Box Beaches. See the Fingal Island lighthouse and offshore rookeries where Australia’s rarest seabird, the Gould’s petrel, nests.

History buffs can’t miss the WWII gun emplacements. And if you’re hiking between May and November, bring binoculars. Travelling whales might just be breaching below.

Friends enjoying a scenic walk along the Tomaree Head Summit Walk in Tomaree National Park, Port Stephens. — Climb Tomaree Head for jaw-dropping coastal views. (Image: Destination NSW)

3. Watch out for whales

You’ve seen the spouts of migrating humpbacks and southern right whales from shore. Set sail from Nelson Bay to see them up close. Cruise straight into the action, with tail-slaps, barrel rolls and all.

And they’ve got competition from the local show-offs. Port Stephens bottlenose dolphins leap and play. Some tours even spot pudgy fur seals, spending lazy days soaking up the sun on Cabbage Tree Island.

A whale’s tail on the sea’s surface. — Watch for ocean tails. (Image: Destination NSW)

4. Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary

Pop into the Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary to learn about the rescued koalas who climb, nap, snack and heal in this natural patch of bushland. Wander the immersive Sanctuary Story Walk to discover more about their habits, then head to the SKYwalk – a treetop platform constructed for spotting these eucalyptus-loving locals. Peek into the hospital’s viewing window, where sick or injured koalas may be resting in their recovery enclosures.

Not enough time around these adorable marsupials? Stay overnight in silk-lined glamping tents.

Koala sleeping in a tree at Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary, One Mile — See koalas in their natural habitat. (Image: Destination NSW)

5. Diving Port Stephens

Port Stephens has some of NSW’s best dive spots. At Fly Point, float through sponge gardens and coral castles thick with nudibranchs (AKA sea slugs). Halifax Park has blue gropers and crimson-banded wrasse, while Shoal Bay’s seagrass meadows hide pipefish, cuttlefish and octopus.

Accessible only by boat, Broughton Island is home to a vast array of marine (and bird) life. Snorkel with blue devilfish and stingrays at sites like The Looking Glass and North Rock. More experienced divers can head out with one of the many PADI-certified operators.

At nearby Cabbage Tree Island, expect to see shaggy-faced wobbegongs cruising along.

A couple suited up and ready to dive into adventure. — Suit up and dive into Port Stephens’ vibrant marine life. (Image: Destination NSW)

6. Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters

Not quite ready to dive in? Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters is the perfect way to spot local marine life without getting too deep. But there’s no obnoxious glass tank tapping here. Instead, this interactive aquarium allows guests to wade into natural-style lagoons that mimic the real thing.

Gently pat Port Jackson and bamboo sharks, hand-feed rays, and feel their sandpapery skin with your fingertips. It is all under expert guidance. If you want to go deeper, pop on a wetsuit and swim alongside tawny nurse sharks, white-tipped reef sharks and zebra sharks in the lagoon.

Family enjoying an animal feeding experience at Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters, Anna Bay. — Meet the ocean’s friendliest faces at Irukandji. (Image: Destination NSW)

7. Fish the estuaries

Fishing fanatics will fall for Port Stephens hook, line and sinker. Here, one of the largest estuary systems in the whole state sees tidal rivers and mangrove ecosystems. Waterfronts are thick with oysters, and residential fish that might include anything from bream, whiting and flathead, to blue swimmer crabs, kingfish and longtail tuna.

If you prefer to choose your own adventure and fish offshore, you can hire a boat from one of the marinas and set your own course.

three men fishing on a boat in port stephens — Join a tour or chart your own fishing trip. (Image: Destination NSW)

8. Taste new Port Stephens flavours

With plenty of activity to fill your days, refuelling on delectable cuisine becomes equally important. And Port Stephens answers the call.

Pop into Holbert’s Oyster Farm for fresh-farmed Port Stephens rock oysters and Pacific oysters, Australian king and tiger prawns, as well as a variety of tasty sauces to try them with.

Take a group to Atmos for an authentic Greek experience over large shared dishes and Greek-inspired cocktails. Or feast on sea-to-plate, modern Australian dishes at the pet-friendly Restaurant 2317.

A plate of fresh oysters. — Slurp your way through the region’s best oysters. (Image: Destination NSW)

Start planning your Port Stephens getaway at portstephens.org.au .