17 Rockhampton Restaurants To Try Now

Whether you’re eating in view of charming heritage architecture or serene water views of the Fitzroy river, here are the best restaurants in Rockhampton.

Rockhampton defies the stereotype of slim pickings when it comes to eating in a regional city. Despite its relatively small size, you’ll find everything from bustling cafes to waterfront restaurants, hearty pub grub and cuisine from around the world. Rockhampton’s subtropical climate also means that it’s blessed with great local produce, which makes its way onto restaurant tables across town. Here, we’ve rounded up the best restaurants in Rockhampton for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Cafes

Rockhampton has a lively cafe scene, where locals come together in an array of cosy spots across the city. Here are our picks for the best cafe restaurants in Rockhampton.

1. St Aubins Village Tearooms

Idyllic is the word to describe this tearoom located on the grounds of the heritage-listed St Aubins . Think tiered cake stands filled with sumptuous sweets, fresh scones loaded with jam and cream, and tea served in quaint china cups. For those after something more filling, there’s a breakfast and lunch menu with cafe classics like eggs benedict and homemade quiche. And, you’ll get to enjoy it all in the peaceful surrounds of the manicured grounds. In short, it’s a taste of the good life.

Address: 73-75 Canoona Rd, West Rockhampton QLD

2. Coffee Society

Coffee society is the go-to spot to get your caffeine fix and enjoy a breakfast/brunch menu with a twist. We recommend fuelling up with a dish of breakfast gnocchi or indulging in the crowd-favourite Boston beans. Coffee Society is a great place to start a day of activities, especially if you’re planning to explore the Rockhampton Museum of Art later on, which you’ll find just around the corner. We’ve also written about a few more things to do in Rockhampton while you’re here.

Address: 126 East St, Rockhampton QLD

3. Dingles Rockhampton

Dingles cafe and bar is where to go to find beautifully-plated dishes that artfully fuse intricate flavours. Vegetarians will have plenty to choose from, with dishes like the cauli bowl combining harissa cauliflower with coconut yoghurt, orange and pomegranate molasses. The pasta dishes here are more than a safe bet, with plates like mud crab spaghetti and basil gnocchetti, guaranteed to tantalise your taste buds. There’s great coffee, as well as alcohol if you feel like getting a little boozier at brunch.

Address: 116 William St, Rockhampton QLD

4. Riverston Tea Rooms

Fronting the Fitzroy river, the Riverston Tea Rooms are a go-to spot to indulge in something sweet (the pancakes here are always a winner!). Riverston Tea Rooms have all the best things you associate with a regional cafe: homemade cakes, great coffee and a hearty menu of classic breakfast and brunch items made with seasonal produce, dished out in generous portion sizes.

Address: 186 Quay St, Rockhampton QLD

5. Kinsfolk Rockhampton

Dressed in sleek, modern white, Kinsfolk oozes the allure of an inner-city cafe while retaining classic small-town friendliness. Their menu is mostly plant-based and sustainably sourced, so you can indulge in a delicious and guilt-free brunch alongside a great cup of coffee. Vegetarians will love the jackfruit burger or the buckwheat banana pancakes, which satisfy sweet cravings while delivering a dose of nutritious goodness.

Address: 1 Meter St, The Range QLD

6. Gardens Tearooms

The Gardens Tearooms gets a mention for the location alone. Located within Rockhampton Botanical Gardens, you can enjoy high tea with mismatched china beneath the shady canopy of fig trees. You’ll be surrounded by lots of greenery, and great food to fuel up for a walk around the beautiful botanic gardens.

Gardens Tearooms Rockhampton — Dine while surrounded by serenity at the Gardens Tearooms.

Address: 100 Spencer St, West Rockhampton QLD

Pubs

Many of Rockhampton’s pubs are heritage-listed, quenching the thirsts of locals for more than a century. Here are the best pubs in Rockhampton where you can enjoy a drink and a feed.

7. Heritage Hotel

Rockhampton is known for its quaint and historic buildings, including the 1898 Heritage Hotel sitting pretty on Quay Street, one of the most historically significant heritage strips in Australia. Enjoy a meal and a drink at the Heritage Hotel bistro while surrounded by history. Here, you’ll find belly-filling pub classics like burgers, bangers and mash and hearty mixed grill for those with an appetite. You’ll also have the Fitzroy River in view, so you can kick back and relax with a beer and a feed. The Heritage Hotel is also a great place to bed down— we’ve rounded up a few more in our guide on where to stay in Rockhampton.

Address: 228 Quay St, Rockhampton QLD

8. Criterion Hotel

Another historic gem on Quay Street is the Criterion Hotel , which has been around since 1889. The hotel’s walls sing with history, having housed guests such as Queen Elizabeth II, the English cricket team and many more. When it comes to dining, you’ll have plenty of hearty options at the hotel’s Bush Inn Bar & Grill Steak House, which serves up a range of wraps, burgers and steaks, as well as decadent desserts for a little something sweet afterwards.

Address: 150 Quay St, Rockhampton QLD

9. Brunswick Hotel

The Brunswick Hotel , or ‘The Brunny’ as it’s affectionally dubbed by locals, is the place to head for a casual pint and hearty feed. Crumbed steak is a house special, so you can enjoy a ‘crummy at the brunny’ with a schooner of your favourite brew. Sit outside in the company of lofty palm trees, warm afternoon air and laid-back vibes.

Address: 130 Archer St, Rockhampton QLD

10. Rockhampton Leagues Club

Leagues clubs are known for their affordable menus and cheerful environments, and Rockhampton is no different. If you’re looking for tasty, no-frills bistro food, then the Rockhampton Leagues club is the place to be. You’ll find friendly staff, a menu of classic items, as well as all of your favourite beers on tap.

Address: Cambridge St, Rockhampton QLD

Restaurants

With an abundance of high-quality seasonal produce in close proximity, there are plenty of restaurants in Rockhampton that pull together fresh ingredients to create flavours inspired by cuisines from around the world. These are the best restaurants in Rockhampton to dine out.

11. Pacino’s Italian Rockhampton

Perched on the banks of the Fitzroy river, Pacino’s is the restaurant bringing modern Italian fare to Rockhampton’s historic streets. It’s the spot to hit up for authentic wood-fired pizzas, as well as delectable pasta dishes like Lobster Ravioli or Mushroom Risotto. Pacino’s wine list also combines a choice selection of great Italian and Australian wines, so you can truly enjoy the best of both worlds.

pacino's rockhampton — Pizza and pasta lovers will be spoilt for choice at Pacino’s.

Address: 5 East St, Rockhampton QLD

12. Boathouse

The Boathouse offers waterfront dining at its finest. With panoramic views of the river, you can soak up the beauty of the Fitzroy accompanied by a modern menu featuring fresh seafood and seasonal produce. There’s live music in the summer that’s guaranteed to bring carefree, chilled-out vibes — perfect for kicking back while you enjoy a cocktail next to the water.

Boathouse Rockhampton — Enjoy water views while you dine at Boathouse.

Address: 189 Quay St, Rockhampton QLD

13. Riverside Restaurant

Framed by gum trees and idyllic water views, Riverside Restaurant is the place to head for modern dining with serene surroundings. Rockhampton is well-known for its beef production, and Riverside Restaurant makes it a point to serve up the very best cuts of t-bone, scotch fillets and eye fillets cooked to perfection. The space combines timber finishes and an earthy colour palette design to create a space you’ll truly want to linger in.

Address: 86 Victoria Parade, Rockhampton QLD

14. Skyring’s Restaurant

Skyring’s Restaurant offers luxe, modern dining on the edge of the Fitzroy River. The menu specialises in steak and seafood, where guests can enjoy a degustation of beautifully plated dishes such as soft-shell crabs and spicy beef. The restaurant combines leather furnishings and a sleek design to create an inviting space.

Address: Motel 98, 98 Victoria Parade, Rockhampton QLD

15. TruFusion Indian Bar and Grill

TruFusion restaurant is a favourite among Rockhampton locals, fusing incredible flavours from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan to bring authentic North Asian cuisine to Rockhampton. The goat curry is a menu highlight, and you won’t want to miss the freshly-made koftas. At TruFusion, you can experience fine dining from the sub-continent in sunny, sub-tropical Queensland.

Trufusion Indian Restaurant Rockhampton — Make a beeline for TruFusion, a hotspot among locals.

Address: 102-108 Victoria Parade, Rockhampton QLD

Takeaways

Despite its relatively small size, Rockhampton is brimming with eateries serving up cuisine from different parts of the globe. Here are our picks for the best takeaways and casual restaurants in Rockhampton if you’re looking for food on the go.

16. Malaysia House

If you like to get your tastebuds all fired up, then make a beeline for Malaysia House on Bolsover Street where you can sample an authentic taste of Asian cuisine. Menu offerings include Malay classics like laksa, satay chicken skewers and nasi goreng, guaranteed to deliver a punch of flavour.

Address: 50 Bolsover St, Rockhampton QLD

17. Rossco’s Pizza Rockhampton

Rossco’s combines fresh ingredients with creative flavours to provide a delectable range of traditional and gourmet pizzas. There’s something for everyone’s taste, with a menu that features toppings such as Mediterranean and tandoori. There are plenty of green spaces in Rockhampton, too, and if you’d like to save the hassle of packing a picnic, a pizza from Rossco’s is a sound choice.

Address: Unit 4/122 George St, Rockhampton QLD

Headed to Rockhampton? We’ve also rounded up the best places to stay while you’re in town.

Exploring the world’s largest sand island starts with the perfect K’gari homebase.

The morning light is still soft, but it’s already a perfect sunny day. We left our K’gari homebase at Kingfisher Bay Resort with our guide, Peter Meyer, at 9 am to make the most of our time to explore all that the world’s largest sand island holds. The size of K’gari is hard to grasp until you arrive here. This is no sandbar. Stretching 120 kilometres, unique lakes, mangrove systems, rainforest, 75 Miles of beach, historic shipwrecks, small townships and even one of Queensland’s best bakeries are all hidden within its bounds.

But first, one of the island’s most iconic sights: the pure silica sand and crystal clear waters of Lake McKenzie.

Laying eyes on it for the first time, I’m finally able to confirm that the photos don’t lie. The sand is pure white, without the merest hint of yellow. The water fades from a light halo of aqua around the edges to a deeper, royal blue, the deeper it gets (not that it’s particularly deep, six metres at most). The surface remains surprisingly undisturbed, like a mirror.

Arriving with our guide before 10 am means that no one else is around when we get here. Which means we have the pleasure of breaking the smooth surface with our own ripples as we enter. As a self-confessed wimp with chilly water temperatures, my fears are quickly assuaged. Even in the morning, the water stays around 23 degrees – perfect for lazing about all day. But we have more sights to see.

Exploring K’gari

ariel of in lake mckenzie on k'gari fraser island — Relax in the warm waters of Lake McKenzie. (Image: Ayeisha Sheldon)

This was the Personalised 4WD tour offered by Kingfisher Bay Resort, and my absolute top pick of experiences. Over the course of the day, we had the freedom to create our own bespoke itinerary (plus a provided picnic lunch along the way), with an expert guide who had plenty of stories and local expertise to give context to what we were looking at. From the history of the SS Maheno shipwreck, which survived the First World War only to be washed ashore by a cyclone in 1935, to a detailed description of how an island made of sand could sustain such diverse flora.

If it’s your first time to K’gari, the Beauty Spots Tour is another great option. Departing daily from Kingfisher Bay Resort (you’ll start to notice a trend, as many of the tours do start and end here), an air-conditioned, 4WD bus takes guests to the island’s most iconic locations, including the best places to swim, like Lake McKenzie and Eli Creek. The latter offers a gentle current, perfect for riding with a blow-up tyre out towards the ocean.

The next day, for a look at a completely different side of K’gari, I joined one of Kingfisher Bay Resort’s Immersive Ranger-guided tours to kayak through the mangroves of Dundonga Creek. This long, snake-like stretch of creek winds its way inland from the ocean outlet we entered by, at times too narrow for three kayaks to be side-by-side. Small insects buzz from leaf to leaf, while birds call overhead. Occasional bubbles indicate we’ve passed some fish that call this place home.

kayak tour through the mangroves at k'gari island — Learn about the island’s mangroves from your Ranger. (Image: Reuben Nutt/ TEQ)

If kayaking isn’t for you – or if, like me, you simply want more – other ranger-led experiences include nature walks and a dedicated Junior Eco Ranger Program for kids ages five to 12 (these run every weekend, and daily over the peak December holidays). Just ask for a timetable of upcoming tours when you check in.

While during whale season, Hervey Bay Whale Watch & Charters operates tours from the hotel’s jetty to get up close to the famous Humpback Highway of Hervey Bay, from 7 November to 31 May, attention turns to the Aqua Oasis Cruise . Departing from the resort every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday for resort guests, adventure along the island’s remote western coast, pointing out wildlife like dolphins, turtles, flying fish and eagles along the way.

The cruise drops anchor so guests can jump into the water using the boat’s equipment – from SUP boards to inflatable slides and jumping platforms. Then refuel with a provided lunch, of course.

Unwind at sunset

two people drinking cocktails at sunset bar, kingfisher bay resort — Unwind at the Sunset Bar. (Image: Sean Scott)

As much as days on K’gari can be filled with adventure, to me, the afternoons and evenings there are for unwinding. Sunsets on K’gari are absolutely unbelievable, with Kingfisher Bay on the west side being the best spot to catch the colours.

The Sunset Bar , located at the start of the resort’s jetty and overlooking the beach, is the ultimate location for sundowners. Let chill beats wash over you as you sip on cool wines, beers and cocktails in a relaxed, friendly vibe. Personally, a cheese board was also absolutely called for. As the sun sinks, the sand, sea and horizon turn a vibrant shade of orange, with the jetty casting a dramatic shadow across the water.

When the show is over, head back to the hotel for dinner at the Asian-fusion Dune restaurant, or the pub-style Sand + Wood. But if your appetite is still whetted for more lights and colours, the evening isn’t over yet.

Settle into the Illumina stage for Return to Sky, an immersive light and sound show leading viewers on a captivating journey through K’gari’s stories and landscapes.

Indulge and disconnect

woman setting up massage room at kingfisher bay resort Island Day Spa — Find bliss at Island Day Spa. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

Of course, there is a type of traveller who knows that balance is important, day or night. While Kingfisher Bay Resort offers more than one pool for guests to spend all day lounging by (they’ll even serve you food and drinks while you do it), you’ll find me at the Island Day Spa.

The masseuses could match the magic hands of any big city spa, and I felt the warm welcome as I walked into the light, breezy reception. Choose from a range of botanical facials, beauty treatments and soothing massages using traditional techniques (obviously, I couldn’t go past a relaxing massage). All products used contain organic, native botanical ingredients with nutrient-rich plant extracts to soothe skin and mind. To really indulge, try out one of the packages, couples treatment or even a pre-wedding day offering.

Getting there

kingfisher bay resort 4wd tour driving passed ss maheno on k'gari island — The world of K’gari awaits. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

Getting to K’gari is shockingly easy. Find daily flights into Hervey Bay from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Kingfisher Bay Resort offers a shuttle bus between the airport, their headquarters in Hervey Bay and the ferry to take you to K’gari.

17 of the best Rockhampton restaurants to satisfy every craving