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Indulge by the sea at 9 of the best Hervey Bay restaurants

Kristie Lau-AdamsBy Kristie Lau-Adams
Serving up authentic international flavours and absolute beachfront cocktails, the best Hervey Bay restaurants take you lightyears away from home.

An unassuming corner of calm amid Queensland’s Fraser Coast, Hervey Bay is one of my most long-loved holiday destinations. While whale watching steals the activity spotlight, chilled out waterfront restaurants and sleek diners serving up crafty cocktails have never failed to put me in holiday mood. From institutions that have impressed for decades to the newest kids on the block, here’s my pick of the best Hervey Bay restaurants.

The shortlist

Best for brunch: Enzo’s on the Beach
Fine dining gem: Odyssey Bistro
Casual eats: Maddigan’s

1. Enzo’s on the Beach

a close-up shot of food on the table at Enzo’s on the Beach, Hervey Bay restaurants
Enjoy a sunset dinner overlooking the ocean. (Image: Reuben Nutt/Tourism and Events Queensland)

Can’t get to Fiji this year? Don’t sweat it — idyllic beach hangs over snacks and cocktails is nailed at Enzo’s on the Beach . Featuring a buzzing deck outside and double-height ceiling inside, the timber-panelled Hervey Bay restaurant wouldn’t look out of place on an overseas island. I like every meal of the day at this spot, with breakfast and brunch featuring the legendary Enzo’s Eggs with romesco sauce, plus a chicken waffle benny with chipotle mayo. However, an early sunset dinner by the sand can’t be beat. Nonna’s chicken on creamy polenta is mouth-watering, as are the highball selections on the cocktail menu (go the lychee and mint with vodka for serious out-of-office swagger). My tip? Get there on Sunday for regular live music and early enough to wrangle a bean bag to catch Hervey Bay’s famed sunset spectacular.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Average price: $$

Atmosphere: Chilled out

Location: 351a Esplanade, Scarness, Hervey Bay

2. The Dock

It’s technically in the Mantra Resort at Hervey Bay’s well-populated marina but I walk into The Dock to find a totally energetic, entirely separate dining destination. The team are friendly, happily chatting to other diners as I slip into a table by the windows overlooking million-dollar catamarans. Within minutes, I’m greeted, and my wine is ordered. What I love about this Hervey Bay restaurant is its generous plating and enormous selection of Spanish-inspired tapas. My garlic and chilli prawns (there are four large bad boys in total) are slathered with a homemade relish while the corn ribs with a side of salsa verde are roasted to poppy perfection (there’s about half a dozen half cob ribs in total, which is plenty for one). The non-negotiable? Rough-cut potatoes with tomato relish, their take on patatas bravas, which is so huge I can’t finish it, but I give it a good nudge. Don’t miss the Baileys panna cotta when you drop in, too — teamed with berry compote and cream, it hits that sweet spot in style.

Cuisine: Spanish tapas

Average price: $$

Atmosphere: Lively

Location: Mantra Resort, 2 Buccaneer Dr, Urangan

3. Odyssey Bistro

a full course meal at Odyssey Bistro, Hervey Bay restaurants
Odyssey Bistro dishes up locally sourced dishes.

A smidge fancier than most Hervey Bay restaurants, Odyssey Bistro is the place to book if you’re wanting something special (guests can walk in, but I’d recommend a guaranteed spot as the space can only hold 25 or so). While casual roadside tables encourage laidback bevvy sessions, the dining room is a dimly lit hub of locally charged culinary creativity. Owner and head chef Jason England, who’s worked under Rick Stein in the past, loves seasonal sourcing so expect an evolving collective of knockouts arriving as a three-course set menu. Locals love the Hervey Bay scallop, a mainstay that’s come with smoked capsicum butter and chives in the past, while proteins are plated with similar finesse including the winter 2025 smoked mackerel omelette with XO sauce, dashi and herbs.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Average price: $$$

Atmosphere: Warm

Location: 4/341 Esplanade, Scarness, Hervey Bay

4. Maddigan’s

See all those people standing out the front of that corner shop? They’re waiting on the best takeaway fish and chips in the region. Maddigan’s , which has fuelled locals for more than 40 years, is adored for its super-crispy fish batter, generous portions and value for money. Depending on the catch of the day, pick between the likes of local coral trout, snapper, barramundi, Pacific dory and whatever else is on the chalkboard menu. Kick it old school with Pluto Pops, banana and pineapple fritters and Chiko Rolls, too. Once your order’s called, a few chairs and tables are scattered around outside but I recommend taking your parcel to that beautiful strip of sand directly opposite, aka Torquay Beach.

Cuisine: Fish and chips

Average price: $$

Atmosphere: In and out

Location: 401 Esplanade, Torquay

5. Aquavue

avo on toast at Aquavue, Hervey Bay restaurants
Avo on toast at Aquavue. (Image: Jacinta Shackleton/Tourism and Events Queensland)

Speaking of the sand, Aquavue is another unmissable beachfront spot. While the Hervey Bay restaurant feels super casual, the views from its water-fronting deck are sensational. When I drop in, I even spot K’gari, a sight made even more magical when my pizza paddle and chicken wings combo lands. I go for the Pesto Chicken pizza because it’s got camembert, before washing it down with a Your Mates pale ale, brewed in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, because, well, holidays. Visitors should note that once the sun sinks, it’s lights out at this place, so time your visit to lunch during the week and sunset from Friday to Sunday.

Cuisine: Pub grub

Average price: $$

Atmosphere: Relaxed

Location: 415a Esplanade, Torquay

6. Olive

Unveiled in July 2025, Olive is one of Hervey Bay’s newer restaurants and a much-welcomed foray into Turkish cuisine. Before we scan the food, however, we need to talk about Marta, Olive’s belly dancer and a total showstopper. She isn’t there every night but I highly recommend staying across the restaurant’s socials and Marta’s own Facebook page to time your visit to her hypnotising performances. Now, the food. The banquets take decision-making off your plate, arriving in $45 and $65 per person varieties and including dips with Turkish bread plus traditional dishes like a falafel and zucchini fritter platter and chargrilled meats with rice. A shot of Raki, Turkey’s famed cloudy spirit, washes everything down in true international sojourn style.

Cuisine: Turkish

Average price: $$-$$$

Atmosphere: Homely

Location: 1/470 Esplanade, Torquay

7. Banksia

cotton candy sky at sunset in Banksia, Hervey Bay restaurants
Banksia channels coastal charm.

You’re visiting the sea, so it’s high time for seafood. Banksia is a good-time go-to made for long lunching. It’s Hamptons-white with nautical-inspired interiors so I arrive in heels (quite un-Hervey Bay of me) to embrace its special occasion aesthetic. I know I’ve made the right choice when the team’s Flagship Seafood Platter arrives — a showstopping extravaganza you’ve got to lock in 24 hours prior. Once I snap its towering awesomeness of fresh oysters, crab claws, prawns and fresh fruit (the team stack it high for maximised photo-ready decadence), I sit back and soak up the shimmering beach right across the road. It’s a gorgeous meandering affair at this Hervey Bay restaurant, so clear your afternoon to make the most of it.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Average price: $$$

Atmosphere: Festive

Location: Shop 4/381 Esplanade, Hervey Bay

8. Cody’s Coffee Shack

Some of Hervey Bay’s best coffee is found at Cody’s Coffee Shack , a local institution. Character-filled from toe to tip, this Hervey Bay restaurant is built with a timber-lined patio dotted with beachy paraphernalia to instantly endear. A hollowed-out VW campervan, meanwhile, has also been fashioned into additional seating. But first, coffee, right? Wrap your lips around a cup of creamy Dimattina beans, roasted in Melbourne, before taking your pick from light meals like Dutch pancakes with whipped cream, toasties, savoury pastries, muffins, slices, scones and more.

Cuisine: Cafe classics

Average price: $-$$

Atmosphere: Local

Location: 400 Esplanade, Torquay

9. Thyme @ the Vinyard

dining at Thyme @ the Vinyard, Hervey Bay restaurants
Thyme @ the Vinyard celebrates local produce.

Across the road and down a bit from the famed Urangan Pier, one of the best things to explore in Hervey Bay, Thyme @ the Vinyard is a peaceful spot plating up elegant dishes that lean into local produce. It opened in August 2024, so it’s one of town’s newest dining destinations, taking total advantage of a waterfront location on the main strip. Grab a seat right by the expansive windows to spy soothing blue vistas as seafood, like local scallops with Nduja cream, starts you off and mains span grain-fed sirloin steaks, blackened chicken, barramundi with brown butter dashi and prawn linguini with lemon and herbs.

Cuisine: Modern Australian

Average price: $$$

Atmosphere: Refined

Location: 552 Esplanade, Urangan

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Kristie Lau-Adams
Kristie Lau-Adams is a Gold Coast-based freelance writer after working as a journalist and editorial director for almost 20 years across Australia's best-known media brands including The Sun-Herald, WHO and Woman's Day. She has spent significant time exploring the world with highlights including trekking Japan’s life-changing Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage and ziplining 140 metres above the vines of Mexico’s Puerto Villarta. She loves exploring her own backyard (quite literally, with her two young children who love bugs), but can also be found stalking remote corners globally for outstanding chilli margaritas and soul-stirring cultural experiences.
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What it’s really like to stay on the world’s largest sand island

    Kassia ByrnesBy Kassia Byrnes
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    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.