Lively Asian street food at The Wharf, known for dumplings, bao and curries in a deliberately casual setting. Expect queues and noise at peak times; that energy is part of the proposition.
Guide price band: $$. Check the current menu.
Around the Sunshine Coast
Mooloolaba
Wharf dining, seafood, coffee and bars around the waterfront.
15 editorial picks. Unpaid and unranked.
The more polished sibling to Rice Boi, offering a seated menu of Asian-influenced dishes and a calmer room upstairs at The Wharf. Choose it when you want those flavours with bookings and table service.
Guide price band: $$$. Check the current menu.
A moody dining room above the Esplanade serving contemporary Asian dishes designed to share. It suits date nights and celebrations where cocktails, lighting and presentation are part of the brief.
Guide price band: $$$. Check the current menu.
A seafood-focused dining room near the Mooloolah River, sourcing from the adjacent seafood business and local fleet where available. Pick it when the point of the meal is fish, not merely a waterfront view.
Guide price band: $$$. Check the current menu.
A bright marina-side venue with seafood, share plates and plenty of outdoor space. It is particularly useful for sunny group lunches that may turn into afternoon drinks.
Guide price band: $$$. Check the current menu.
Southern Italian cooking at The Wharf, covering pizza, pasta and substantial mains in a relaxed room. A solid crowd-pleaser when the group wants familiar food done with care.
Guide price band: $$. Check the current menu.
An eclectic neighbourhood café in a converted house, with a shaded courtyard and a broad brunch menu. It feels removed from the Esplanade despite being close by.
A long-running Alexandra Headland café-bistro for straightforward breakfast, coffee and counter food close to the beach. Choose it for an unfussy local meal rather than trend-driven brunch theatrics.
French crêpes and buckwheat galettes at The Wharf.
A quieter canal-side café off Brisbane Road, with Coffee Supreme and an all-day breakfast menu that moves beyond standard brunch. The Thai omelette and savoury mince are the distinctive picks.
A long-running Esplanade café pairing ocean views with substantial breakfast classics such as caramelised-banana pancakes, corn fritters and smashed avocado. Best when you want a proper sit-down breakfast rather than a quick takeaway coffee.
An early-opening espresso bar for serious coffee, matcha and a quick start before the beachfront crowds build. More pit stop than long lunch.
An old-school European bakery valued for crusty breads, dense rye loaves and traditional pastries. Come for baking rather than décor or a fashionable brunch menu.
A whisky and cocktail bar built for slower drinks, with a deep back bar and knowledgeable service. Choose it for conversation and a considered pour rather than a loud late-night crowd.
A large Wharf venue with marina views, broad drinks choices and enough room for groups. Its strength is easy social drinking in a waterfront setting, not intimate cocktail-bar precision.
Check opening hours, current menus and access with the venue before travelling.