Sunshine Coast guide
Wharf dining, seafood, coffee and bars around the waterfront.
15 editorial picks · unpaid · not ranked
Mooloolaba
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.
Mooloolaba
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.
Mooloolaba
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.
Mooloolaba
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.
Mooloolaba
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.
Mooloolaba
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.
Mooloolaba
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.
Alexandra Headland
Long-running coastal bistro serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Mooloolaba
French crêpes and buckwheat galettes at The Wharf.
Mooloolaba
Family-run café with Asian-inspired dishes and inclusive options.
Mooloolaba
A local breakfast and lunch café near the beach.
Mooloolaba
An early-opening espresso bar for serious coffee, matcha and a quick start before the beachfront crowds build. More pit stop than long lunch.
Mooloolaba
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.
Mooloolaba
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.
Mooloolaba
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.
What did we miss?
Suggestions are checked before they are added. Future community voting and Coast Awards are still being built; these are not declared winners.