What’s new, Noosa?
If you’re looking for a great bite to eat, these are the best of a host of new bars and eateries to electrify your taste buds, writes Justine Costigan
NOOSAVILLE
JD’s Chicken Co
Acclaimed chef Justin North and business partner David Singer are rewriting the rotisserie chicken playbook with their take on Frenchstyle fire-roasted chicken. With a focus on local ingredients, the simple menu gets the basics right — think whole birds with a side of creamy mashed potato and gravy, or a roll, burger or fried chicken with chips and salad. It’s not all chook though, red meat aficionados can dig into pulled pork and wagyu beef, while the “Chickadees” menu is just right for little tummies. The Co. offers limited seating, but with the Noosa River just across the road, it’s perfect riverside picnic fare. jdschickenco.com.au
Apero
Next to JD’s is the stylish Apero, a bar leaning into the appealing concept of aperitif — meeting friends for a pre-dinner wine and a snack. The drinks list offers new and old world wines, with an emphasis on everything French, and classic cocktails matched with salty, fishy nibbles or generous charcuterie or cheese boards. Apero is suitably intimate, but pavement tables easily accommodate a crowd. A dinner menu means you can linger longer, or head next door for chicken to go. aperonoosa.com.au
Lanai Noosa
Lanai’s casual fine dining makes the most of Australia’s abundant seafood. Think classic white bread prawn “sangas”, natural or dressed oysters, barramundi and Fiji-influenced raw fish with coconut. The island theme continues with Hawaiian-inspired huli huli chicken and creamy haupia doughnuts and a cocktail menu featuring fun pina colada and “Lanai-Tai” cocktails, and a stylish beachy interior. Book the family style veranda table for dining with a river view. lanainoosa.com.au Seabourne Distillery Seabourne’s new gin bar is a little corner of glamour in Noosa’s industrial estate, and the stark contrast to its surroundings only makes it more special. Sit up at the beautifully lit bar and choose from seasonal cocktails featuring flavours such as mandarin, blood lime or grapefruit, classic gin cocktails, or take a gin flight featuring four varieties with accompanying tonic and soda. Check out the still from the bar (or book a tour) to learn more about the gin-making process. Seabourne uses only Australian botanicals, many of them local to Noosa, to celebrate the flavours of the coast. seabournedistillery.com.au Chinadina
Chinadina is the stylish new venture from the team behind modern European bistro Gusto, also in Noosaville. Specialising in Cantonese cuisine — think barbecue, dumplings, noodles, bao, and fresh seafood — the focus is on Hong Kong-style eating, including yum cha on Sundays. chinadina.com.au
TEWANTIN MARINA
Lucio’s Marina
Lucio’s Marina is run by Matteo Galletto and his wife, Dieuwke. While there are plenty of Italian classics on the seafood trattoria-style menu, Lucio’s also gives a nod to contemporary flavours and techniques: akoya pearl oysters from Western Australia arrive on a plate of pebbles, hidden by a delicate anchovy foam, and a classic spanner crab tagliolini is updated with tiny cubes of crab jelly. Matteo is a warm and welcoming host, and with a deck overlooking the river, the restaurant is already a popular place for a long, lazy lunch by the water. luciosmarina.com Coming soon
The team behind the popular modern Asian restaurant Sum Yung Guys is set to open Pelicano Noosa, a restaurant featuring a Mediterranean menu of shared plates, plus a private dining room, at the marina in September 2024. For updates see @pelicanonoosa
NOOSA JUNCTION
Zibros
Noosa Junction was crying out for a stylish Italian cafe, and Zibros meets the brief. Sicilianborn co-owners and brothers Dario and Alessio Zichichi offer a menu inspired by their home island that stretches from breakfast to dinner. The menu includes classics such as porchetta, fritto misto, caponata, and Sicilian pesto, while the wine list offers a mix of Italian and Australian by the glass and bottle. Start the day with a chocolate or pistachio dipped ricotta cannoli or chunky piadina stuffed with prosciutto and scamorza. zibros.com.au
HASTINGS STREET
Locale and Bistro C
Hastings Street favourites the Italian restaurant Locale and beachside Bistro C, have both been recently refurbished. Bistro C’s five-week transformation in 2023 enhanced both the acoustics and its laid-back beachside vibe, while Locale’s moody interior is even sexier, with a substantial upgrade to the interior. Book a table and check out the revamped offerings. bistroc.com.au, localenoosa.com.au