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

By 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 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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A local’s cheat sheet to the most sensational Hervey Bay camping

    By Kristie Lau-Adams
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    From beachfront camp sites to amenity-laden caravan parks, the best Hervey Bay camping tees up idyllic outdoor exploration.

    I’m overwhelmed with activity options in the small coastal city of Hervey Bay. Swim with whales, take a scenic flight over neighbouring K’gari, go on a jet skiing escapade along the placid coastline… the options are limitless. And if you’re anything like me, that yearning for uncharted action doesn’t stop after dark. My advice? Pair daytime adventures with nights under the stars. From unblemished camping grounds to quiet caravan parks (delightfully, they’re not as wild as most) that embrace their natural surroundings, the best Hervey Bay camping fuels all-day enchantment. Here are my favourites.

    In short

    If you only stay at one campsite in Hervey Bay, choose Discovery Parks — Fraser Street, Hervey Bay. The glamping tents are unique to the region and it’s surprisingly tranquil during the day because everyone’s out exploring nearby attractions.

    Ingenia Holidays Hervey Bay

    one of the cabins at Ingenia Holidays Hervey Bay

    Check into one of the pet-friendly cabins at Ingenia Holidays Hervey Bay.

    Let’s start with one of the wackiest, most unforgettable Hervey Bay camping options of all. Sure, Ingenia Holidays Hervey Bay is home to your standard powered and unpowered sites plus units, cabins and villas, but its Bel Air Retro Caravan is wholly unlike anything you’ve experienced. Starting from $199 per night and sleeping up to five guests, it’s a total 1950s time warp, complete with checkerboard flooring both inside and across the private outdoor chill area. You’ve got your own bathroom, dining table, barbecue, double bed, triple bunk beds and kitchenette, while novelty fuel cans have been moulded into bar stools out front. Travelling with your fur babies? Unfortunately, the retro stay isn’t pet-friendly, but many of this Hervey Bay camping hot spot’s accommodation is. Facilities include a swimming pool, a games room, a laundry, a kids’ bouncing pillow, a kiosk, a camp kitchen, accessible bathrooms, a tennis court, a playground and a dump point. Price-wise, unpowered sites start from $42 per night, powered ones go from $79 per night, and cabins start from $149 per night.

    Address: 105 Truro St, Torquay

    BOOK NOW

    Discovery Parks – Fraser Street, Hervey Bay

    a bonfire setup outside a safari tent at Discovery Parks – Fraser Street, Hervey Bay

    Stay in a deluxe safari tent that sleeps up to four guests. (Image: Sean Scott)

    I bring a campervan into Discovery Parks – Fraser Street, Hervey Bay, a lush, tree-dotted space located just a five-minute stroll from Torquay Beach and an easy walk to some of Hervey Bay’s best restaurants. It’s a good move, parked right near the amenities block and one of its two swimming pools, but I must admit — I’m a bit jealous of the lakeside glampers. The Hervey Bay accommodation offers Deluxe Safari Tents that sleep up to four guests and they’re positioned at the water’s edge with decks featuring dining tables and barbecues. How good is that?

    Back in my camper, I’m beyond comfortable though. I make good use of the swimming pool, laundry, camp kitchen, barbecues and dump point, while kids grin all around me as they hop between biking the grounds, the bouncing pillow, the tennis court and the playground. As for the nitty gritties at this very chilled out Hervey Bay camping option, pets are welcome, there are accessible bathrooms, you’re encouraged to feed the resident lorikeets (BYO birdseed, I’m advised) and prices start from roughly $200 per night for the glamping tents, $158 per night for cabins and $46 for powered sites.

    Address: 20 Fraser Street, Torquay

    BOOK NOW

    Trinity Islands Holiday Park

    the Burrum River in front of Trinity Islands Holiday Park

    Enjoy peak lakefront serenity.

    Trinity Islands Holiday Park is set around a 4.5-hectare lake and features two spectacular islands to camp upon. The camping sites are spacious, offering serious lakefront serenity, and leashed pets are welcome. This Hervey Bay camping beauty is stripped back to basics, letting you lean into nature while that epic lake offers all the activity. Explore it by kayak or SUP, go for a swim, indulge in a spot of ‘catch and release’ fishing or relax on an inland beach.

    This place also fronts the Burrum River – a great spot for swimming and fishing – while keeping you just a 25-minute drive from the centre of Hervey Bay. There’s no need to leave the camp’s grounds though, really — they’re stocked with ice, bait, drinks, gas and firewood. Choose from unpowered and powered sites as well as cabins, with prices starting from about $32 per night for unpowered, $42 for powered and $130 for a cabin.

    Address: 805 Burrum Heads Rd, Burrum River

    BOOK NOW

    Pialba Beachfront Tourist Park

    the Pialba Beachfront Tourist Park, Hervey Bay

    The Pialba Beachfront Tourist Park offers an idyllic coastal escape right on the Esplanade.

    Location, location, location. If you’re all about a beachfront escape, book into the Pialba Beachfront Tourist Park, a Hervey Bay camping spot right on the Esplanade. It’s home to all the facilities and amenities you’d expect from a holiday park — think a camp laundry, a camp kitchen, barbecues and picnic areas — while its incredible proximity to the town’s best bits helps seal the deal. Kids will adore cutting loose in the neighbouring WetSide Water Park, open seasonally and free to enter, plus there are boutiques and eateries within a short stroll. Guests with access needs are catered for via multiple accessible-friendly facilities. Pets are not allowed. Overnight digs come in the shape of beachfront and non-beachfront camp sites offering power and no power, and prices start from roughly $45 per night.

    Address: 267 Esplanade, Pialba

    BOOK NOW

    Burrum Coast National Park

    the Burrum Point Camping Area, Burrum Coast National Park

    Go off-grid at the Burrum Point camping area. (Image: Sabrina Lauriston/Tourism and Events Queensland)

    Looking to get away from it all? Set up shop right on the Burrum Coast. It’s just over an hour’s drive north-west of Hervey Bay but feels positively light years away. Choose from two sections of the park to camp in: Kinkuna bush camping or the Burrum Point camping area, both of which require a camping permit (from $7.50 per night) and a national park fee which should be organised well in advance to avoid competing with crowds. To reach either site, you’ll need a high clearance 4WD, but the payoff is remarkable. These little-known, hard-to-access campsites provide a bounty of tranquillity. They’re both shaded by eucalypt and casuarina trees, and located behind foredunes, just a short walk to the beach. Burrum Point has only 13 sites but offers water, cold showers and flush toilets, while Kinkuna has 40 sites and none of those luxuries, however it allows campfires and generators (conditions apply).

    Address: Burrum Coast National Park, Woodgate

    BOOK KINKUNA

    BOOK BURRUM POINT

    Poona Palms Caravan Park

    the Poona Palms Caravan Park, Hervey Bay camping

    This pet-friendly, heavenly coastal stay is complete with powered and unpowered sites.

    While you’re considering the wider region, let me throw Poona Palms Caravan Park onto your radar. Located right along the Great Sandy Strait, it’s a heavenly coastal stay filled with powered and unpowered sites, villas, cabins and even motel-style rooms. The serenity you’ll find here is pretty intoxicating as activities span fishing, boating, sprawling out over water-facing grasslands, beach hangs, 4X4 off-roading and pumping yabbies. The best drawcard, in my book? The Strait is filled with so much marine life including vibrant sea birds, dugong, turtles and dolphins, so just kicking back and getting to know adorable locals is easy. Break up your nature fix by exploring facilities that span a cafe (how convenient) which doubles as a bar in the afternoons (double convenient), a kiosk, a laundry, a camp kitchen, a playground, a swimming pool, barbecues, and basketball and tennis courts. There’s also a dump point, plus this spot is pet-friendly as can be with a doggie wash and dog-friendly cabins. Powered sites start from about $49 per night, while four-walled options start climbing from about $157.

    Address: 103 Boronia Dr, Poona

    BOOK NOW