hero media

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

Kristie Lau-Adams 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

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

AI Prompt

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

Weekly travel news, experiences
insider tips, offers, and more.

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

Discover the best things to do in Hervey Bay

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.
View profile and articles
a bonfire setup outside a safari tent at Discovery Parks – Fraser Street, Hervey Bay
Hervey Bay

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

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

Read more
A humpback whale breaching
Hervey Bay

This Aussie town is the whale watching capital of the world

Knowing when and where to look, plus which tours to book, with our tried-and-tested guide to whale watching in Hervey Bay.

Read more
A resort swimming pool with views to the ocean
Hervey Bay

The best Hervey Bay accommodation for an unforgettable coastal getaway

From slow-going holiday parks to splashy resort living, the best Hervey Bay accommodation puts travellers right at home.

Read more
humpback whales swimming in Hervey Bay
Hervey Bay

11 of the best sun-drenched things to do in Hervey Bay

The best things to do in Hervey Bay blend dazzling coastal beauty with laidback exploration and a thriving cultural scene.

Read more
hero media

Exploding supernovas & gold fever: discover the past at this outback Qld town

    Kassia Byrnes Kassia Byrnes
    Continue
    Under wide-open outback skies, discover a fossicking gem that’s managed to slip under the radar.

    While the name Clermont may feel new to even the most intrepid traveller, its gilded history stretches back centuries. You’ll find it just off the highway, humming quietly under the hazy veil of Queensland’s outback sun. It’s here, hemmed in by mountains and perched atop soil heavy with the earth’s treasures, that one of Australia’s most accessible outback adventures awaits.

    Thanks to deposits of gold, copper and gemstones – souvenirs left by exploding supernovas and the heave of tectonic plates – Clermont became a centre point of Queensland’s Gold Rush. And now? Australia’s fossicking capital is yours to discover.

    Getting there

    car driving along Capricorn Way in queensland
    Take a drive through Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. (Image: Sean Scott/ TEQ)

    You’ll find Clermont in Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. To get here, it’s an easy three-hour drive over sealed roads from Mackay. Or, if you’re heading from the Sapphire Fields of Emerald, the drive will carve out just over an hour from your day.

    Whether you’re road-tripping through outback Queensland or just tracing your way through all that Australia has to offer, Clermont is remote but easily accessible.

    Best accommodation in Clermont

    Theresa CreekDam in clermont
    Camp by Theresa Creek Dam. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

    All accommodation comes with a generous helping of country hospitality here. The choice is yours between modern hotels, parking up the camper or pitching a tent.

    Theresa Creek Dam lies just outside town. Begin each day with crisp country air and bright outback sunrises. Spend the night under the sparkling country stars and your days out on the dam fishing or kayaking. Even if you aren’t camping, be sure to save space in your itinerary for an afternoon on the red dirt shore.

    To stay closer to town, opt for a central hotel to base yourself between exploring and fossicking, like Smart Stayzzz Inn and Clermont Country Motor Inn .

    Things to do in Clermont

    three people on a tour with Golden Prospecting
    Join a tour with Golden Prospecting.

    One does not visit Clermont without trying their hand at fossicking. There are strict rules when it comes to fossicking, so stick to areas dedicated for general permission and make sure you obtain your license beforehand. Try your luck at McMasters , Four Mile , Town Desert, McDonald Flat and Flat Diggings . To increase your odds, sign on for a tour with the expert team at Golden Prospecting . They’ll give you access to exclusive plots and expert advice along the way.

    Once you’ve tried your luck on the gold fields, head to the Clermont Township and Historical Museum . Each exhibit works like an archaeologist’s brush to dust away the layers of Clermont’s history. Like the steam engine that painstakingly relocated the entire town inch by inch to higher ground after it was decimated by flooding in 1916. See the tools that helped build the Blair Athol mine, historic fire engines, shearing sheds and all sorts of relics that make up Clermont’s story.

    The historic Copperfield Chimney offers a change of pace. Legend has it that fossickers found a solid wall of copper here, over three metres high, kick-starting Queensland’s first-ever copper mine.

    Bush Heli Services flying over clermont queensland
    See Clermont from above with Bush Heli Services. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

    For hiking, nearby Dysart is the best place to access Peak Range National Park. Here, mountainous horizons stretch across the outback as if plucked from another world. Set off for a scenic drive along the Peak Downs Highway for access to countless geological wonders. Like the slanting rockface of Wolfang Peak. Summit it, and you’ll find yourself looking out across a scene surely conjured up by Banjo Paterson. Dry scrub dancing in the warm breeze, grazing cattle, eucalypts and the gentle creak of windmills. Don’t miss visiting Gemini Peaks, either, for one of the park’s best vistas, and a blanket of wild flowers after rain.

    Then, take to the skies with a scenic helicopter tour with Bush Heli-Services . Shift your perspective and cruise above all the sights from your trip. Spots like Lords Table Mountain and Campbell’s Peak are best viewed from the skies.

    Before you head home, be sure to explore the neighbouring townships. Spend a lazy afternoon in the shade of Nebo Hotel’s wrap-around verandahs . The hotel’s 1900s dance hall has since been replaced with one of the area’s biggest rodeo arenas, so consider timing your trip to line up with a boot scootin’ rodeo. Or, stop by a ghost town. Mount Britton was once a thriving town during the 1880s Gold Rush. It’s been totally abandoned and now lies untouched, a perfect relic of the Gold Rush.

    Best restaurants and cafes in Clermont

    meal at Commercial Hotel
    Stop into the Commercial Hotel Clermont.

    Days spent fossicking, bushwalking and cramming on history call for excellent coffee and hearty country meals. Luckily, Clermont delivers in spades.

    Lotta Lattes Cafe is beloved by locals for a reason. Start your days here for the best caffeine fix in town and an impeccable brunch menu.

    For a real country meal, an icy cold beer and that famed country hospitality, head straight to the town’s iconic hotel: the Commercial Hotel (known endearingly to locals as ‘The Commie’). It’s been a staple in Clermont since 1877. The hotel even survived the flood of 1916 when it was sawn in two and moved to higher ground.

    Naturally, time spent in the outback must include calling into the local bakery. For delicious pies and a tantalising array of sweet treats, make Bluemac Bakehouse your go-to while in town.

    Discover more of The Mackay Isaac region, and start planning your trip at mackayisaac.com.