12 Top Kangaroo Island Restaurants - Australian Traveller

Base your itinerary on where best to celebrate local seafood, artisan produce and wine with our guide to Kangaroo Island’s best restaurants, pubs and cafes.

It’s a strategic move to plot out a plan when it comes to where to eat and drink around Kangaroo Island before you arrive at the South Australian outpost so that you can make the most of its incredible bounty. Here are the best restaurants and watering holes.

The best cafes on Kangaroo Island

1. Millie Mae’s Pantry

The original owner of Millie Mae’s Pantry Jan Ordway grew up on Kangaroo Island. And this charming café-slash-grocer was named in honour of Jan’s grandma (whose middle name was Mae) and great-grandmother (Millicent), who also called Kangaroo Island home. Now owned by James and Kate Meredith, the café has been cobbled together using upcycled doors, corrugated iron and timber rescued from old sheds and farms and is a one-stop-shop for coffee and artisan island produce.

Millie Mae's Pantry, Kangaroo Island, SA, Australia — Millie Mae’s Pantry is a one-stop-shop for coffee and artisan island produce. (Image: Meaghan Coles)

2. Emu Bay Lavender Farm

Lavender has long been known as a calmative herb. What better way to inspire a relaxed road trip than by visiting Emu Bay Lavender Farm , located over the hill from Emu Bay. The farm is surrounded by lavender fields and there is an on-site cafe serving lavender scones with lavender jelly and pots of lavender tea.

Lavender farm, Emu Bay, Kangaroo Island, SA, Australia — Inspire a relaxed road trip by visiting Emu Bay Lavender Farm. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

3. Deck Cafe

Don your fanciest flanno so you look the part when you head to the rustic Deck Café for breakfast. Enjoy a nip of coffee in the sunny courtyard where old oak barrels have been rolled out to accommodate towering stacks of pancakes. Start sweet and then move on to savoury seconds such as eggs Florentine with smoked salmon and spinach. BYO binoculars to spot rare birds coming in to land on the American River.

Food platter, Deck Cafe on the Wharf, Kangaroo Island, SA, Australia — Head to the rustic Deck Café for breakfast. (Image: Deck Cafe on the Wharf )

The best places for a seafood lunch on Kangaroo Island

4. The Rockpool Cafe

Enjoy a pre-prandial dip in the waters off Stokes Bay before heading back to The Rockpool Café for coffee and a mid-morning bakery treat. The Rockpool Café is only open in the warmer months, from September to May, and the presence of local ocean swimmers in various stages of undress will confirm you’re in the right place. Parents will appreciate the covered kids’ area replete with mud kitchen while they sit (as Maggie Beer did on a recent visit) enjoying fresh calamari and chips.

Interiors, The Rockpool Cafe, Kangaroo Island, SA, Australia — Head back to The Rockpool Café for coffee and a mid-morning bakery treat. (Image: The Rockpool Cafe )

5. Vivonne Bay General Store

The No. 1 reason to stop at Vivonne Bay General Store in Vivonne Bay is for the famed Kangaroo Island whiting burger, which is impeccably sourced and captures the essence and simplicity of island life. Kangaroo Island’s fisher folk are a brand unto themselves, and you’ll find them here picking up bait and fishing gear. Stock up on bread, milk and fuel before you set off into Flinders Chase National Park .

The best places for dinner on Kangaroo Island

6. Reflections

Reflections occupies an important place on the local food landscape, serving some of the local produce that has put the South Australian island on the map. Order a dish that gives you a sense of place and yields comfort such as the Kangaroo Island lamb shoulder served with preserved lemon, labna, honey-glazed carrots and pomegranate. And you can’t go wrong with a classic tiramisu whipped together with Kangaroo Island Honey.

7. Gastronomo

Let Gastronomo surprise and delight you during a magical dining experience under the creaking canopy of a colossal fig tree. The private pop-up feast under the enchanted tree is one of the most memorable on Kangaroo Island. Impress your foodie following by documenting the wilderness dining experience on Insta and make a vow to return to sample The Feast , Gastronomo’s progressive epicurean adventure near Snellings Beach.

Gastronomo, Kangaroo Island, Australia — Let Gastronomo surprise and delight you. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

8. Cactus

Cactus has moved down Dauncey Street to larger premises to better accommodate its growing customer base. After time spent manning the pans at Southern Ocean Lodge, chef Louis Lark (whose family had Kangaroo Island Spirits) is in charge here and you won’t go wrong ordering the quesadilla stuffed with pulled pork and black bean salsa. The beef ramen noodle soup is another cult Cactus favourite.

Food at Cactus, Kangaroo Island, SA, Australia — You can’t go wrong with Cactus cult classics. (Image: Meaghan Coles)

The best pub meals on Kangaroo Island

9. The Penneshaw Hotel

‘The Penny’, aka The Penneshaw Hotel , has been killing it since it renovated its al fresco area with glass walls to protect it from the blustery winds roaring in from the Backstairs Package. The pub overlooks the passage, which features on the Kangaroo Island Shipwreck Trail, and it’s a short walk from here to the ferry wharf and waterfront. Pub food is the main event here, but the magic also lies in the wine list, which bounces between wineries on Kangaroo Island, and in SA and NZ.

10. The Zone Restaurant & Bar

Arrive at The Zone Restaurant & Bar inside the Aurora Ozone Hotel as the pink light of dusk starts to paint the roiling water in pretty, pearlescent hues. Located on the waterfront in Kingscote, the restaurant has a relaxed vibe thanks to those stunning views over Nepean Bay. Watch the sky until it becomes like a faded blue sheet and then hustle to the bar so you can be first in the queue to order a serve of battered King George whiting and chips.

Ozone Hotel Kangaroo Island SA Australia — the restaurant has a relaxed vibe thanks to those stunning views over Nepean Bay. (Image: Ozone Hotel Kangaroo Island )

11. The Kangaroo Island Brewery

From old-school to new school. The Kangaroo Island Brewery is an off-grid brewery located a few clicks out of Kingscote that is successfully stealing the limelight from some of the island’s wineries. Housed in a rustic shed cobbled together with recycled materials, you can enjoy a creative pour in this picturesque spot which specialises in hoppy IPAs and a stout made with charred local she oak. Cruise to the brewhouse on Friday and Sundays for pizza paired with amber ales.

Kangaroo Island Brewery, KI, SA, Australia — The Kangaroo Island Brewery is an off-grid brewery located a few clicks out of Kingscote. (Image: Josie Withers)

The heavens take centre stage at this Outback NSW glamping lodge.

Crane your neck. Look up. If it’s nighttime in a major Australian city, you might see a faint dusting of stars. Now imagine yourself out in the bush. Here, those stars aren’t just scattered dots – instead, they’re smudged across the sky in endless, glittering streaks. Welcome to Wilderluxe Lake Keepit , a new glamping lodge in one of the most picturesque corners of outback NSW.

Between its eight stargazing tents, Gilay Guest Lounge, and shared tales of the Dreamtime night sky, this retreat is designed to exist in harmony with the breathtaking lake and surrounding landscape. Intrigued? Here’s everything you need to know.

Bathed in warm light, a couple watches the sun dip beyond the horizon. — Watch the sky melt into magic at Wilderluxe.

Getting to Wilderluxe Lake Keepit

Wilderluxe Lake Keepit is in the NSW Northern Tablelands, bordered by the Great Dividing Range. The lake itself is hard to miss: this mammoth body of water is two-thirds the size of Sydney Harbour.

Just 40 minutes from Tamworth and close to Gunnedah, it’s on the inland route between Sydney and Byron Bay. Drive or take one of the daily flights to Tamworth’s airport.

Aerial view of Wilderluxe. — Let vast waters and towering ranges set the scene for your escape.

Wilderluxe Lake Keepit rooms

Don’t settle for a paltry room when you can sleep directly under the cosmos. Wilderluxe offers eight domed ‘Star Tents’ , all named after Aboriginal sky stories – like Djirri Djirri, the sacred messenger bird, Baiame, the Sky Father and great creator, and Dhinawan, the Emu in the Sky constellation.

On a clear night, use your tent’s retractable roof for gazing above or wander to the outdoor bathtub on your private deck to soak under the night sky. No need to go anywhere. You can stay put come evening with a kitchenette inside and a gas barbecue on the deck.

A couple gazes up at a sky ablaze with stars at Wilderluxe. — Sleep beneath the stars.

Style and character

When it comes to aesthetics, Wilderluxe Lake Keepit stays on trend. The encampment blends with its surroundings, building up layers of minimalist visuals that mirror the ever-changing curves of the water.

Earthy tones, natural materials and timber finishes also anchor the retreat in its bushland surrounds. It’s enough to deepen the sense of calm you’ll experience as you drive off-grid, and this is only heightened as you spot kangaroos grazing at dawn or hear the chatter of native birds by the lake.

The dreamy sunset at Wilderluxe. — Go off-grid in style at Wilderluxe Lake Keepit.

Wilderluxe Lake Keepit dining

‘Dinner and a show’ hits differently with the property’s Big Sky dinner experience . Hosted in the Gilay Lounge, enjoy complimentary drinks and a grazing table with the host, followed by a screening of Big Sky Dreaming, a film produced exclusively for Wilderluxe guests in which Kamilaroi storyteller Uncle Len Waters narrates tales of the Dreaming above.

Once your imagination has been fed, it’s time to take a seat fireside for a glass of Australian port and a serving of s’mores.

Keen to explore the wider area? Staff can provide barbecue and picnic hampers, stuffed with regional meats, cheeses and organic local fare.

Wilderluxe Lake Keepit facilities

While you could very well spend all your time in your tent, sometimes it’s time to hit pause on the celestial show. Instead, make your way up to the Gilay Guest Lounge, where you can relax on the deck overlooking the lake or the outdoor fire pits. It’s a great way to unwind and clink glasses with other stargazers.

The Gilay Lounge with the view of the lake. — Unwind by the fire and raise a glass at Gilay Lounge.

Wilderluxe Lake Keepit experiences

No need to turn nocturnal; when the sun rises, there are still plenty of ways to touch the sky.

Lake Keepit hosted the 2020 Women’s World Gliding Championships, and it’s one of the best places in Australia to stretch your wings. The local Soaring Club operates year-round, meaning you can book a gliding experience any day of the year – or opt for a scenic flight to take in the vast beauty from above.

Prefer to keep your feet on solid ground? There are plenty of walking and cycling trails in and around the area. Luckily, bikes are part of the Wilderluxe package. All you have to do is ask a staff member for their favourite route, throw a picnic onto the back and cycle off into the great beyond.

Alternatively, nab a stand-up paddleboard (SUP) or kayak and head out onto the lake. Or, if you’re feeling lucky, borrow a fishing rod and try your chances.

A person kayaking through serene waters. — Paddle into peace.

The details

A two-night minimum twin-share accommodation package includes Big Sky dinner and drinks experience, plus daily continental breakfast. As well as access to leisure equipment including mountain bikes, kayaks, SUPs and fishing gear.

The interiors of the glamping tent. — Let nature restore you, while luxury takes care of the rest.

Start planning your outback glamping adventure at wilderluxe.com.au.

11 top places to eat and drink on Kangaroo Island