Tali Wiru, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory © Tourism Australia
Australia's Bucket List Food Experiences
Aussies might love their Vegemite, but Australia’s food scene is more diverse than you might expect. World-class wine, bushtucker and the freshest of seafood are waiting to be devoured.
There’s nothing better than freshly caught seafood – except the satisfaction of catching it yourself. As an island nation, it’s unsurprising that Australia is home to some of the best seafood in the world, and there are plenty of ways to get involved with the catch. Stand in the ocean eating freshly shucked oysters, spear your own mud crab using Aboriginal hunting techniques, or cast a line to hook a local barramundi.
We take our coffee pretty seriously here in Australia, proven by every perfectly balanced sip. On almost any city corner, you’ll find a slew of locals savouring their favourite roast, creating a coffee culture you’re sure to want to join in on. While the whole country is a top-tier coffee destination, Melbourne’s coffee culture takes the crown, famed for having some of the world's best coffee and baristas.
Australia has an impressive range of world-class restaurants, with some of the most innovative chefs at their helm. A number of these, like Melbourne’s Attica and Sydney’s Quay, have appeared on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. What makes fine dining here special is the distinctly Australian twist on local produce. Plus, more and more Aussie chefs are incorporating sustainable practices and rich native ingredients.
Aside from beautiful flavours, one of the most important elements of an unforgettable dining experience is the ambience. Some of Australia’s finest establishments pair exceptional food with unrivalled scenes of the country’s most magnificent icons. Savour native ingredients by candlelight as the sun sets over Uluru, fine-dine on fresh produce beneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge and enjoy dinner and a show beneath the Daintree’s canopy.
Australia is synonymous with barbequing for a reason – we love to make the most of the outdoors, great food and good company. Whether it's at the beach, a local park or in a backyard, you can throw anything on the ‘barbie’ – think lamb, kangaroo, beef and seafood. In fact, we love our barbecue culture so much that it's become ingrained in some of our top restaurants, like award-winning Sydney restaurant Firedoor.
For many Australians, brunch is a weekend ritual to be shared with friends and family. Paired with an essential fresh-pressed juice (or a cheeky mimosa), there are a few Aussie classics you'll want to sample. Savour corn fritters, free-range eggs any way you like, ricotta pancakes and – the most iconic of all – smashed avo. The art of avocado on toast has been absolutely perfected by Australian cafés, who have been whipping it up for eager Aussies for decades.
One of the best things about Australian wine is its accessibility. You don’t have to be a connoisseur to enjoy beautiful whites and reds among rolling hills and even coastal scenery. Visit one of Australia’s 65 wine regions to be guided through an expert tasting before ordering a glass (or bottle) to enjoy with views of the vines.
There are so many ways you can sample and celebrate the rich flavours of Australia’s native food (or bush tucker, as it’s sometimes called). These ingredients have been harvested and prepared by Indigenous communities for millennia, and you can taste flavours you’ve never dreamed of. Take an Aboriginal food tour or visit a restaurant famous for utilising native ingredients, like Big Esso in Melbourne.
Golden, flaky pastry filled with indulgent beef and gravy and smeared with a dollop of tomato sauce – a quintessential Aussie meat pie is the definition of comfort food. Famed for being the ideal road trip snack, you’ll find bakeries serving up these beauties along almost any route. While a simple beef pie is the most iconic option, you’re spoilt for choice with cafés churning out everything from creamy cauliflower pies to creative curry pies.
