Australia is a vast island continent known for its stunning natural wonders, from the Great Barrier Reef to the Outback's red deserts. With vibrant cosmopolitan cities like Sydney and Melbourne, unique wildlife including kangaroos and koalas, and world-class beaches, Australia offers diverse experiences for every traveler.
Australian cuisine is one of the world's most exciting — a multicultural mosaic of British foundations, Southeast Asian influences, and an emerging Indigenous food movement using native ingredients like wattleseed, finger lime, saltbush, and quandong. The cafe culture pioneered in Melbourne has spread globally, and the country's premium produce — Sydney rock oysters, Moreton Bay bugs, Tasmanian salmon, Victorian lamb — forms the foundation of a world-class dining scene.
Must-try dishes
Iconic dishes that define Australia.
Sydney Rock Oysters
Native to Australian waters, Sydney rock oysters are smaller, creamier, and more intensely flavoured than Pacific oysters. Best eaten fresh from the shell with lemon at the Sydney Fish Market or a waterfront seafood restaurant.
Where to try: Sydney Fish Market (Pyrmont), any fish and chip shop along the NSW coast, fine dining seafood restaurants
Price: AU$3-5 each, AU$30-50 per dozen
Vegemite on Toast
The quintessential Australian breakfast — yeast extract spread thinly on buttered toast. The key is moderation: a thin scraping rather than American peanut butter quantities. Part cultural experience, part genuine Australian staple.
Where to try: Every cafe and home breakfast in Australia
Price: AU$5-12 as part of cafe breakfast
Flat White Coffee
The Australian coffee contribution to the world — a double ristretto espresso with velvety microfoamed milk poured to a ratio that maintains the coffee's intensity. Melbourne claims invention; so does New Zealand. Universally accepted as transformative.
Where to try: Any specialty cafe in Melbourne, Sydney, or Brisbane
Price: AU$4.50-6.50
Barramundi
Australia's iconic freshwater and estuarine fish, prized for its mild flavour, large flakes, and versatility. Best eaten in the Northern Territory grilled over charcoal, or in coastal Queensland restaurants where it arrives hours from the water.
Where to try: Darwin waterfront restaurants, Cairns seafood restaurants, Kimberley region
Price: AU$28-45 for a main course fillet
Lamington
Queensland's contribution to global baking — a square of sponge cake dipped in chocolate sauce and rolled in desiccated coconut. Often filled with jam and cream. Sold at school fundraisers, bakeries, and cafes nationwide.
Where to try: Any Australian bakery, service station, or supermarket nationwide
Price: AU$2-5 each
Top restaurants
Handpicked picks for the best dining experiences.
Restaurants by cuisine
Browse picks grouped by cuisine type.
Modern Australian
Specialty Coffee
Market Food
Seafood
Asian Street Food
Brewery Cafe
Cafe
Farm
Farmers Market
French
Fusion
Gelato
Greek
Hawaiian Poke
Indigenous Australian
Japanese
Malaysian
Middle Eastern
Modern Cafe
Street Food Market
Food tours & tastings in Australia
Eat your way through Australia with a guide.
Browse food experiences in AustraliaWe may earn a commission from bookings made through these links.
Street food
Local flavours at affordable prices.
Meat Pie
The Australian meat pie is a hand-held pastry filled with minced beef and gravy — a national obsession served at petrol stations, bakeries, football grounds, and convenience stores. Best with a splash of tomato sauce (ketchup) on top.
Find it at: Every bakery, service station, and supermarket in Australia. Harry's Cafe de Wheels in Sydney's Woolloomooloo serves legendary 'tigers' with mushy peas.
Fish and Chips
Coastal Australian institution — battered or crumbed local fish with thick chips and a side of tartare sauce. The best are eaten from paper wrapping at the beach or harbour. Species vary by region: snapper in WA, barramundi in QLD, flathead in NSW.
Find it at: Any waterfront fish and chip shop, best at Doyles on the Beach Watsons Bay Sydney, Cicerello's Fremantle, and Fishermen's Basin Brisbane
Sausage Sizzle
A weekend institution at hardware store Bunnings Warehouse car parks, where volunteer community groups run charity barbecues selling AU$3.50 sausages in white bread with onion and sauce. An unmistakably Australian experience.
Find it at: Bunnings Warehouse stores nationwide (weekend mornings), community events, school fetes
Tim Tams
Two chocolate biscuits sandwiching chocolate cream, coated in chocolate — technically a supermarket product but eaten as street-accessible snacks everywhere. The 'Tim Tam slam' (bite corners, use as straw for hot coffee) is a ritual worth attempting.
Find it at: Every supermarket, convenience store, and petrol station nationwide
Food markets
Where locals shop and graze.
Sydney Fish Market
The largest fish market in the Southern Hemisphere operating since 1945, where fishing trawlers unload directly and retail fishmongers sell to the public from 5:30AM. Over 100 species available — eat at the outdoor tables overlooking Blackwattle Bay with a glass of local white wine.
Hours: Daily 5:30AM-5PM (some stalls until 7PM)
Queen Victoria Market Melbourne
Melbourne's most beloved landmark market operating since 1878 on 7 hectares with 600+ traders. Fresh produce deli hall, clothing sheds, and weekend food and craft stalls make this an all-day Melbourne experience favoured by tourists and locals alike.
Hours: Tuesday 6AM-2PM, Thursday-Friday 6AM-3PM, Saturday 6AM-3PM, Sunday 9AM-4PM
Adelaide Central Market
Southern Hemisphere's largest undercover food market operating since 1869 with exceptional multicultural food stalls, artisan producers, and fresh South Australian produce. The German connection shows in excellent smallgoods and bakery products.
Hours: Tuesday 7AM-5:30PM, Wednesday-Thursday 9AM-5:30PM, Friday 7AM-9PM, Saturday 7AM-3PM
Mindil Beach Sunset Market Darwin
Iconic seasonal market where over 200 food stalls from 60+ nationalities create an extraordinary multicultural food festival on the beach during Darwin's dry season. Bring a picnic blanket and watch the sunset over the Timor Sea between courses.
Hours: Thursday and Sunday 4PM-9PM, May to October only
Dining etiquette & tips
Navigate the local food scene confidently.
Australia's cafe culture is exceptional — order a flat white (not a latte) at any specialty cafe and expect excellent espresso; Melbourne in particular has some of the world's finest coffee
BYO (bring your own alcohol) restaurants allow you to bring your own wine for a small corkage fee (typically AU$5-15/bottle) — this can halve your restaurant bill at licensed restaurants
Tipping 10% for good service is appreciated but not expected — service staff receive a living wage minimum and tip money is genuinely extra rather than supplementing low wages
Lunch menus at fine dining restaurants offer the same kitchen at often half the dinner price — Sydney and Melbourne's hatted restaurants typically offer set lunch menus AU$60-120 versus AU$200-400+ for dinner
Australians eat dinner from 6PM-8PM; restaurants fill quickly after 7PM on Friday and Saturday — book ahead for popular venues or choose to dine at 6PM or after 8:30PM for walk-in availability
Food budget guide
What to expect at different price points.
| Level | Price | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | AU$12-20/meal | Bakery pies, food court meals, food markets, takeaway |
| Mid-range | AU$30-60/person | Casual restaurant or pub meal with a drink |
| Upscale | AU$100-400+/person | Hatted restaurant with degustation or premium a la carte |