Best Restaurants in Cairns
Compare the top restaurants in Cairns, QLD, ranked by our composite reputation score.
Updated October 2026 · Based on 101,940 real Google reviews across the 219 restaurants
Top Restaurants in Cairns, QLD
The short answer
As of October 2026, the 3 highest-ranked restaurants in Cairns, QLD on the Starworks directory are Yaya’s Hellenic Kitchen and Bar (4.8 stars from 3,187 Google reviews), The Roti Shack (4.8 stars from 740 Google reviews) and KOI Bar & Restaurant (4.8 stars from 514 Google reviews).
Starworks ranks 219 restaurants in Cairns, QLD, holding 101,940 Google reviews between them. Across the 219 the median rating is 4.5 stars from a median of 230 reviews. Of the 219, 116 are rated 4.5 or better and 160 have passed 100 reviews. The most-reviewed carries 5,560 reviews, more than the top-ranked restaurant holds, which is why rating alone does not set the order.
Every figure here is computed from Google review data that Starworks collects for restaurants in Cairns, QLD, recalculated when this page rebuilds. Placement on this list cannot be bought.
Jenny's Chinese Kitchen
Read 217 reviews · Score: 82/100
Hello Harry (The Burger Joint) Cairns
Read 1674 reviews · Score: 79/100
El Greko Greek Taverna
Read 1300 reviews · Score: 79/100
Bellocale Italian Seafood Restaurant
Read 780 reviews · Score: 79/100
Ela Modern Bistro
Read 243 reviews · Score: 79/100
The Vine Room Waterfront Restaurant and Bar
Read 229 reviews · Score: 79/100
What customers wrote about restaurants in Cairns
Real Google reviews of businesses ranked on this page. Reviewer names are never shown.
“Food and atmosphere was sensational. Service was quick. Restaurant was very busy on the beautiful night we were there. Recommend to book early. If not familiar with traditional Greek food and dining, I would recommend…”
“I walked past this place and had to try it since it smelled so good. The service was fast and the food was amazing. They are very generous with the fillings too!”
“This is our favourite place to dine,,whether it is lunch or dinner or just a casual cocktail or two…we love everything about Koi, the food the atmosphere and especially the staff. It is our go to place when we have…”
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about restaurants in Cairns.
Who are the best restaurants in Cairns?
As of October 2026, the 3 highest-ranked restaurants in Cairns, QLD on the Starworks directory are Yaya’s Hellenic Kitchen and Bar (4.8 stars from 3,187 Google reviews), The Roti Shack (4.8 stars from 740 Google reviews) and KOI Bar & Restaurant (4.8 stars from 514 Google reviews). Every figure here is computed from Google review data that Starworks collects for restaurants in Cairns, QLD, recalculated when this page rebuilds. Placement on this list cannot be bought.
How many restaurants does Starworks rank in Cairns?
Starworks ranks 219 restaurants in Cairns, QLD, holding 101,940 Google reviews between them. Across the 219 the median rating is 4.5 stars from a median of 230 reviews. Of the 219, 116 are rated 4.5 or better and 160 have passed 100 reviews. The most-reviewed carries 5,560 reviews, more than the top-ranked restaurant holds, which is why rating alone does not set the order.
What star rating should I expect from a good restaurant in Cairns?
The median Google rating across the 219 restaurants Starworks ranks in Cairns, QLD is 4.5 stars, and 116 of them sit at 4.5 or above. A rating at or near that median is ordinary for restaurants in Cairns, QLD rather than a warning sign on its own, and a rating well above it only means much when enough reviews stand behind it.
How many Google reviews does an established restaurant in Cairns have?
The median restaurant Starworks ranks in Cairns, QLD carries 230 Google reviews, and 160 of the 219 restaurants have passed 100. The most-reviewed of them carries 5,560.
How does Starworks rank restaurants in Cairns?
Starworks gives every restaurant in Cairns, QLD a reputation score out of 100 from three things: its Google star rating (up to 47 points), how many reviews back that rating (up to 35), and whether customers can reach it by website and phone number (up to 18). Review volume is the one part that can subtract: below 15 reviews it costs points, because a near-empty review record gives a stranger very little to go on. No score falls below 0 and placement cannot be bought. The score measures the strength of a business's public review record rather than the quality of its work, so it is worth reading the reviews as well, and every listing links to them on Google.
Why does a restaurant in Cairns with all 5-star reviews score lower than one with a lower rating?
Because review volume counts as well as rating, and below 15 reviews it counts against you. Five perfect reviews are encouraging but thin evidence; three hundred reviews averaging 4.7 tell a stranger far more about what to expect on the day. That is a judgement about how much proof exists, not about the quality of the work, and a newer restaurant with a handful of excellent reviews may still be the right choice in Cairns, QLD. The star rating and review count sit next to every score so you can weigh both yourself.
Why does the same restaurant not appear several times on this list?
Some businesses run more than one Google listing, often one per suburb they service. Those are the same company, so Starworks groups them and shows the business once, using the listing with the strongest review record. That is why this page opens with 50 distinct restaurants in Cairns, QLD rather than a longer list of repeats.
How often is this list of restaurants in Cairns updated?
This ranking of restaurants in Cairns, QLD rebuilds on a 30-day cycle and prints the date of its last rebuild above the list, which for the current version is October 2026. Ratings and review counts are re-read from Google over time rather than on a fixed schedule, so an individual figure here can be older than the rebuild date.
How can I improve my restaurant business ranking in Cairns?
Collect genuine customer reviews consistently, and keep a working website and phone number on your Google listing, because those are the three inputs the score reads. There is no placement to buy on this page. For scale: the median restaurant Starworks ranks in Cairns, QLD carries 230 Google reviews at 4.5 stars.
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