before midday
Guyala (Cairns North) - Best coffee & brunch in Cairns.
Two Blocks (Holloways Beach) - Just yum.
Noa (Edge Hill) - Near the botanic gardens. Good all day.
Blackbird Espresso (Cairns City) - Great coffee. Central location.
The Chambers (Cairns City) - Central location.
Caffeind (Cairns City) - Same owner as Guyala. Great coffee.
booze & bars
Wolf Lane Distillery (Cairns City) - Cocktails, house-made spirits & live music.
The Fox Small Bar (Stratford) - Great cocktails. Tiny bar.
Miss Chief (Cairns City)
Third on the Left (Palm Cove) - Local wine bar.
Paper Crane (Cairns City) - Cocktails on the beach, yummy bites.
Hemingways Brewery (Cairns City) - Cairns classic. Local beer.
Whisky & Wine (Cairns City) - Exactly what it sounds like.
good food
NuNu (Palm Cove) - Refined, creative, fresh food with a view.
Il Chiosco (Trinity Beach) - Local italian.
Code (Holloways Beach) - Local gem. Modern food with a twist, and great cocktails.
Bayleaf (Cairns City) - Cheap and cheerful Balinese.
Salthouse (Cairns City) - Upmarket Gastropub on the water.
Little Sister (Cairns City) - Delicious asian dishes on the Esplanade.
Alessandro's (Lake Placid) - Best pizza around outside by the lake.
if you feel like doing it yourself...
Supermarkets:
​The Night Owl (Trinity Beach)
Woolworths (Smithfield Shopping Centre)
Wholefoods (Smithfield Shopping Centre)
Bottle Shops:
Coastwatchers Liquorland (Trinity Beach)
Dan Murphy's (Smithfield Shopping Centre)
Specialty:
Meat: Marsh Stratford
Fish: Preston Seafood
Fruit & Veg:
Jonsson's Farmers Market
Rusty's Market