On our final morning here we originally tried to go for breakfast at the Noosa Yacht Club in Noosaville but after my boyfriend waited in the queue to order for about 20 minutes (it was packed with people aged 50+ for the jazz festival) we decided to call it quits.
So we went for a short drive and decided to stop at Gusto which is just over the road opposite the scenic Noosa river. It’s a fresh but casual looking cafe/modern Australian restaurant and if you can get a table outside then it’s a must for the views - we didn’t have a booking (it was Father’s day after all but I’ve never made a booking for breakfast before) so we had to sit inside which was fine by me as it was fast becoming a warm morning.
I ordered a fruit cocktail which was fantastic and my boyfriend got a cappuccino. I decided on something slightly light and chose the toasted sourdough with avocado and grilled tomato but caved and got two poached eggs as extras. My boyfriend went for his standard favourite of poached eggs with tomato and bacon.
Gusto had lots of kids (Noosa is afterall a family holiday destination and it was Father’s day) but over the course of our holiday I have never seen so many pregnant women, babies and children! There were kids everywhere and likewise at Gusto but the waitstaff took screaming kids in their stride and came over to fuss over them and appease their parents.

Location: 257 Gympie Tce Noosaville. Ph: (07) 5449 7144

Inside Gusto - casual dining with A+ service

I added two poached eggs (I think it was only an extra $3) to the toasted sourdough with roasted tomato and avocado breakfast.

The standard poached eggs with grilled tomato and bacon.  

Technorati Tags: gusto restaurant, noosa, noosaville, breakfast

Flicking through the Australian Gourmet Traveller 2008 Australian restaurant guide that I brought along with me I saw that Alegria was recommended.
Alegria is a modern Spanish restaurant located in Sunshine Beach (about 15 minutes away from Noosa Heads/Hastings street.) Sunshine beach is popular for its surf beach and offers cheaper accommodation than staying in the heart of Noosa.
There’s so many multi million dollar houses at Sunshine Beach perched on hillsides with amazing ocean views - what do all these people do for a living? The amount of mansions in Noosa is incredible.
So anyway on a whim (and to get out of Hastings street which was packed out due to the jazz festival) I decided to ring to see if on the off chance they had a table free that night. The only choices were 6:30pm or 8pm so we chose 6:30pm and booked a table inside (good choice as the restaurant is elevated and it was quite breezy outside being so close to the ocean.)
The service was very fast and the restaurant is narrow with a wall seperating the dining room in two. There’s also a small bar area next door if you want a pre or post dinner drink. Maybe it was me being paranoid about vacating the table before the 7:30 bookings arrived but I did feel slightly rushed and there wasn’t much of a break between courses but the food was fantastic and next time I will book a bit earlier so I can fit in a dessert.

Location: Shop 5, 56 Duke St Sunshine Beach. Ph: (07) 5474 5533

We ordered peroni beers, a bottle of pellegrino sparkling water (should have just gone with the tap as a 1 litre bottle was overkill for just 2 people) and some olives $6 to start. They brought out a cauliflower soup appertiser which was very tasty though very hot! (as in temperature)

One of the yummiest pizza’s I’ve had in a very long time. It had a garlic oiled base, salami, olives, goats cheese, artichoke and basil pesto. This pizza was so intensely full of flavour it was literally a conversation stopper. Such a simple dish but it was done so well - it’s all about top ingredients people!

Orzo (rice shaped) pasta with bug meat and octopus $18 for entree. We decided to share an entree as we were already full from previous breakfasts and lunches so they were nice enough to split our entree into two bowls. The seafood broth was amazing, the bug meat was firm and top quality and I was glad that they served the octopus (the white bits on the top of the bowls) in segments as I don’t like eating them when they look like mini spiders.

Technorati Tags: alegria restaurant, sunshine beach, noosa, queensland

I made a reservation for the River House restaurant about 2 weeks before we went to Noosa as this restaurant was highly recommended by my dad.
River House is located in Noosaville, away from the hustle and bustle of Hastings street and it is located in Weyba street which is about 60 metres away from the riverfront down a side street. Noosaville is only 10 minutes (or a $10 cab ride away) from Hastings street.
They say that Noosaville is starting to challenge Hastings street as Noosa’s dining destination and River House restaurant is the jewel in the crown for Noosaville. The restaurant is inside a converted beautiful white Queenslander style house with dark wooden flooring (which meant it got a little noisy but not so bad you couldn’t hear each other.)
The staff were efficient and the daily changing menu means that they only use in season produce of the highest quality. We had a family sitting near us at the start with two young children so if you’ve got kids, it’s nice to know you can still eat out at a nice restaurant that allows children. Put this on your ‘must visit’ list of restaurants to go to if you’re visiting Noosa.

Location: 301 Weyba Rd Noosaville. Ph: (07) 5449 7441

The River House Restaurant

 The daily changing menu at River House

White bean and oil (truffle oil?) soup appertiser

The Yellowfin tuna sashimi with ginger and coriander root dressing, bonito soy, lime and grated horseradish. This was the best meal we had in Noosa which we shared. The serving size looks small in this pic but there was actually quite a lot. The tuna melted in your mouth and the dressing was amazing, $16.

Pressed ham hock and chicken terrine, pickled walnuts (weird tasting black things - wasn’t a fan) and it came with some toasted sourdough and peach chutney on a seperate plate. This entree was also $16.

250g chargrilled wagyu steak with potato rosti (from memory approx $34.) My partner said it was nice but has had better wagyu before.

Red wine braised venison shank pie, braised cabbage, mustard mash and port wine sauce. I was so ridiculously full about half way through this deceptively small pie! It was a fantastic Wintery type dish but I should have ordered something lighter.

Our side dish of cauliflower gratin which was very yummy, cheesy and creamy (I’m sure this helped contribute to what feels like an additional 5kg since we’ve come back…)

Technorati Tags: river house, restaurant, noosa, noosaville

If you feel like a beer or a laid back cocktail to get you drunk before (or after) dinner time in Noosa then Cato’s is the place to head. Located on  Hastings street,  this hugely popular bar is recognisable by the white walls and wrought iron on the windows.
It’s part of the Sheraton Hotel with the restaurant located behind glass on the upper raised section behind the bar. Cato’s has plenty of professional, friendly bar staff to shake you up a potent daiquiri or long island iced tea which will get you well and truly smashed in the tropical humid heat during summer. I’ve spent many long afternoons here but this weekend it was completely packed as they had bands playing as part of the Noosa jazz festival. We still managed to get in for a quick beer each.

Location: 16 Hastings St Noosa Heads. Ph: (07) 5449 4754

Drinks at Cato’s on a hot Noosa afternoon - bliss. Except for looking out onto the construction works which are going on at the moment in Hastings street to upgrade it.

“I’ll meet you at Aromas darling” is a common sentence uttered by the over 40’s set staying in Noosa.
It is the ultimate place to be seen and to check out (and comment on) everyone walking by along Hastings street. This hugely popular cafe has Parisian style seats and round tables with the chairs facing out onto the street. They do great coffee and serve casual meals at dinner. Many people park themselves here for a good couple of hours which is why it’s often hard to get a seat.

Location: 32 Hastings Noosa Heads. Ph: (07) 5474 9788

Aromas in hastings street, Noosa