Trips to the Sunny Coast make Mooloolaba automatically spring to mind.
This crisp, coastal suburb will leave you satisfied from surf to turf with a town’s worth of versatile eats, and we’re here to fill you in on everything worth forking out for.
Il Vento
When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s Il Vento. Perched right on the Mooloolaba River, Il Vento serves waterside views that pair perfectly with a big bowl of pasta or family-sized pizza for one (serving recommendations can’t make us eat less, no). Dish as you wish with duck ragu pappardelle, salmon basilico, gnocchi with portobelini mushrooms and creamy truffle sauce, and top it all off with a glorious Aperol spritz. Fresh.
Ninth Street
Supersize me. Ninth Street is The Wharf’s biggest burger, hotdog and dessert joint in every possible sense, serving stacks on stacks of ungodly flavour combinations that somehow work? Head in with an empty stomach (and zero heart conditions) to tackle the Poutine Shmootine – a juicy beef burger loaded with fries, liquid American cheese and gravy, to be washed down with a Mosh Pit thick shake topped with funfetti cake, bubble gum ice cream, gummy bears and Froot Loops. Sweet Jesus.
Boston Shaker
A little party never killed nobody. Boston Shaker is an intimate cocktail bar in the heart of The Wharf, focussing on a killer cocktail menu with the option to bring outside food in if you wish (Il Vento even delivers to Boston Shaker for free!). Grab your fave bites and kick back with The Great Gatsby (Remy Martin XO, Grand Marnier and lemon) or the Clover Club (Archie Rose gin, lemon, raspberry and egg white) for a sip happy time.
La Finca
Catch ya, Colombia. La Finca is one of Mooloolaba’s go-to Colombian-inspired cafés, serving fresh coffee from the motherland alongside a strong menu that’ll take you from breakfast straight through to lunch. Treat yourself to the vegan scramble with roasted garlic, turmeric scrambled tofu, spring onion, capsicum and avocado on organic sourdough, or pulled beef arepas with chimichurri, roasted sweet potato, pickled onions and grated cheese. It’s all good.
Rice Boi
Nice boi. Rice Boi has a modern take on fresh, handmade Asian street food that is pieced together in a grungy, izakaya-style dive bar, with a cocktail bar and balcony overlooking the Mooloolah River upstairs! Come for the views and stay for the charcoal seared 7+ wagyu beef, fried potato dumplings with bulgogi dressing and enoki mushrooms and spanner crab sushi rice cakes with aged ponzu, yuzu avocado and pickled ginger. Oh boiiii.
Pier 33
Easy, breezy, balmy, Pier 33. Living on the edge of the Mooloolaba Marina, Pier 33 is a casual dining restaurant with a focus on shared dining. The calamari steamed bun with Asian slaw and kaffir lime caramel will have you wanting more, as will the spice rubbed market fish with tomato and green chilli salsa, served with tortillas, and just about everything else on the menu. We’ll raise a glass of Salt Air Spritz to that.
Saltwater
More than just chips and battered fish (although YUM), the Hamptons-inspired Saltwater is the perfect spot to enjoy a glass of wine or cold beer overlooking the Mooloolah River. Slurp down freshly-shucked oysters and fill up on calamari – or keep it classic with hot, hand cut chips.
There you have it, the very best under the sun(shine coast).
