Looking for the best restaurants in Darwin? It doesn’t matter if you’re an expert foodie or you’re just looking for a romantic date night – we’ve got you covered!
Our guide highlights the best of the best, as each of the restaurants on our list was chosen by actual Darwin locals! Prepare to tantalize your taste buds with a diverse array of culinary delights, from Southeast Asian cuisine to modern Australian dishes.
Want to know all about planning your trip to Darwin? Scroll to the bottom of the post to see which site locals use to book hotels, where trusted travelers book tours, and how to find the best flight deals. Or Click Here to be taken there now.
Discover the Top Restaurants in Darwin
Lizards Bar and Restaurant
PERFECT FOR: A NIGHT WITH YOUR MATES
📍 105 Mitchell St, Darwin
📞 Phone: +61 8 8946 3029
Lizard’s extensive and varied stock of beers, wines and cocktails makes it a great place to enjoy a night out. Lizards have been a staple in Darwin for nearly 20 years. It’s where locals have been coming to watch a rugby game, catch up with mates for a drink or enjoy a great pub meal. It’s one of the best restaurants in Darwin for both tourists and locals.
Ella by Minoli
PERFECT FOR: EXOTIC FLAVOURS
📍 20 West Lane, Darwin
📞 0498 369 021
Offering the best contemporary Sri Lankan dinner in town, Ella by Minoli is a hidden gem in the Darwin CBD. It’s a modern interpretation of the beautiful Ella, a jungle town in the Hill Country of Sri Lanka. The authentic Sri Lankan cuisine is designed to ignite your culinary curiosity, while the perfectly balanced Ayurvedic properties of the menu will leave your taste buds curious!
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PepperBerry Restaurant
PERFECT FOR: DATE NIGHT
📍 32 Mitchell Street Darwin
📞 +61 8 8982 0000
Looking for one of the best date night restuaurants in Darwin? Head to Hilton Darwin for dinner at PepperBerry restaurant. It serves Australian modern contemporary cuisine and is among the top 10% of restaurants worldwide; how epic! To top that, they won the Territory’s Restaurant of the Year award!🏆
Some of their most popular dishes are Miso tempura crocodile, Seared Scallops with truffle pea puree, Baked Humpty doo barramundi, and Blue swimmer crab.
Hanuman Darwin
PERFECT FOR: ASIAN CUISINE
📍 93 Mitchell Street, Darwin
📞 08 8941 3500
One of the best restaurants in Darwin for Asian cuisine, Hanuman Darwin is the perfect indoor and outdoor dining place. The Southeast Asian cuisine combined with the fresh local produce makes it even more spectacular! Having been a local favourite for 30 years, this is the place to be!
It is not just the food that makes this the place to be, but the Asian wood carvings make the space feel welcoming too. They also have plenty of vegetarian dishes available too.
Have you tried these top-rated local Darwin restaurants?
Comment below and share how the experience was and if you have a favourite restaurant in Darwin that you’d add to the list!
These results are from our ‘Best in Darwin‘ series, where the Norther team post an Instagram story asking for people to vote for their favourite [it’s different every week!] in Darwin. If you’d like to participate in voting, watch our Instagram Stories on our account @darwinweloveyou and be sure to vote!
If you’d like to be featured as an option for the story, please connect with us through our contact form or send a DM through our Instagram account.
Happy voting!
Norther would like to invite you to explore more about the beauty of Darwin here. And… as always, you can get more inspiration for other National Parks & Destinations to visit by following @northerhq or get your Darwin City daily fix by joining our FB group Darwin We 💙 Love You by Norther®
Cover image by Ella by Minoli.
Heading to the NT? Here’s What You Need to Get Started
Travel Insurance
Whether you’re from Australia or across the globe, it’s a great idea to get insurance to cover unexpected accidents or medical emergencies. Cover More is our favourite travel insurance provider to give us the peace of mind while heading to the outback.
Flights
For the best deals on flights, we recommend using Trip.com. It’s super easy to compare prices across different airlines and booking sites. I always find great options for my trips, and it saves me so much time and money!
Hotels
We always recommend using Booking.com for hotels. They have a variety of accommodation options and great filters to help you find the perfect place for your trip to the NT. With amazing deals, a great loyalty program, and the largest selection of hotels and rentals, it’s our favourite place to book rooms.
Tours
Tours, either multi-day, half-day, or private excursions, are a great way to experience the NT. Viator has a great selection of activities to help you travel the Territory and learn from locals.
Car Rental
If you're looking to rent a car to explore the Territory on your own, we suggest checking out Budget. It’s so easy to compare prices and find the best option from their huge selection of cars. Or try Rentalcars.com to see cars from all rental companies in the NT.
National Parks Pass
If you live outside the NT and plan on visiting national parks, you'll need a Parks pass. Choose from a day pass, a 2-week pass, 12-month pass, or family pass at NT.gov.au. If you're an NT resident be sure you bring your NT driver licence or proof of residency. Note: Park Passes are not accepted at Kakadu or Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Parks. Purchase those from Parks Australia.
Sim Card
If you're travelling and need a reliable connection, We'd recommend getting an eSIM from Airalo. Choose from data only or cellular connection. It’s super convenient and helps you stay connected without the hassle of swapping physical SIM cards or paying exorbitant fees to your wireless provider.
