Best Indigenous Cuisine in Australia

From bush tucker to gourmet degustation, the taste of Australia is vibrant and evolving. A welcome trend is the growing recognition of Indigenous cuisine for its unique and diverse flavours. Grounded in over 65,000 years of tradition, Indigenous food has long been shaped by a deep understanding of the land, with dishes that celebrate native plants like bush tomatoes, finger lime and wattleseed. 

Long before European settlement, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people sourced food sustainably and seasonally across Australia’s coastal and arid lands, from the rivers to the bush. Traditional bush tucker featured native ingredients such as kangaroo, emu, crocodile, barramundi, and native fruits, seeds and insects. Fire-cooking, smoking, and drying skills were passed down through generations, showcasing the ingenuity of Indigenous people in hunter-gathering, cooking and preserving.

Today, the revival and modernisation of Indigenous cuisine is thriving, introducing diners to Australia’s native bounty and connecting them to ancient cultural roots. Here we take a look at some of Australia’s best Indigenous restaurants that honour and celebrate bush flavours in a unique dining experience.

The all-day bar and kitchen Big Esso, in Melbourne’s Federation Square on Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung country, is one of the top Indigenous restaurants in Melbourne. The brainchild of Nornie Bero, a Torres Strait Islander chef with a vision to bring Indigenous food and culture to the forefront of Australian cuisine, ‘Big Esso’ is a Torres Strait expression meaning ‘the biggest thank you’ and it’s this ethos of gratitude that permeates the restaurant’s approach to food and culture. 

Dishes here are rich with native ingredients such as finger lime, pepperberry, and bush tomato.

Grab a seat at the communal tables, and tuck into island damper, Naarm mussels and emu steak. For a unique dining experience, perfect for school groups or tours, you can have a tailored native ingredients presentation as you dine and learn about Australia’s rich history and Mabu Mabu’s mission.

Restaurant Kawul, Hunter Valley

Historic Pokolbin, in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales, is home to some of Australia's top wineries and award-winning restaurants. A stand-out is Restaurant Kawul on the grounds of boutique family winery, Calais Estate. Taking its name from the local Wonnarua word for ‘native bee’ a symbol of resilience and community, Kawul combines gourmet dining with native inspired cuisine, inspired by the land’s natural resources. 

Famous for creating dishes that complement the land and the Wonnarua region, the menu is both innovative and culturally respectful, with lemon myrtle cauliflower, pepper berry grilled prawns and slow roasted lamb shoulder. Relax over shared plates, local wines and cocktails for a stand out dining experience and insight into Australia’s cultural heritage.

Sitting atop a floating pavilion on the beautiful River Torrens, Red Ochre Barrel + Grill is an Adelaide institution. The first Australian restaurant to explore cooking Indigenous Australian ingredients, Red Ochre is committed to showcasing the best of Australian native produce. Here, you’ll find ingredients such as kangaroo, emu and crocodile, botanicals like desert limes, quandongs and Davidson plums, and the best of South Australian seafood. 

Red Ochre’s dedication to local ingredients and cultural respect makes it an ideal destination for a deep dive into Australia’s native food. You can even enjoy a modern cocktail using native Australian botanicals, or pair your dishes with the best South Australian and Australian wines, along with a selection of old world wines. Not to mention delicious desserts with a distinctly Australian twist.

Set in a heritage rotunda in the heart of the beautiful Adelaide Botanic Gardens, Restaurant Botanic has earned acclaim for its focus on native ingredients in contemporary Australian cuisine. Here, Executive Chef Jamie Musgrave presents a modern, tasting-style menu that takes diners on a seasonal journey through Indigenous flavours.

One of Adelaide’s best dining experiences, the award-winning restaurant emphasises sustainability, using ingredients from the garden along with wild produce, such as native herbs, bush spices, and wild-caught proteins. Their menu changes frequently to reflect what’s freshest and available, so expect dishes that honour the seasons and showcase a creative use of ingredients, from bunya and bush tomato to warrigal greens and wattleseed.

Mark Olive, aka ‘The Black Olive’, is one of Australia’s most celebrated Indigenous chefs. A Bundjalung man who grew up on Wollongong’s south coast, he brings his 30 years of expertise to Midden on the Sydney Opera House’s Western Boardwalk, on Tubowgule, Gadigal country. Drawing on Mark’s Indigenous Australian heritage, Midden’s menu is a celebration of traditional ingredients infused with modern techniques, highlighting the versatility and sophistication of Indigenous flavours. 

Named after the communal spaces where Indigenous people cooked, ate, and gathered as families, Midden’s offerings include an Indigenous Australian grazing plate, native oysters with wattleseed and finger lime, saltbush lamb, and native rubbed kangaroo. You can even indulge in a unique Native High Tea experience on Wednesdays and weekends, while enjoying stunning views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Tucked between the Harbour Bridge and Milsons Point Station in the heart of Kirribilli, you’ll find Native Australian focused cafe, BTB Kirribilli. Formerly known as By the Bridge, BTB was named one of the city’s 20 best cafes by The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide, highlighting the cafe’s inspired use of native ingredients. 

Taking inspiration from Australia’s wide-ranging terrain, BTB Kirribilli combines a vibrant, relaxed dining experience with a menu that highlights Indigenous flavours. BTB’s dishes range from small bites, like smoked emu sliders with native pepperberry aioli, to more substantial options, such as wattleseed-crusted kangaroo. Here you can sample and share dishes, fostering a connection with Indigenous flavours in a casual, welcoming environment.

Ochre Restaurant, Cairns

In its prime location on the Cairns waterfront, Ochre Restaurant is lauded as one of the tropical city’s top restaurants. Internationally-renowned chef Craig Squire is known for his creative use of the tropical and exotic ingredients unique to northern Australia. Ochre’s innovative menu features local produce and Australian native bush foods, with salt and pepper prawn and crocodile, grilled kangaroo with quandong chilli glaze, wattleseed pavlova and their Australian antipasto plate among some of their most famous dishes. 

Ochre also serves a variety of tasting platters that allow diners to sample several native flavours in one experience. Enjoy sweeping views of the inlet and mountains beyond from Ochre’s position on the Harbour Lights boardwalk while you dine. Squire’s dedication to celebrating native ingredients while pushing culinary boundaries makes Ochre a must-visit restaurant for food lovers in Cairns.

Where to stay

• After feasting at Big Esso in Melbourne, enjoy stylish, well-appointed accommodation at Clarion Suites Gateway or Comfort Hotel Melbourne Central, both ideally located in the heart of the CBD.

• In Sydney, you’ll find colourful Cuban-inspired accommodation and old world charm in the heritage Hotel Harry in inner-city Surry Hills, while the Comfort Inn & Suites Burwood offers modern serviced apartments just 11km from the CBD.

• While you’re in Cairns dining at Ochre Restaurant, relax in bright and inviting accommodation at Comfort Inn Cairns City, ideally situated within 500 metres of the city centre.

• In Adelaide, stay in spacious comfort at the Comfort Hotel Adelaide Meridien, or stylish modern apartments at Quality Apartments Adelaide Central, both in prime CBD locations.

Header image credit: Visit Victoria