So you are travelling around Australia and are wondering where to eat in Australia like a local. Well, Australia has plenty of places to eat that caters for many different palettes. From bakeries to fast food joints to Good Food Guide Chef Hat Award (Australia’s version of the Michelin Star) winning restaurants with fabulous ocean views, there are plenty of places to eat in Australia. So where to eat in Australia? Read on and find out.

Choosing Somewhere To Eat

Working out where to eat in Australia will depend on a few things.

1. Where you are at the time you are ready to eat. Eating options will vary depending on whether you are in a city or small country town.
2. The time of day you are ready to eat. Though you can eat food anytime, sometimes, some foods are better at a particular time. Like fish & chips for dinner on the beach rather than for breakfast! Or eggs Benedict for brekkie or brunch rather than dinner!
3. Type of food you fancy eating. You might be craving a particular food to eat and hopefully that choice will be available. There are plenty of iconic Aussie foods to eat and snacks for road trips. 
4. Ages of the people wanting to eat. Not all children are welcomed in some restaurants and in pubs and clubs so you will need to find establishments that are friendly to all different ages.

Where to Eat in Australia

There is a hierarchy of eating places in Australia. And can I say, there is nothing wrong with any of them. They are all great places to eat in Australia. So if you want to eat like a local in Australia, check out the following options.

Bakeries

Pretty much every country town will have a bakery. The bakery not only bakes bread but has on offer pies and cakes. You may be lucky and walk in to a bakery that has won awards for its baked products. I recently walked in to the Glenrowan Providore and had one of its award winning gourmet pies.

Bakeries are a great place to eat in Australia like a local and are usually open early in the morning to around 5pm. Some serve coffee.

my favourite, bacon and cheese pie

Cafes

Australians love coffee and there are some cities with a great coffee culture such as Melbourne. A cafe or coffee shop in Australia is a small restaurant focusing on caffeinated drinks such as cappuccinos, espresso, flat whites and the occasional tea. The food is typically straightforward, with a selection of sandwiches, pastries, and other baked goods that customers order and pay for at the counter before it is delivered to their table. 

One of the best things to get at a cafe, apart from a good coffee is a ‘toastie’ or toasted sandwich. Classic toasties are ham and cheese toastie or ham, cheese and tomato toastie. They are great for any age.

Cafes are usually open from early in the morning to mid afternoon.

a classic ham and cheese toastie is a coffee shop fave

Roadhouses and Service Centres

A roadhouse in Australia is a roadside establishment that are typically located in remote areas. While Service Centres are usually found along major highways such as the Hume Highway. They are places that provide essential services like fuel, food, toilets and sometimes basic accommodation. They are hubs and vital on long road trips in Australia. 

Typical food you can get in a roadhouse or service centre is usually fast food that is greasy. Drinks of all sorts from flavoured milk to soft drinks.

Roadhouses are often open till late or open 24 hours to cater to the many travellers and truckies who travel at night.

road house on the Nullabor

Fish & Chip Shops and Takeaways

Fish and chip shops and takeaways are usually intertwined. They both sell fish and chips plus other foods like hamburgers and hot dogs and deep fried Mars Bars (my kids love these).

Fish and chip shops and takeaways are usually open from lunch time to late in the evening.

typical Australian takeaway menu of fish and chips, burgers, chicko rolls, etc.

Food Courts

Food courts in Australia are areas in shopping centres where an area has been set aside for a variety of food vendors. You can order your food and then sit and eat at tables with other people eating in the food court.

As food courts are found in shopping centres and in the basements of office buildings they are usually open during shopping and office hours.

Fast Food Restaurants

We refer to fast food in Australia as food bought from food chains such as McDonald’s, KFC, Domino’s, Red Rooster and Guzman y Gomez.

Food Trucks

Food trucks are mobile eateries that specialise in one type of cuisine. These can range from waffles to burgers to hot jam donuts and coffee. Customers order and pick their food up from the truck to eat. Many food trucks are found at markets so you will often be eating as you walk around.

Pubs & Clubs

In Australia, a pub is a public house, or hotel, that is licensed to serve alcohol and sometimes food and entertainment. Pubs are a significant part of Australian culture and social life as many visit for a ‘counter meal’ and a coldie (cold drink). 

Typical pub food includes the popular Chicken Parma or Parmi depending on what state you live in. Many pubs have a Parma and Pot night, pot being the size of the beer. Also on the menu are classic dishes of hamburgers and chips and fish and chips. They often have a kids menu offering chicken nuggets and chips, spaghetti bolognaise and fish and chips which may or may not include a bowl of ice cream for dessert.

Pubs are open for lunch and dinner.

Clubs in Australia are the RSL (Returned Soldier League), Football Clubs, Trade Clubs and other clubs. Many of them have restaurants or bistros where you can get a good feed, just like in a pub.

Clubs are usually open for lunch and dinner.

a typical Aussie pub meal – chicken parma or parmi

Restaurants

Restaurants in Australia are wide and varied and cater to many palettes. As Australia is a multi-cultural country there are many cuisines to enjoy. From Indian to Italian to French to Asian foods. And don’t forget the fabulous seafood restaurants serving locally caught fish or the wineries serving food made with local ingredients. There are also plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. And if you want to try bush tucker, well you can. There are restaurants serving bush tucker. I had kangaroo on a pizza once! But if you want to try delicacies such as witchetty grubs (witjuti) it is best to go on a tour to experience this food. Check out this tour of the Blue Mountains where you will walk through the Blue Mountains National Park and taste native bush foods.

There are different levels of restaurants also. You have the budget-friendly BYO (Bring Your Own meaning diners may bring their own wine to enjoy with their meal) to those fully licensed fine dining restaurants.

Restaurants are mostly open for dinner but some open for lunch also.

Make Your Own Meals

Of course you don’t need to buy every meal as you can make your own. There are plenty of supermarkets, general stores, markets and road side vendors selling produce to make meals to keep you fuelled for your travels around Australia. Check out some recipes at Travellers Fare.

Are You Ready to Discover Where to Eat in Australia?