Food & drink

Download NT foodie itineraries

Ditch the dining room for an open-air market or dine under the stars and feast on fresh flavours prepared with locally sourced ingredients. Take a sunset cruise, book a bush tucker experience or join a foodie tour to taste your way through the Northern Territory.

You’re guaranteed fresh with barramundi, mud crab and other NT seafood featured on Top End menus. Darwin is close to Asia, so dishes here are often prepared with Thai, Malaysian and Indonesian influences to name a few. Darwin’s Greek and Indian heritage also shine through in its restaurant offerings.

In the Red Centre, try Aboriginal bush tucker dishes made from native fruits and berries; choose a steak or burger from one of the many bistro style venues or take your seat at a five-star dinner experience on a sand dune as the sun sets behind Uluru.

NT foodie itineraries

Foodie experiences in Alice Springs & surrounds 3-day itinerary

Foodie experiences in Darwin & surrounds 3-day itinerary

Food & drink events in the NT

Parap Markets

Darwin Region

The Parap Markets, located close to the city, in Parap, will tantalise your senses with a mixture of Asian cuisine and the aroma of freshly ground coffee.

Dining in Darwin

In the NT’s capital city, you’ll be tossing up whether to tuck into tropical delights at open-air markets, snap up seafood straight off the boat at Darwin Fish Market, take a sunset dinner cruise on Darwin Harbour or make a reservation at plush restaurants like Pee Wee’s or Wharf One.

For those who want it all, try Darwin Gourmet Tours to sample tantalising plates on a walking tour across the CBD. Darwin has a relaxed, tropical vibe, and there’s no shortage of options to kick back with a cool drink under the stars.

Indulging in the Red Centre

The Alice Springs food scene has something for everyone. Take in the carnival atmosphere over burgers and beers at Monte’s, indulge in a banquet of Thai and Indian flavours at Hanuman (try the signature oysters) or choose from one of the many great restaurants and cafes around town.

Don’t miss the Outback BBQ Dinner and Show at Earth Sanctuary for true Territory hospitality—try the Red Centre Devil craft beer. Or head out of town for a campfire dinner under the stars with renowned Aboriginal chef Bob Taylor from RT Tours Australia.

Eating around Uluru

Join Aboriginal guides on a tour around Uluru to discover the hunting and gathering ways of the local Anangu people. For the ultimate food and wine experience, don’t miss the Sounds of Silence or Tali Wiru dinners of gourmet delicacies and fine Australian wine as the sun sets over Uluru.

Splurge on the four-course Under a Desert Moon dinner at Kings Canyon Resort or try a famous Kings Creek Station camel burger.

Fresh is best in Kakadu & Arnhem Land

How does an oyster straight off the rocks with a twist of lemon sound? Collect your own seafood so fresh it’s literally moments from habitat to taste buds on a Kakadu and Arnhem Land safari.

In Kakadu, forage for bush tucker like fruits, yams and bulbs on a tour with Animal Tracks. Your Aboriginal guides will cook your bush tucker on the fire for a sunset dinner.

Katherine foodie tours

Take in Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge on the Nabilil Dreaming Sunset dinner cruise, where your three-course dinner is cooked fresh on the boat and served by candlelight after the sun sets over the gorge.

Join in an Aussie stockman’s dinner around the campfire with Katherine character ‘Marksie’. There’ll be a campfire sing-along, ‘damper on a stick’ (the bush version of an ice-cream) and a billy-spinning competition.

Discover more food & drink ideas

Foodie’s guide to Alice Springs

Here's the ultimate foodies guide to Alice Springs including locals’ favourite restaurants, cafes and foodie hot spots to add some tasty Red Centre flavours to your Northern Territory holiday.

The NT’s 20 Signature Dishes for dining your way around the Territory

Who doesn’t love eating their way through a holiday? We’ve got the most drool-worthy food trail for a ravenous Territory traveller. Check out these Signature Dishes from some of the Territory's top eateries.

Darwin’s signature dishes

Who doesn’t love eating their way through a holiday? We’ve got the most drool-worthy food trail for a ravenous Territory traveller. Work your way through the NT's signature dishes on a food trail from the Top End to the Red Centre.

7 unique foods to try in Australia’s Northern Territory …and where to find them

One of the greatest joys of visiting other cities and other countries is the food. I’ve always said the best ways to get to know a place are to eat it and walk it, so when I was invited on a hosted 2-week exploration road trip to Australia’s Northern Territory and Outback, I brought my most forgiving pants.

10 unique foodie escapes in the Northern Territory

The Northern Territory is a tantalising feast for the senses. From the Top End down to the Red Centre, tropical coastlines and expansive deserts offer one-of-a-kind experiences and ancient culture.

Best places for a Darwin laksa

While most people think Darwin is known for its stunning sunsets, tropical lifestyle, worldly fusion of markets, barramundi fishing, larrikin locals and crocodiles — and it is — more recently Darwin has become the irrefutable laksa capital of Australasia.

Superb places to dine out in Darwin

Blending its close proximity to Asia with an ocean brimming with fresh catches, the Northern Territory capital has captured the ideal ingredients which make Darwin a modern dining delight. We’ve got the lot when it comes to fine feasting, and here’s a selection of our best restaurants in Darwin.

Red Centre Local’s Tips: Food & nightlife in Alice Springs

Kyle Pearson has been in Alice Springs long enough to have seen it blossom from an average Aussie outback town where the best you could expect was a steak sandwich and a beer into an emerging foodie destination.

Darwin’s watering holes are oh-so-cool

The balmy, tropical weather is what attracts many visitors to the Top End capital of Darwin. And it’s no surprise that cooling off with a drink at a pub or bar is a popular past time! See our top picks below for the best places to enjoy a beverage or two around town.

Great places to eat in the NT

Travis Godfredson and family eat their way through the multitude of culinary delights of the Northern Territory’s Top End.

From Darwin to Uluru Taking the world’s longest pub crawl

It’s thirsty work exploring the Northern Territory. Make the most of your outback trip by stopping in at these iconic waterholes between Darwin and Uluru. Explore, stop, rest and spend some time meeting new people, swapping stories and forging that legendary ‘Aussie mateship’.

8 grab-and-go ideas in Alice Springs

Whether you’re planning to picnic in the MacDonnell Ranges, spending an afternoon under a shady tree at an Alice Springs reserve or simply setting up for a sundowner – takeaway doesn’t have to be the same ol’ thing.

NT’s Signature Drinks

For the first time, the NT’s Signature Dish Series has featured a list of remarkable drinks that are worthy of thirst-quenching attention.

5-star feasts in Darwin that won’t blow the budget

From sunset markets to food trucks, Darwin has a dazzling array of cheap and cheerful dining options.

Alice Springs’ Signature Dishes

Alice Springs is becoming more and more renowned for its hip and quirky food scene. We’ve sourced the top signature dishes within Alice Springs so you can enjoy eating your way through your holiday.

Takeaway but not as you know it – 10 grab and go ideas in Darwin

Pubs, restaurants and cafés deserve a gold star for the way they’ve been able to roll with the punches. And while we can’t dine out at the moment, dining in is proving to be a fun challenge, accepted by foodie fans and food businesses alike.

Katherine & Surrounds Signature Dishes

Katherine, known for it’s spectacular gorge, crystal clear hot springs, outback cattle farms and now... a handful of the Northern Territory’s Signature Dishes.