The Best in Experiential Dining Offerings in Australia

Lunch in Australia isn’t just an opportunity to fill your tummy, it could mean stretching your culinary limits with an amazing dining experience.

From Tasmanian Gothics putting on a winter feast to Zero Emission Glamping on the Great Barrier Reef, you never know what can happen when you sit down for a meal in the Land Down Under.

Read on for the best in Australia breakfast, lunch, and dinner experiences.

The World’s Longest Lunches

Heard of them? Technically, the long lunch that one coworker always takes, counts here, but aside from the American connotations, the Aussies celebrate long lunches in both quantity and time (long, as in a long, food-filled table, and long, as in a long time) dare I say, the way brunch is revered in the US. The Australian art of the “long lunch” has not received the editorial attention it deserves, but there are plenty of resources that further delve into this unique cultural trait.

Here is a sample of long lunch events as a part of some of Australia’s top food and wine festivals:

• Port Douglas Carnivale: May 19, 2023 (mid-May annually) Port Douglas, Queensland
• Clare Valley SCA Gourmet WeekMay 27 – 28, 2023 (late May annually) Clare Valley, South Australia
• Lovedale Long Lunch: May 20 – 21, 2023 (May annually) Lovedale, Hunter Valley Region, New South Wales
• Melbourne Food & Wine Festival: (April annually) Melbourne/Narrm, Victoria (This one is quite literally the world’s longest lunch with a table over 600 metres long)
• Scenic Rim Eat Local Month(June annually) + The Winter Harvest Festival (July 1, 2023): Beaudesert, Scenic Rim Area, Queensland
• Scenic Rim Eat Local Month (June 2023)is the ultimate backstage pass to the farms, wineries and food stories of the region. It’s the opportunity to meet the people behind the produce and the flavours in a massive celebration that features festivals, farm-gate events and culinary experiences for foodies of all ages. The Winter Harvest Festival (July 1, 2023) is the Scenic Rim celebrated in one glorious, flavour-filled day. The signature event of Eat Local Month, Scenic Rim Food Ambassador Chefs join growers, producers and flavour-makers, in hosting masterclasses and demonstrations, there’s produce stalls to wander, tasting stations to graze and the World Famous Tractor Pull.

Discover the Tasmanian Gothic Aesthetic and Enjoy an Eight-Night Winter Feast at Dark Mofo (Hobart/nipaluna, Tasmania) – June 7-18, 2023 (June annually)

Commemorating its 10-year anniversary in 2023, Dark Mofo was created as the winter version of the MONA FOMA summer festival, also held in Tasmania. Celebrating the southern winter solstice with a pagan influence, Dark Mofo features nighttime musical acts, large scale light and art installations, a Winter Feast, and this year, a masquerade ball, motorbikes, raving, a giant teddy and “ample nudity.” The Winter Feast features eight days of feasting across two weeks, as guests gather by the fire and feast on a banquet of intoxicating proportions. (Stallholders and music program to be announced in May.)

See the World’s Only Horizontal Waterfalls on a Luxury Floating Hotel Complemented by Locally Sourced Gourmet Meals (Talbot Bay, Western Australia) – Coming May 2023

Discover the Horizontal Falls (Garaanngaddim), described by Sir David Attenborough as ‘one of the world’s greatest wonders,’ with the Ultimate Horizontal Falls Luxury Stay. Departing from Talbot Bay in the Kimberley, the 24-hour voyage on the Jetwave Pearl, a floating hotel, offers 20 guests three types of rooms, including premium cabins with queen beds, en suites and balconies.

The new luxury package includes a scenic seaplane flight over the remarkable Horizontal Falls, power boat cruises through the creek system, opportunities to snorkel near marine life, guided fishing expeditions and locally sourced dinners from the dedicated on-board chef.

Zero-Carbon Glamping on the Great Barrier Reef with Authentic Bush Tucker Meals (Bundaberg, Queensland) – Coming May 2023

Discover the Bundaberg region’s rich Indigenous Australian culture and history on a three day all-inclusive retreat. The marine glamping experience is hosted by Taribelang Bunda guides in partnership with the Lady Musgrave crew of marine biologists, chefs, and tour guides.

The experiences include two nights aboard the zero-carbon footprint Lady Musgrave HQ pontoon, fresh daily meals, immersive cultural tours, and a host of aquatic adventures, from outer reef snorkel safaris to glass-bottom kayak and boat tours. No visit to the Lady Musgrave pontoon is complete without heading down to the iconic underwater observatory, where guests can view marine life and the corals by day, or stay overnight in the live-aboard style bunk beds to watch the reef’s abundant nocturnal ecosystem.

Helicopter to a Five Star Lunch at a Luxury Cattle Station (Darwin/Gulumerrdgen, Northern Territory) – Debuted March 2023

Nautilus Aviation has added a new experience to its ranks with the addition of Litchfield Waterfalls & Finniss River Lodge tour via helicopter. The four-hour tour commences in the Northern Territory’s capital Darwin/Gulumerrdgen, where guests fly 100km south to all-inclusive luxury Finniss River Lodge, a 50,000-acre luxury working cattle station, in Litchfield National Park. Here, they will try the Finniss River Lodge’s bespoke 5-star food and drink experience.

During 90-minutes of flying time over pristine waterfalls and giant canyons, participants will be treated to a guided tour that encapsulates the most iconic experiences of Australia’s Top End. Before heading back to Darwin/Gulumerrdgen, travellers stop in at a private waterfall swimming spot at Sandy Creek, where they’ll enjoy an hour of the exhilarating ambience.

A Five-Course Lunch Paired with Fly Fishing at a Winery (Orange, New South Wales) – Debuted March 2023

Begin your journey into the art of fly fishing and embark on a five-course lunch odyssey with Printhie Wines newest winery experience in Orange, four hours drive from Sydney/Warrane. Starting at 10am, a private instructor takes guests through fly fishing basics; rigging the rod, how to cast and then reel in your fish, followed by an hour of self-guided fly fishing session with the instructor close by to provide feedback and support.

Guests will then settle into a five course degustation lunch with flagship matching wines at Printhie Dining, where head chef Jack Brown showcases premium local produce and Australian native botanical flavours in a consciously crafted menu sure to delight the palate.