IF you have time to spare and you are looking for a lazy day between rushing off to the reef and traversing the rainforest I heartily recommend a jaunt up to Palm Cove for a long beachfront lunch under the palm trees and giant gum trees
Palm Cove lies 40 minutes by express bus (1X from the Cairns bus terminus at Lake and Shield Streets
http://www.sunbus.com.au/pdf/Northern_Suburbs.pdf) or just 25 minutes by hire car to the north of Cairns past the airport.
Aim for the Esplanade, the beachfront strip, where there are restaurants, shops, cafes and a couple of bars.
http://www.palmcove.net/
"...the tropical paradise where the mysterious Rainforest meets the grandeur of the Great Barrier Reef. White sandy beaches lined with glorious coconut palms and the year round warm ocean make Palm Cove one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Add the relaxing atmosphere and tropical sunshine and you've got the perfect holiday destination!..."
A drink before lunch
When you get off the bus in the middle of the Esplanade you will be close to the local bar called APRES BEACH, a handy place to have a cleansing ale or G&T before lunch! PLATY recommends "a schooner of the 4X heavy" to get the taste buds alerted to impending lunch!
http://apresbeachbar.com.au/
"...The friendly and inviting atmosphere of Apres Beach Bar & Grill has earned us the reputation of being one of Cairns and North Queensland's premier meeting places, for both locals and visitors alike. Overlooking beautiful Palm Cove beach, only 20 minutes north of Cairns, you can meet for a meal, or mingle over a drink and soak up the buzz that defines Apres Beach Bar & Grill Palm Cove..."
PLATY RECOMMENDS the following lunch venues:
1.
NU NU
Recognised as one of the region's best restaurants BUT with a price tag to go with the quality and recognition!
http://gourmettraveller.com.au/regio...m_cove_qld.htm
"...Among the many things we love to love about Nu Nu is the way in which it’s good all day long. With Jason Rowbottom from Punch Lane on the floor and Pearl’s Nick Holloway running the kitchen, it’s like a little piece of Melbourne’s scene gone troppo: diverse influences unified by a kitchen that offsets its inclination for a lark with second-nature professionalism and a smart floor team. We joked that last year’s Regional Restaurant of the Year, Surfers Paradise’s Absynthe, put paid to the bucolic clichéd idea of regional restaurants being all about burning log fires and braised local wombat. This year’s winner goes one better again, giving you what you want and redefining what you want from holiday dining.
The breezy setting is idyllic, regardless of the hour, and so is the menu. Buffets be damned, breakfast here is virgin (or not) piña coladas, poached apple and raspberry ‘toasties’, lacy pancakes stuffed with ricotta, lemon and dates, or the very tropical coconut hotcakes with sweet banana, coconut sugar caramel and coconut sorbet. Or just bacon and eggs done how they oughta be.
Lunch is a nice cold Cooper’s pale ale (or Asahi or indeed Peroni) and oysters, salt-and-pepper squid with lime, spiced beef chilli burgers with red onion salad and a fried egg, or crab sandwiches and then maybe a nap..."
2.
VIVO
Again a regional award winner, where you can sit out on a large deck surrounding an open plan converted classic wooden house! There are usually fish specials for lunch offereing excellent value at around $25-$30. This place offers great value given a combination of price, quality and lcoation.
PLATY'S PICK is the seared tuna on a salad of rocket, green beans, sun dried tomatoes and kipfler potatoes or the special fish of the day (a recent dish of barramundi fillet with pumpkin risotto was first class!).
Relax with a bottle of Italian Cannonau (red), or NZ Sauvignon Blanc (the Cloudy Bay if available) or Australian champagne (eg. Domaine Chandon from east of Melbourne or any from Tasmania).
http://www.vivo.com.au/
"...Vivo Bar and Grill has been described as a relaxed, but upmarket establishment, set in a stunning open plan building, with uninterrupted breathtaking views of the sea.
Surrounded by elegant palms and majestic mellaleuca trees, the graceful white walls and turrets of Vivo’s Queensland colonial exterior provide a stunning, cool contrast to the warm, aromatic and colourful vibrance of the interior. In the heart of the restaurant, the chic, stylish sunken bar forms a vibrant, animated hub. Vivo’s sparkling stainless steel open plan kitchen enables Head Chef Russell Molina to oversee the whole restaurant, and also allows the delicious aromas of their gourmet cooking to waft tantalisingly on the gentle Coral Sea breezes.
Vivo Bar and Grill is open everyday from 7am for breakfast, lunch, tapas and dinner. We proudly serve quality Genovese coffee and exotic handcrafted cocktails throughout the day. A true taste of the tropics as you enjoy the exhilarating views across to Double Island and out to the Coral Sea.
Vivo Bar and Grill is the ideal place for dinner with your loved ones, a cocktail party with friends or even a corporate luncheon or dinner with colleagues and business associates. Its exquisite function areas enhance the venue for that special occasion and presents a rich and magical setting for pre-dinner drinks at twilight.
The restaurant welcomes families and couples alike to experience its up market, but relaxed and comfortable atmosphere that can only be found at the prestigious Palm Cove destination..."
3.
Sebel Reef House
Enjoy a relaxing simple lunch on an extensive deck in the shade of huge gum trees!
PLATY'S PICK: the seared coral trout and salad to sample seafood or for those with a hangover the hearty indian butter sauce chicken with rice and chutney! Go for a Pinot Noir!
http://www.reefhouse.com.au/page3a.html
"...Under 300 year old Melaleuca gums swaying in the sea breeze - looking out across the teak decking to the palms of the cove and the Coral Sea beyond.
An eclectic choice of dishes from around the world - the Middle East, Southern Asia, the Mediterranean and beyond - created from the North’s unique produce and products.
Across 50 years the Reef House wine offerings have developed into an eclectic choice of some of Australia’s finest - Our sommelier selects the best wines for their region as much as their style. The Reef House menus and chef’s unique global flavours are pivotal in the planning of the constantly evolving wine list. North Queensland’s tropical weather also plays a huge part in the choice of wines. Over 15 Varietals such as Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvedre are new additions while Sauvignon blanc and Pinot’s are also to the fore.
Some wines of note are the Pipers Brook Reserve Chardonnay from Tasmania and the Shaw and Smith Sauvignon Blanc but there’s also the favourite of the ‘Pinot brigade’ in a Kooyong Pinot Noir from the Mornington Peninsula. International wines are also given the stage with wines from Italy, Spain and France.
The Champagne list has grown since the inaugural Reef House ‘Champagne’s of France’ event held annually now in June - and it now features the brilliant Pol Roger 99 vintage. The Tasmanian Jansz is another star as it has been named as one of the best sparkling wines in Australia and is listed with both cuvee and rose.
In recognition of his high standards and his attention to the unique qualities of the local produce, Executive chef Philip Mitchell has won many accolades and restaurant awards - including the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant guide and the Queensland Food and Wine Guide. He has been invited to host Master-classes across Australia, has appeared on the Nine network’s ‘Today’ program and the Iain Hewitson cooking programs internationally and often appears at the National Good Food and Wine Shows..."
TO WALK OFF your lunch take a stroll along the beach (it takes me 50 minutes to walk home to my house along the length of the beach!) and check out the pier before the bus ride home.