13 Best Restaurants in Red Centre, The Outback

Beginning his journey in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and becoming one of Australia’s most respected experts in Asian flavors, chef Jimmy Shu has assembled teams of traditionally trained chefs who combine their cooking secrets with his contemporary take on Asian cuisine. Hanuman has been a favorite with locals and visitors for three decades.

Australian wines and Northern Territory specialty dishes like bush salads and Australian game are served at a lookout here before you dine on your buffet meal in the middle of the desert and enjoy an astronomer-led stargazing tour of the southern sky. Add on the Field of Light experience for a truly memorable night out. A more intimate and pricier small-group table d'hôte four-course dinner called Tali Wiru is also available for a maximum of 20 diners at a different vantage point.

If you're looking for a romantic night out, you can't go past this refined noshery Arnguli Grill, which means "bush plum" in the local the Pitjantjatjara language. Overlooking the pool in the Desert Gardens Hotel, its modern Australian à la carte menu is pepped up with native spices, grains, and seeds.

Barramundi is the name of the game at this venerable and popular restaurant on the banks of the dry Todd River, part of the Mercure Alice Springs Resort. Try the grilled barramundi served with lemon and dill risotto or baked with shredded almonds, but there's also a wide range of other options. Inside is air-conditioned but most want to grab a waterfront outdoor table to take in the view.

This inviting café is set within the grounds of the 16-hectare haven, Olive Pink Botanic Garden. The menu is filled with plenty of vegan options, with vegan breakfast, veggie bowls, and a vegan burger. Enjoy breakfast or lunch in the outdoor garden seating, surrounded by beautiful flora. You could get lucky and spot a passing wallaby.

Cowhide seats, tables made from old Ghan railway benches, and a life-size replica of bushranger Ned Kelly give this lively restaurant true Outback flavor. It's a touristy watering hole but well worth dropping by for a steak and a drink or two and taking a few snaps of the Aussie decor.

Red-and-white checkered tablecloths, Chianti bottles, and plastic grapes festoon this family-run Alice Springs classic spot that has been drawing in hungry locals with its traditional Italian meat dishes, pizza, and pasta for more than three decades. Take a tip from the regulars and preorder a serving of vanilla slice for dessert, which has a secret base.

Transforming from a casual eatery as the sun goes town, this laneway eatery offers tapas-style meals, live music, and a lengthy wine and cocktail list. The ambience is relaxed and welcoming.

Near the Town Square at Ayers Rock Resort, this casual eatery offers soups, salads, burgers, pasta, and pizza, with a dedicated children's menu and desserts such as lemon myrtle brûlée. It's open every day for lunch and dinner, and you can dine alfresco on warm days or opt for a table inside on chilly nights.

This stylish restaurant, which means sky in the local Pitjantjatjara language, offers an impressive buffet, with egg and pancake cooking stations at breakfast and a range of salads, antipasto options, curries, noodles, and seafood at dinner. Don't miss the Australian native high tea, which features everything from barramundi tarts to lemon myrtle scones.

Kulata is a bit more than a grab-and-go café. This is where the trainees of the National Indigenous Training Academy take their first step in their hospitality career. You'd never guess the staff were just at the start of their careers though. Friendly and professional, serving coffee, croissants, meat pies and ready-made sandwiches which are perfect for a packed lunch for that day's adventures.

Order steak, kangaroo, barramundi, or emu sausages from the server, then cook them to your liking Aussie-style on large barbecues. This DIY-dining option and its adjacent bar with live music has a fun Outback pub vibe, and with barbecue being practically a national sport here, it’s easy to see why it's so popular.

Bursting with charisma, this trendy laneway café has a slight hippie edge. It has all the feels of a Melbourne coffeehouse. And the coffee is deemed the best in Alice Springs. The menu here is focused firmly on fresh and healthy eats to grab and go.