Port Douglas

What a place. If you haven’t been here already and looking for a holiday within Australia (that feels like you’re out of Australia) then this is the place to go !

Coming back from Port Douglas, everyone asks what did you do, where did you go, what did you see, and my answer was always .. nothing . We did some walking and a lot of eating, to me this was the definition of a holiday. On previous holidays I have found myself planning activities, tours, catch ups and over scheduling my holiday that it feels so rushed that you forget you’re on a holiday !

The food up in Port Douglas was amazing, I don’t think we had a bad meal. Everything was fresh and majority of it was sourced locally!

So here are some of my recommendations to eat if you’re in Port Douglas.

Breakfast : The Little Larder

Having planned out everywhere we were going to eat, I knew we had to try Little Larder at some point. After doing a morning walk through Mossman Gorge, we went back into port for brunch. After looking at a hundred photos on Instagram I ordered the Pumpkin and Peas.

Sumac & fennel roast pumpkin with a pea, mint and tahini puree, slow roasted tomato, beetroot marmalade, poached egg, feta on dark rye toast.

Wow. It was so fresh and wholesome that we had to come back. We also got the fritters.

Sweet Potato, zucchini and split pea fritters, roasted carrot hummus, minted yoghurt, avocado and rocket.

Then I had to have the Vegan Blueberry Coconut Bowl (TWICE).

Oats, coconut, blueberries, flax seeds, dried cranberries and pepitas soaked in coconut milk. Served with raspberry power balls, fruit, seeds and nuts.

So would I recommened The Little Larder for breakfast , YES!

Coffee : Sparrow Coffee

 If you’re on the move for the day and just need a coffee on the go, go see the girls at Sparrow Coffee. Beautifully comfortable with a boho vibe. They had all the milk alternatives you could think of with a mix of leaves, powders and grinds.

Lunch : Lotus Leaf Asian Salads  - GIANT and I mean giant… Rice Paper Rolls. Unfortunately that was all I had time to try here! But everything on the menu looked perfect for a lunch on the go.

I had the vegan rice paper rolls with chilli dipping sauce.

Dinner : ARABELLAS

If its date night, Arabellas is perfect. We went there for my birthday dinner, so safe to say we didn’t hold back. Now I’m not an oyster person but my partner is and he (along with the two random people next to us,  said they were the best oysters they have ever eaten!). We also started with the herb and pepper squid, dumplings and bread (like I said we didn’t hold back!).

For the main I had the Local Reef Fish with broad beans, it was so light and fresh! We shared a side of seasonal greens and more bread…

My other favourite dinner was Sea Bean Tapas.

We ordered, ate, and ordered again!

Pan grilled bread with romesco dip and olive oil

Patata bravas with tomato, paprika and aioli (yum)

Grilled octopus with tomato, cucumber and basil

Mushrooms and blue cheese sauce

Fish Tacos AND …

a bottle of red !

WOW

Along with all of this eating, I read The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F***. So I hope this defines my holiday!