Dundee’s Australian Waterfront Restaurant Cairns

After spending a week in Cairns and trying many of the restaurants along the Cairns Marina Waterfront, I can honestly say my best dining experience was at Dundee’s Australian Restaurant. Dundee’s On The Waterfront serves up great Australian tucker. Steaks, seafood and home made desserts and the place to try the taste of some real Australian wildlife like Kangaroo or Crocodile. This is a fine dining restaurant, right on the waterfront, so prices are quite high but the quality of the food and the excellent service warrant the prices. Dundee’s have been serving up delicious Aussie food for more than 30 years, so it is definitely worth a visit in Cairns.

Dundee's On The Waterfront Cairns — Dundee’s On The Waterfront Cairns

I went in for dinner on Xmas Eve 2020 and was fully prepared for a fine dining experience and I was not disappointed. It was a hot humid night so I got a table inside in the air-conditioning. There are tables right out the front overlooking the Cairns Waterfront but i was here for the food. I did not muck around with an entree as I wanted a big juicy steak and to try one of the delicious home-made desserts.

I went for the 220g Eye Fillet ($42 for the steak, a choice of potato and sauce) and ordered a side of Rocket and Apple Salad ($5.5). So $47.50 for a main meal but this was not your average meal. An awesome cut of high quality Australian beef grown in Far North Queensland. Such high quality meat was worth every dollar I spent on it. For an extra $10 I could have turned this meal into a surf and turf with 3 large fresh prawns but I just wanted the meat.

Eye Fillet at Dundee's Waterfront Restaurant — Eye Fillet at Dundee’s Waterfront Restaurant

When it came time to order dessert, I asked my lovely waitress if I could see the dessert menu. She said ‘Let me show you the desserts!’. She walked over to a fridge at the front of the restaurant and pulled out a tray with 9 prepared desserts on it, brought it to my table and went through each one, describing what each of the dessert were in detail.

Dessert Tray at Dundee s Waterfront Restaurant Cairns

They all sounded delightful but the one that sparked my interest was the ‘Cherry Ripe cheesecake’ which turned out to be a ripper of a dessert, with dark chocolate, the tasty cherry flavoured cheesecake topped with some fresh strawberries and cream. Awesome!

Cherry Ripe Dessert at Dundee's Waterfront Restaurant Cairns — Cherry Ripe Dessert at Dundee’s Waterfront Restaurant Cairns

With a few beers to start, 2 glasses of tasty red wine, the main meal and dessert, my bill came to over $130, just for me, so this is not a cheap eats place but with the high quality of food and excellent service from the attentive staff, this really is an awesome dining experience at Dundee’s On The Water in Cairns.