Tha Fish — Restaurant in Cairns City

Hands down, this will always be our favourite restaurant in Cairns. No competition.

We’ve been visiting Tha Fish ever since we moved up here nearly 8yrs ago now, and no matter how many other places we try (and trust me, us foodies get around), we always end up back here for our seafood fix. Even our 6yr old has it locked in as his top pick… partly because he’s on a fist bump and first name basis with the crew, partly because the food is always a hit, and of course because he can unleash his inner artist all over the paper table covers while he waits.

So where to start… the lunch specials? A dish and a drink for $25… like seriously? In this economy? But this isn’t just a lunch stop. If you want to impress friends or treat yourself to a proper night out, this is the place to do it.

The service never skips a beat. The team are friendly, switched on, and somehow manage to appear right when you need them (without the constant “excuse me” wave). Cocktails are next level… if I can’t decide, I just tell the waiter what kind of flavour mood I’m in and like magic, the perfect drink arrives. The beer, wine and spirit list also has a great range for all… but seriously… cocktails!

The food is out of this world. I’ve pretty much eaten my way through the entire menu over the years, I just don’t have the photo evidence to prove it without trawling through my embarrassingly long photo reel right now. The bread special is a must, every single time. Even if you think you don’t want bread, trust me, you want bread! Starters are dangerously hard to choose between, my advice is order different dishes and then share. And as for mains, if I’m ever stuck, the Coral Trout #4 is my default favourite. Simple, classic and always bang on. Oh but wait… too full for dessert? That’s not even an option! Engage your dessert stomach and you won’t be disappointed! Again if you’re stuck… go the campfire!

And as if all that’s not enough… they’re also absolute legends with dietary stuff. Over the years, we’ve brought friends and family with everything from coeliac to dairy free needs, and the team have always known exactly what’s what. It’s one of those rare places where you can relax and sit back knowing they’ve got it handled safely.

Add in chilled vibes, marina views that look like a Cairns tropical postcard, and easy parking… Honestly… what more could you want?

Thanks team for yet another unforgettable night with friends! See you...

Lovely Seafood Restaurant

Tha Fish is an accommodating friendly place with delicious food. I visited here while in Cairns and I would definitely return to this spot if given the chance. If you need more details, read below but if you need someone else's suggestion, you got mine - come here for great seafood.

Service: The service is one of the first things I look at when visiting restaurants of this caliber and I can assure you the staff are friendly, helpful and genuine. We called to make a reservation and from the second our call was answered, they were cheerful. While at the restaurant, more than one of the servers would check in with perfect timing on whether to fetch us another drink or if everything was in order. Because everything looked so good, I couldn't make up my mind and our server (unfortunately don't remember his name) helped me decide on my main meal, beer, and dessert. My applause to the staff working the night I was attending.

Food: For an appetizer, we had the focaccia bread and the natural oysters. I'm so glad with the combination for the bread was lightly garlicky and offered a pesto spread and the oysters were very smooth delicate and flavorful with a hint of ocean.

For a main I had the Moreton Bay Bugs, as my server had suggested, and my company had the special of the day, which was baby barramundi. The restaurant was generous with the serving sizes and the flavors were diverse and wonderful. The baby barramundi had a but of a Thai influence so the sweet taste threw me off a bit but worked very well with the fish. The bugs were also delicious and the amount I received made me so happy because I loved them. In fact, I want some now as I'm write this review.

For dessert we finished off with the yuzu tart which was something new for me. Had a pie crust and tart center, topped with a jello kind of substance. It accompanied well with my cappuccino.

For drinks we started off with the Barrier Reef Brewing Co Double Shot Amber and the fig and pisco (I believe) sour. Highly recommend both options. For our main dishes we got the 42 Degrees South Pinot Grigio

For everything mentioned we paid between A$ 150 - 200 and found it extremely great service and food...

A delicious feast with beautiful scenery, and VERY attentive service (perhaps a little too attentive!). We came for lunch at a very quiet time, and got served our meal very quickly. It was delicious, fresh, and just what we were after. The staff were great, but I got the vibe they were terrified of management, as they made several comments like, "We have to do it that way", and, "Sorry, they're funny about that here." We had two little kids with us, and we kept asking the staff not to fill up their water for fear of making a mess, but they couldn't stop (I'm assuming out of fear of castigation.) We asked that everything come out at the same time and all be shared, but again the poor waitress insisted she needed to assign everything to a place on the table. Weird vibe... Anyhoo, the pork belly salad was top notch - bright and herbaceous and just the right amount of chilli; The fish and chips were fresh and crunchy, with a nice light salad; oysters were delicious, and the chowder hit the spot, though it was probably a touch floury in texture, and dominated by bacon flavour not seafood. House chardonnay was light and fruity and again, hit the spot. I'd happily order everything again. A delightful lunch, and definitely...