Want to sample the best Australian ingredients? Or dig into some bush tucker?
Look no further than these eight tasty Indigenous restaurants in Australia.
Mabu Mabu – Big Esso
Melbourne, Victoria
Big Esso (an expression in the Torres Strait Islands meaning the ‘biggest thank you’) is owned by Nornie Bero from the Komet Tribe of the Meriam people in the Torres Straits. This 100 per cent Indigenous-owned restaurant offers shared plates celebrating traditional ingredients. Located in the heart of Federation Square, Big Esso prides itself on inclusivity and sustainability. Indulge in native delicacies such as Usar (kangaroo) tartare or Kami (emu) steak while sipping a green ant-tini and admiring the range of colourful artworks by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. To raise the bar on experiential dining, you can book a tailored presentation that walks you through each course, explaining the ingredients and cooking techniques.
Mirritya Mundya
Bomaderry, NSW
Tuck into casual street food with an ‘Indigenous Twist’ at Mirritya Mundya in the beautiful Shoalhaven area. Owners Amelia and Dwayne Bannon-Harrison deliver classic meals with Indigenous ingredients and cultural culinary techniques. Mirritya Mundya (meaning hungry blackfish in the Ngarrigu language group of South Australia) offers an enticing array of dining options, including a bakery, pop-up dinner events with exciting themed degustations, group function packages, and cooking workshops. The owners aim to educate the public about their culture and people through locally sourced food. Try the mouth-wateringly good Mundya (blackfish) tacos, a Sarsaparilla brisket burger or Robbie’s Lamb and Emu pie. With rotating menu items and openings, keep an eye on their Instagram or website for what’s on.
GLaWAC Bush Café
Kalimna West, Victoria
A part of the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation, the Bush Café is one of the best Indigenous restaurants in Australia. It combines healthy food and inspiring art into a tasteful and educational culinary experience. The breakfast and lunch café is run by Chef Kevin Murray – a Gunaikurnai man with over 25 years of culinary expertise – and provides access to the attached Aboriginal art gallery after dining. The restaurant offers employment and skill opportunities for Gunaikurnai people, who help to craft great coffee, dishes and pastries. Some standouts include the kangaroo kebabs with bush tomato chutney and chicken skewers with Kakadu chilli plum sauce.
Restaurant Kawul
Rothbury, NSW
Restaurant Kawul is an elegant restaurant overlooking the Calais Estate vineyards. The restaurant serves up dishes inspired by the Wonnarua region and ancestors. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the eatery is well-known for its ever-changing vegan options, such as the miso maple-glazed sweet potato with oven-roasted portobello mushrooms, kale, tomatoes and a special nut-based sour cream. Seafood lovers will swoon over the grilled prawns marinated in pepperberry and served on a bed of grilled chilli broccolini with cashew cream. The restaurant also offers delectable catering options, a beautiful wedding venue, and hosts ‘Local night’ dinners inspired by wine pairings.
Midden by Mark Olive
Sydney Opera House, NSW
Located in the Sydney Opera House sits the world-class Midden by Mark Olive. The Bunjalung celebrity ambassador chef, Mark Olive, is best known as ‘The Black Olive’, and here he showcases his passion for fusing native cooking techniques and ingredients with contemporary dishes. Sitting on Tubowgule, Gadigal country, the fine dining restaurant often deconstructs dishes, such as braised wallaby shank and saltbush lamb rump, that pair with wine or stunning cocktails made with native ingredients, such as the Davidson Plum Margarita or the Earl Grey Bush Apple Spritzer. The restaurant hosts special events, such as the Chiefs of the House series, that showcase Indigenous culture and specialty food choices.
Warakirri Café by Indigiearth
Mudgee, NSW
Sharon Winsor is a Ngemba Weilwan woman who pours her heart and soul into Warakirri Café by Indigiearth. Based in Mudgee wine country in a botanical garden, you can dine on her famous kangaroo burgers and chips or try the emu fillet with quandong glaze. Every meal creates an experience with all native ingredients, which you can purchase in the Indigenous retail outlet and events area. If you are not in the mood for a full meal, Indigiearth’s baked foods, artisan coffees and milkshakes are the way to go. Check out its social media platforms or website for upcoming events and dining experiences. Pet-friendly and communal, it’s a lovely place for friends to come together and share authentic bush food.
BTB Kirribilli
Milsons Point, NSW
BTB Kirribilli is a vibrant cafe on Sydney Harbour that partners with Aboriginal-owned farms and gardens to source its ingredients. The cafe incorporates native ingredients into much-loved classics, such as kangaroo ramen, or lobster pasta with pepperberry bechamel sauce. For lovers of Indian fare, try the Warrigal saag green curry with chickpeas and Warrigal greens served with pepperberry, lemon and coconut yoghurt dressing, crispy tofu and naan bread. Or if you’re swinging by for breakfast, tuck into the triple cheese toastie or a bacon and egg roll with hickory bacon and red gum smoked tomato relish with cheddar cheese and a potato scallop on the side. With long benches and indoor or outdoor seating, it’s a top spot to meet friends and share food or just grab a great coffee.
Attica
Ripponlea, Victoria
Attica is one of only three-hatted restaurants in Melbourne, with Chef Ben Shewry proudly taking native experimental cooking to the next level. A casual atmosphere with a high-quality food experience gives everyone a chance to enjoy their meal and company. In its own words: “We’re not the biggest fans of the term ‘fine dining’ – we think of what we do as ambitious dining, and we place more faith in playlists than dress codes.” Standout dishes that have sent guests into a spin include the stuffed blue mussels with lemon myrtle and the kangaroo satay. Attica only works with businesses and suppliers that run ethically friendly practices that align with the restaurant’s Indigenous values, and a degustation will set you back $385 per person, but if you value dining as an art form, you will find it money well spent.
Enjoyed reading about Indigenous restaurants in Australia? For more information about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples check out our Indigenous Aus section here.
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