Known as the Garden City, Toowoomba is a beautiful place to spend a few days soaking up the sun while surrounded by green.
Beyond lavish lawns and flowery fields, this inland town has plenty to offer, especially when it comes to foodie hotspots. Dig in to these wonderful places to eat and drink in Toowoomba to satisfy any craving.
Fitzy’s Toowoomba is a buzzing local favourite
A buzzing local favourite, Fitzy’s is your go-to for great food, drinks, and live entertainment in the heart of Toowoomba. It’s been proudly serving beer for 20 years.
Open seven days a week, this iconic venue features three bars, an award-winning restaurant, and a bustling gaming lounge. Tapestry Bar is a cosy spot up the front of the hotel, offering craft beer, handcrafted cocktails, and casual eats. Stop by for trivia on Tuesdays and live music from Thursdays to Saturdays.
For a more indulgent meal, head to Fitzy’s on Church at the back of the venue. Featuring cathedral ceilings, stone and timber accents and an island bar, the award-winning restaurant uses top local ingredients across the menu. Think hand-stretched pizzas, Diamantina steak with house-made sauce and pub classics including chicken parmigiana.
On Fridays, expect free finger food and cheap drinks from 5pm, while on Sunday an acoustic soloist takes to the stage for a relaxed afternoon show. With coeliac-friendly options, free underground parking, and something happening every night (including live country music on Thursdays), Fitzy’s is where Toowoomba comes to life.
Indulge in delights surrounded by vintage charm Café Valetta
Housed in a beautifully restored 1911 heritage-listed building, Café Valetta blends European charm with vintage romanticism in the heart of East Toowoomba. The building is surrounded by a lush, manicured garden and courtyard, and has operated as a summer residence, guest house, and antiques gallery.
Overlooking Queens Park, it is now a beloved café that serves a refined all-day menu featuring fresh, seasonal ingredients. Dine inside beneath pressed metal ceilings and stained glass windows, or relax on the vine-covered pergola outside. Don’t miss their signature coconut & cinnamon porridge during the breakfast rush, or the Italian meatballs in a rich Napoli sauce with creamy polenta and toasted sourdough at lunch.
Plus, you can even treat yourself to a High Tea served in fine china with panoramic park views. Delivered on a three-tiered silver stand, the traditional high tea includes house made finger sandwiches, sweet and savoury treats and freshly-baked scones.
Dine in the garden at Gip’s Restaurant
Found in the billiard room of the historic mansion known as Clifford House (which was built in 1865), Gip’s Restaurant is all about delicious modern Australian cuisine.
The venue prides itself on a casual yet sophisticated dining experience using the best fresh ingredients. Head chef, Craig Edser, and his talented team have designed an uncomplicated yet delicious seasonal menu with light lunches and a la carte dinners. In the evening, guests can dine in the garden while surrounded by tall trees and sparkling fairy lights.
The lunch menu features crispy buttermilk chicken with chilli honey and dill pickles, saffron risotto with roast fennel and whipped goat curd, and pull-apart braised lamb ragu on pappardelle pasta. For dinner, expect baked brie with fig, pistachio and honey, sovereign lamb rump with beetroot gnocchi, goat curd and jus, or roast duck breast with braised cabbage, sweet potato fondant and nut crumble.
Experience Turkish cuisine at Sofra
Sofra is inspired by the famous Kayseri area of Turkey, which is known for its amazing meat and pastry dishes. The word Sofra means a table prepared for eating, embodying the warm hospitality of this local favourite.
Here, the menu features an array of traditional Turkish dishes, seasoned to perfection with oils, herbs and spices. Make sure to try the traditional Musakka, which is made of minced meat, eggplant and tomato. Other standouts include char-grille swordfish, king prawns and lamb skewers served with Turkish rice, salad and chilli pickles, as well as Kayseri Manti, which are homemade pasta dumplings filled with beef and topped with garlic yogurt, sumac and mint.
If you can’t decide where to start, there are three banquet menus to choose from with three, four or five courses. Each banquet comes with Turkish apple tea, cay or coffee, and there are plenty of extras to add on for an even grander experience.
For those who don’t like leaving their fur babies at home, dogs are welcome to join you for a delicious meal.
The OG of the coffee scene: Ground Up Espresso Bar
Ground Up Espresso Bar is responsible for kick-starting the Toowoomba coffee scene thanks to its laid back and rustic feel. You’ll find this cafe tucked away in a mural-covered, where regular patrons love to come for their early-morning coffee fix.
The cafe partners with ONA Coffee for specialty roasted beans that deliver a smooth and rich finish every time. On the menu, you will also find classic pastries and a rotating list of house-specials such as pulled pork loaded chips and quesadillas. For breakfast, grab your mates and tuck into a warm bowl of shakshuka or a plate of chilli scrambled eggs.
Sourdough, sweet treats and pastries at The Baker’s Duck
When visiting this artisan bakery, don’t be surprised to find a long line of people trailing down the street. Each morning, the team at The Baker’s Duck rise well before the sun to knead, roll and bake the best sourdough bread in town, as well as a range of handmade pastries and desserts.
The brunch menu includes artisan coffee, sourdough brioche French toast with strawberries, maple syrup and whipped vanilla mousse, as well as the chicken schnitzel sandwich served on house sourdough with pesto, tomato, aioli and mozzarella.
But no trip to this local institution is complete without ordering the famous strawberry cheesecake danish, rhubarb and pink peppercorn bow, cinnamon morning bun or pork, sage and apple sausage roll. The perfect morning treat is always available at this fantastic bakery run by passionate artisans.
Mouse Proof brewery: rooted in land, sustainability and flavour
Born from a passionate debate between soil scientists and an agricultural economist, Mouse Proof brewery has come a long way from its humble beginnings in a farm shed near Aubigny. What started as Thursday night brewing sessions quickly evolved into something bigger when their Lime and White Pepper Gose won gold at the 2020 Queensland Amateur Brewing Championship.
In 2021, the team found a new home in the heritage-listed Dairy Farmers precinct in Toowoomba. The early 1900s building offers the perfect industrial backdrop for the brewery, which focuses on creating a welcoming taproom experience with a rotating lineup of inventive brews. Kids are welcome to hang in the play area, while dogs can join you in the outdoor dining area.
The on-site kitchen specialises in smoked meats, as well as classic pub meals, but the drinks are the real highlight. Try the Nut Case Red IPA, or the Walking is Optional quintuple IPA.
Now known as the home of blues in Toowoomba, the venue also plays host to live music, art shows, and community events. The Mouse Proof Arts Collective launched in 2023, showcasing standout works by local artists.
With head brewer Daniel Pinto crafting fan favourites like the Mouse Proof Bitter and chef Brendan Spooner serving up crowd-pleasers, it’s no wonder this brewery has become a regional gem.
Brazilian flair at Muller Bros
Muller Bros is a rooftop bar, restaurant and cafe rolled into one. Located in a historical building, you’ll find holes in the courtyard brickwork made by the rifles that used to be sold when the building was a gun shop back in the early 1990s.
These days, the rooftop bar is an ideal place for a relaxing sunset drink with friends, looking out over the city. The courtyard is an intimate dining area with vintage brickwork and stained glass windows. However, the main attraction is the Muller Bros restaurant. This eatery is based on a churrascaria, a Brazilian steakhouse which champions high quality meat typically seared over charcoal and open flames.
For just $65 per person, the From the Fire experience includes a selection of meats grilled to perfection. Try the beef rump cap, pork seasoned with a sweet BBQ rub, and jalapeno and cheddar kransky. Vegetarians can get in on the action with the haloumi cheese dusted in paprika and drizzled in hot honey, or the pineapple coated in sugar and cinnamon. There is also a selection of smaller dishes and sides for those with less of an appetite.
Get a pick-me-up at Banter Coffee Kitchen
This social-enterprise cafe is dedicated to supporting refugee and migrant workers in the Toowoomba community. It’s also a spot for local artists, who can apply to hang their work in the in-store gallery.
Banter Coffee Kitchen was first opened by Stephen Payton in 2019, and quickly became a popular spot for artists and locals seeking connection. Stephen wanted to create a culture of inclusion and diversity by employing those in the community who come from migrant and refugee communities.
Grab a seat at the long community table or espresso-style benches, and enjoy delicious food and drinks such as the iced strawberry matcha and almond croissant. Banter Coffee Kitchen it’s not only a great hang-out spot, but the perfect place to grab a morning pick-me-up.
If you enjoyed this feature on places to eat and drink in Toowoomba, you might like our feature on places to eat and drink in Brisbane.
Travel to Toowoomba
Rex flies to Toowoomba. Book your flights here and check out the route map below for more details.
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