Salt House sits out on Marina Point with water on three sides, which means it gets the view every other restaurant in Cairns is trying to borrow. It would be easy for a room like that to coast. It does not. There is an Argentinian wood-fired grill at the centre of the kitchen, a pizzeria running alongside it, and a lawn that turns into the best outdoor bar in the city once the festoon lights come on.
The grill is the point
The kitchen is built around a custom Argentinian wood-fired grill, and the menu leans into Australian sustainably sourced seafood and regional produce. That is the version to order. If you are going to eat at a waterfront restaurant in a reef town, eat the thing that came off the fire and out of the water.
The pizzeria alongside it is the more casual option and the reason this works as both a proper dinner and a low-key afternoon. Same view either way.
The lawn, and why it matters
Most people book a table. The move is to arrive earlier than you need to and take the lawn first: low tables, lounges, festoon lights and the marina going quiet. It is the closest Cairns gets to a proper waterfront sundowner, and you do not need a reservation to stand on grass with a drink.
Hours and booking
Open every day from 11:30am until late. That single opening time covers lunch, the afternoon, sunset and dinner, which in a city where a lot of kitchens shut between services makes it one of the few places you can turn up to at three in the afternoon and still eat properly.
Book on 07 4041 7733 or email greatviews@salthouse.com.au. There is an online booking form on their site too. For sunset in the dry season, book.
Where it is
Marina Point, at the end of the Cairns marina precinct, a short flat walk from the Esplanade and the Lagoon and from the Reef Fleet Terminal where the reef boats leave. That makes it the obvious dinner after a reef day, since you are already standing more or less next to it when you get off the boat.
Crystalbrook Riley and its rooftop are five minutes up the Esplanade if you want a second stop, with Paper Crane on the ground floor for Asian sharing plates, and Cairns Aquarium is a similar distance inland. The rest is in our Cairns city guide.
The verdict
The best table in Cairns for a night that has to impress someone, and a genuinely good afternoon even when it does not. Get there before sunset, start on the lawn, order off the grill. If the night is for two, our Cairns for couples guide has the rest of the week.
FAQs
What are Salt House’s opening hours?
Every day from 11:30am until late, covering lunch through to dinner without closing between services.
Do you need to book Salt House?
For dinner and for sunset in the dry season, yes. Call 07 4041 7733 or email greatviews@salthouse.com.au. The lawn bar area is more forgiving if you have not booked.
What kind of food does Salt House do?
Contemporary waterfront dining built around an Argentinian wood-fired grill, with Australian sustainably sourced seafood and regional produce, plus a casual pizzeria.
Where is Salt House?
Marina Point, Cairns, out at the end of the marina precinct with water on three sides. It is a flat walk from the Esplanade and the Reef Fleet Terminal.
Visitor info
- Address: Marina Point, Cairns QLD 4870
- Hours: Monday to Sunday, 11:30am until late
- Phone: 07 4041 7733
- Email: greatviews@salthouse.com.au
- Website: salthouse.com.au
Book tours and experiences
Salt House takes its own bookings direct. If you are filling out the rest of the trip, check live prices and availability with our booking partner Viator:
Bookings made through these links may earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you. It keeps the site running and the fact-checks flowing.
Find it
Header photo: Brad Newton. Courtesy of Tourism and Events Queensland.
