Experience
Night life has come alive at Noosa Junction.
Noosa Junction from Hastings Street is an absolute must for those who like to taste some locally brewed beer or creative cocktail. Yes, it’s a bit of a walk over the hill from Maison Noosa, but considering the growing list of bars and restaurants to try in the Junction, you’ll be glad you made the effort to explore beyond Hastings St.
Starting at the Noosa Hill end of Sunshine Beach Road, two Noosa dining icons set the scene early. Bombetta serves up yummy Italian fare with their usual slick service, whilst next door’s Light Years Asian Diner continues its efforts to inject high-level chic into their particular brand of tiki-asian fusion. Further along, the Village Bicycle remains the stalwart of Noosa Junction’s drinking scene with its Melbourne laneway inspired beer garden and good vibes feel. However, it’s the new kids on the Junction block who are creating a growing sense of interest and patronage from locals and visitors alike.
Just around the corner from Bombetta and Light Years on Sunshine Beach Rd is Somedays Pizza, where a 48hr ferment results in chewy crusts and crispy bases paired with sustainable, organic and locally sourced toppings. The drinks menu is very well rounded, with a wine list covering both Italian and Australian varietals. Inside, it’s all frosted glass and dark woods, while an enormous traditional pizza oven sits presiding over the fun from the rear. On the pizza side of things, there’s a refreshingly small selection, with some old favourites like Capricosa and Peppe&Roni, but also a host of ‘blond’ pizzas like Lost In A Forest with its wine and butter sauteed mushroom, spinach, balsamic onions and goats cheese, as well as the aptly named All The Cheese pizza which is pretty self-explanatory with the addition of walnuts and local honey comb. The salads and charcuterie plates are also delicious, but if you’d rather explore a more equatorial theme for dinner, you don’t have to walk far from here.
Mr Drifter is a wonderful little ‘hole in the wall’ bar and eatery completely punching above its weight in funky vibes and delicious fare. Based on local street foods found throughout Asia, you can expect Kadai Pakistan Chicken to sit beside Sri Lankan beef cheek and Bombay Loaded Potatoes or Togarashi Squid. The Drinks Menu is equally strong, with beer and cocktails featuring large. The Nam Tam Tipple of pampero rum, pomegranate molasses, vietnamese mint and lemon juice is like a walk along the fine streets of Hanoi, whilst a host of local and imported beers are excellent foils to the spicy asian plates. The wine list is spartan, and begins with the aptly named ‘White Plonk’ by the glass, which is an excellent reason to get out of your Chardonnay and Pinot, and try something deliciously new.
If you’d prefer something a little more sleek, Pucca, Noosa’s (and possibly Australia’s) only Indian and Gin Bar is a sophisticated addition to the eateries along Sunshine Beach Rd. Identifying with Modern Coastal Indian cuisine, a handy glossary at the back of the menu explains the less mainstream foods such as puchadi, balachung and puchka. This is fine dining with spice and as you’d expect, the service, cocktail and drinks menu are of a calibre to match. Pucca is a definite favourite with the Maison Noosa team.
Have a bite and a sip at each of these newcomers, before finishing the night at the ‘Bike or stop for a cocktail at Eddie Cheeba’s on Arcadia St. Either way, you’ll be feeling completely on-trend after a night out in the Junction.
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