Strait on the Beach at Holloways Beach offers relaxed beachfront dining with stunning ocean views, modern Australian cuisine, and friendly service. It’s an ideal spot for breakfast, brunch or lunch while enjoying the peaceful tropical atmosphere just north of Cairns.

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The winter rain has finally cleared here in Cairns, just in time for my friend Suse to visit from Sydney. She wanted to experience the places the locals love, not the tourist traps, and I knew exactly where to take her. We met up with my friend Louise and her adorable fur baby, Barkle Sparkle, and spent the day enjoying great food, good company, and the relaxed tropical vibe. A perfect Cairns day!

As the name suggests, Strait on the Beach is literally right on beachfront. From what I’ve been told, it’s the only beachfront café in the area, with no road or pathway separating diners from the ocean views.

The views are spectacular, especially on a clear, warm day like this. Grab one of the beachfront bar tables and you’ll have uninterrupted ocean views, making it the perfect spot to relax, unwind, and soak up the tropical atmosphere.

At a great price for seven Japanese prawn gyoza, these are good value. They do have a slightly supermarket style feel, but they’ve been cooked perfectly with that crispy, golden pot-sticker finish I’ve never managed to master myself. The sesame soy dipping sauce complements them well, although I’m not quite sure why the handful of random salad leaves is there, it seems more like plate filler than a meaningful accompaniment.

The sweet potato fries arrive piping hot, golden, and wonderfully crispy, making them irresistible when dipped into the creamy aioli. Like most sweet potato fries, they soften as they cool, but they’re still a delicious way to start the meal and make a great entrée to share.

The Straits Burger is, quite literally, a towering burger. The beef patty is a little dense and slightly rubbery, as though it contains a bit of filler, but the fresh bun, tasty sauce and well balanced toppings bring everything together. And yes, that garnish of mixed salad leaves makes another appearance, not just inside the burger, but scattered across the plate as well!

Louise chooses one of the menu specials, French toast served with bacon, maple syrup and ice cream. It sounds like an unusual combination to me, but then again, I’ve never been much of a French toast or ice cream fan. Louise, however, loves it. She tells me the bacon is cooked just the way she likes it, not too crispy, which is the classic Aussie way of serving bacon.

Suse chooses the Eggs Benne, as Eggs Benedict is affectionately known here. You can enjoy it the traditional way with bacon or upgrade to smoked salmon for an extra $2. She sticks with the classic and declares it absolutely delicious.

The Grilled Mushroom and Spinach dish had grilled button and large field mushrooms which are served on toasted sourdough with fresh spinach, basil pesto, tangy reduced balsamic glaze, and crumbed feta. This hearty vegetarian favourite delivers rich, earthy flavours balanced with creamy, crunchy, and fresh textures in every bite. I adore it, but would have liked a little more of the basil pesto and balsamic glaze and the gorgeous fetta, (and not so much salad leaves, again).

We finish with an amaretti, a traditional Italian almond biscuit with a sweet, nutty flavour and subtle hint of bitter almond. Crisp on the outside and soft and chewy in the centre, it’s the perfect way to end a wonderful lunch straight by the beach.

Strait On The Beach

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