Herbert

Let’s get this out of the way: vegans will love Herbert. And non-vegans will love Herbert.

While plants are the stars of this handsome Noosa Junction diner, staunch carnivores are also well served with a Peruvian-style snapper ceviche and beef brisket paired with fresh corn polenta. That is, if they haven't been converted to the green side after flicking through the menu entirely.

Even the simplest of ingredients – many of them foraged locally – are given a spotlight here. Take, for instance, the roast carrots, which are brushed with harissa, charred over coals, dressed with a crunchy rye and pistachio granola and plonked into a creamy garlic sauce with curry leaf oil drizzled over the lot. Do not leave without ordering a serve. Likewise for the focaccia, baked every day at 4pm.

Other hits include mapo tofu balanced with a genius black sesame ice-cream, and crispy oyster mushrooms ready for dunking into house-made coconut raita.

Owners Leon Johnston and Alex McKechnie worked together at Light Years, another Noosa Junction success story, before stepping into the space left by a travel agent during Covid lockdowns. Sophisticated styling and warm light make this an elegant dinner choice, but up at the emerald-tiled bar is also a fun spot to be, watching McKechnie concoct one of his whimsical creations. Try the Pot Plant cocktail with bourbon, Amaro Montenegro, iced tea, lemon and edible soil.