Minoli De Silva was a crowd favourite onMasterChef Australia,now it’s her own restaurant which is receiving the applause. Opened in 2022,Ella by Minoli is tucked into an unassuming laneway in the CBD. Named after a jungle town in the hill country of Sri Lanka,Ella by Minoli showcases Top End produce blended with contemporary Sri Lankan flavours. Pick from signature dishes such as curry leaf cured snapper,kiwi fruit curry or king prawns in Lankan spiced butter. Our tip? Go with a group and order every starter on the menu. Seeellabyminoli.au
Aboriginal Bush Traders Cafe
This CBD cafe is an ideal Darwin hangout for breakfast,brunch or lunch. The best part? Aboriginal Bush Traders is a 100 per cent not-for-profit organisation committed to supporting local Indigenous communities. From humble beginnings,the social enterprise has moved to the high-profile Charles Darwin Centre where it serves bush food with a modern twist. Highlights include native fruit-infused granola with yoghurt,roasted kangaroo with bush spices and zucchini and corn bush slice with sea celery pickle. The cafe also offers breakfast and lunch tasting plates with a tour of the on-site gallery. Those with a sweet tooth will love the finger lime jam drops. Seeaboriginalbushtraders.com
Moorish Cafe
Moorish by name,moorish by nature,this jewel-box of a cafe has been serving Spanish,Mediterranean and North African cuisine in the heart of Darwin for almost 20 years. Can’t decide between the seared scallops with pomegranate and the Berber spiced kangaroo with tomato jam (the menu has more than 30 tapas) or perhaps the tagine of the day? Or to finish with homemade Turkish Delight ice cream or saffron creme caramel? The only way to solve the dilemma of choice is to opt for the three-,four- or five-course banquet menu. A pitcher of Spanish sangria is a must. Seemoorishcafe.com.au