EAT > Sails Restaurant (our choice for best restaurant in Noosa)

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I may have called it too early, in recognising Rickys as probably the best restaurant in Noosa (and it is very good) but after a really excellent meal at Sails, because I think we have a new winner for the title. Sails has been under the steady hand of executive chef Paul Leete since it opened in 1994 and it is clear from the moment you walk in that this is a both a professional kitchen and it is just as professional in the service.

Getting to Sails involves walking past the Noosa Surf Lifesaving Club and right to the National Park end of Hastings Street, it faces straight out to the beach and during the day the dining room literally opens onto the sand. With magnificent views right across the turquoise Laguna Bay to Teewah Beach and Cooloola in the distance.

SERVICE >

The service at Sails is polished but never stuffy. Staff are well-drilled, knowledgeable about both menu and wine list, and are genuinely welcoming — it is a rare feat in a venue that is almost always full.

On our visit we arrived nearly an hour early for dinner which was solved with calm professionalism, the host showing us to a perfect table closest to the beach. The warmth of the staff is authentic, you can see regulars greeted like old friends, and newcomers like us were made to feel instantly at ease.

FOOD >

Chef Leete’s menu provides a wealth of choices. We started with caviar served with blini and creme fraiché ($80), then sharing a wagyu steak tartare served on a delicious potato straw cake ($19) and then a delicate miso-glazed Glacier Toothfish ($33) great value as it costs me almost that much to buy a serve of Toothfish at the market. For main course, I had the Grass Fed Eye Fillet (220 grams) from the Manning Valley in NSW ($58) and Angie had the Morton Bay Bug (the best bug she has ever eaten) poached in butter and served with a caesar salad ($69).

To finish we had the French Apple Tart with pear caramel sauce, apple chip and vanilla bean ice cream which was perfectly executed and absolutely delicious ($22).

DRINK >

Sails’ wine cellar is something of a destination in itself, there are over 500 labels on offer and the list is a regular recipient of Gourmet Traveller’s highest wine accolades.

There is so much on offer that it is hard to choose. With everything from quality Australian offerings to a selection of vintages the most expensive (and recognised) wine in the world Domaine Romnee Conti with vintages from 2012 to 2020.

CONCLUSION >

This is a restaurant that delivers on every front: food, wine, service, and setting. Yes, there are minor quibbles—at peak times, the room can be noisy and in the evening the breeze can blow quite hard. But these are small prices to pay for a meal that feels both special and quintessentially Noosa. Whether you’re celebrating, romancing, or simply soaking up the sun, Sails remains a benchmark for beachfront dining in Australia, yep lets just call it. Sails is our pick for best place you can dine in Noosa (Rickys is a close second! But don’t just take our word for it next time you are in Noosa try both you decide).