Not all hotels are devoted to being locavore, but Crystalbrook Collection bucks the norm. Despite a growing portfolio of luxe hotels, the group continues to foster a soft spot for locally plucked produce. Perched from Cairns to Newcastle, Crystalbrook’s Aussie contingent each partner accommodation with an eatery (or two) intentionally devoted to its local region’s best and fairest in produce. Here, locality isn’t a trend. It’s the backbone of the experience.

According to Group Director of Food and Beverage, Tara Sullivan, this is deliberate. “Supporting local is at the heart of Crystalbrook’s culinary philosophy. By sourcing from nearby farmers, fishers and artisans, we not only reduce our footprint but create a dining experience that’s deeply rooted in the community,” she says. 

And in practice, that ethos gives each restaurant its own personality. CC’s Bar and Grill in Cairns champions Queensland beef raised on vast, untouched tracts of Gulf country, while Crystalbrook Byron’s ‘Forest’ leans into its surrounding food bowl with a menu that reads like a Northern Rivers love letter. “It’s a collaboration that makes every meal more meaningful,” Sullivan adds.

What this means for travellers is simple: you’re not just eating hotel food – you’re tasting the region. Here’s how some of the Crystalbrook properties are doing it: 

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Flynn’s Italian at Crystalbrook Flynn, Cairns

A taste of Italy in the tropics is an apt description for Crystalbrook Flynn in Cairns. There’s a long-standing connection between the rainforest region and the Mediterranean nation, courtesy of an influx of Italian immigrants in the late 1800s, with Italian food and culture interwoven with that of North Queensland. Flynn’s Italian is an homage to this history, a menu of fresh, Italian flavours formed from locally sourced produce; nibble on Daintree barramundi and Queensland spanner crab ravioli, or Atherton Tablelands tomato and mozzarella salad.

Calypso Club at Crystalbrook Riley, Cairns

The Calypso Club on Cairns Promenade is pure tropicana. Palm Springs-esque interiors rich in pastels and prints welcome guests. Adjoining the playful eatery’s interiors is a menu inspired by long lazy afternoons by the water. The snack menu is an Aussie-take on American seafood shacks where dishes are mud crab croquettes and ceviche of the day. But it’s the cocktails which are hyper-FNQ; local and international rums mingle with tropical fruit, and a custom shaved ice machine takes centre stage, like the Rum For Your Life (FNQ Rum Co. Iridium 5yr Rum, Fernet Branca, orange bitters, Angostura bitters).

CC’s Bar and Grill at Crystalbrook Bailey, Cairns

The Atherton Tablelands on the outskirts of Cairns are considered home to some of the nation’s best beef. And have formed heavy inspiration for CC’s Bar and Grill in Crystalbrook Bailey, a reimagined steakhouse. The multi-award-winning venture procures its beef and accompanying produce from within a three hour radius of the venue. Mains are unsurprisingly meat-forward, with no less than 12 steaks on the menu at a time, and the option of CC’s Signature Steak Tasting Board. But vegetarian options do abound, from vegan moussaka to fish of the day.  

Fiume Rooftop Bar at Crystalbrook Vincent, Brisbane

Urban Brisbane has a burgeoning population of celebrated restaurants and bars, the inner-city Crystalbrook Vincent among them. Fiume – meaning river in Italian – is a rooftop escape with views out across the neighbouring River, in the vibrant Howard Smith Wharves precinct. The venue’s plates here are designed to share while socialising and reflective of the modern Queensland capital. Think crowd-pleasers like brown butter calamari, Bloody Mary oysters, and burrata, to be washed down with sub-tropical cocktails Negroni Tropico (Beefeater gin, coconut, Antica, Campari, banana, macadamia) or Rooftop Ruby (Absolut vodka, lemon myrtle, lychee, pomegranate, lemon, sugar).

Roundhouse at Crystalbrook Kingsley, Newcastle

Fellow rooftop venture Roundhouse is, as you would imagine, far more devoted to the flavours of the nearby Hunter Valley. Famous for its wines, the district’s grape juice has formed a main character for the drink options at the sophisticated venue to be enjoyed with unrivalled views of the port city. Refined and elegant, the menu here is proudly modern Australian and based around the best goods local farmers and fishermen have to offer. Entrees include Mt Cook alpine salmon tart with black garlic and goat feta, with a BBQ pressed ½ chicken, with coffee roasted carrots, and lemon pickled onion among mains.

Forest at Crystalbrook Bryon, Byron Bay

The Northern Rivers, with their rolling hills and extensive waterways, are a food bowl. The produce on hand has influenced the direction of Crystalbrook Byron’s Forest, where farm-to-table dominates in a rainforest setting. Ingredients for the breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu is reared and sourced nearby (think Northern Rivers duck and Bangalow sweet pork), as well as on-site courtesy of a resident herb garden, four beehives, and seven Subpods. But the localism doesn’t just extend to fare, but drinks with local spirit houses like Brookie’s, Husk, and Byron Bay Spirits Co dominating the tipple choices. 

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