Palm Cove has punched above its weight for food since the resort hotels arrived in the 1990s, and the restaurant strip along Williams Esplanade still holds up. Given the village's size, the calibre is impressive — proper kitchens, locally sourced seafood, chefs who came here from Cairns or further afield and stayed.
Nu Nu is the flagship and has been for years: modern Australian cooking with a strong Asian influence, sitting right on the beach under the melaleuca trees. It is worth the price. Vivo is more casual, good for wood-fired pizza and pasta when you don't want a formal dinner. Both get busy on weekends; booking is wise in the dry season (June to August) when the village fills with southerners escaping winter.