Little Sister
Facing the water on the Cairns Esplanade, this Asian diner and cocktail bar is not a vegetarian restaurant, but few kitchens in the tropical north do more for plant-based eaters. The menu reads as shared street food drawn from across the continent — chickpea dip with lotus chips, yellow curry of pumpkin — and a dedicated vegan 'Feed Me' banquet lets a table hand the ordering to the kitchen entirely. The room is loose and social, marble and greenery under a high ceiling, and the bar runs through the day. Meat and seafood share the menu, so it is the plant-based cooking rather than the whole operation that earns a place here, but that cooking is confident and generous rather than an afterthought. For vegans navigating a city short on dedicated options, the banquet is the standout table on the Esplanade.