Port Douglas restaurants have reinforced their reputation for exceptional eating, scooping up honours at the Queensland Savour Awards on Monday night.

Salsa Bar & Grill, Lure Restaurant, 2 Fish, and Bel Cibo featured prominently in the prestigious awards held in Brisbane, and will come home (with a few sore heads) as North Queensland title winners.

Salsa won the Best Informal Restaurant category, an award the team had been aiming to win for the past two years, while Bel Cibo was named Best Italian Restaurant.

Lure Restaurant collected Best Cafe/Restaurant and a major consumer award voted by the public (which Salsa won in 2011).

Lure's Wayne Stapleton was overwhelmed with the win.

"Absolutely surprised. When the announcement came over that the major awards were coming up, I wasn't really listening because I didn't expect it and I was texting Bel Cibo that he'd won.

"Gerry (co-owner Gerry Hughes) hit me over the head and said 'We've just won the award!'

"We couldn't have done it without our staff for sure, they've worked hard this year and it has paid off."



2 Fish Restaurant Port Douglas was announced the winner of the Restaurant & Caterers Best Seafood Restaurant category in the Northern Region.

Head chef Adam Ion said the key to their success is diversity.

“Our taster plate concept really gives our customers a wide range of choices and me the opportunity to design a variety of interesting tastes and flavours all on the one plate."

Restaurant manager Jason Tolley: “I am so proud of the team we have been able to put together this year. It is great to receive recognition on this scale confirming that the quality of our food and service is as good as we say it is.”

Meanwhile 2 Fish general manager and owner Jeff Gale acknowledged the achievement of his team in challenging times.

“It has been as tough year and it makes me very proud to have such a great team who are producing such a high standard of food and service which has now been recognised as the best in the region," he said.

National awards will be held in October.