Our main event: the Cairns bars where the cocktails are the reason to go.
Last checked 14 November 2026. No bar paid to be included.
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Speakeasy and whisky bar
Hidden down a red-brick laneway, an intimate speakeasy-style bar with an impressive whisky collection and seats at the bar. Australian Traveller's pick for the best cocktails in Cairns.
📍 32 Abbott Street, Cairns City QLD 4870
Rooftop bar
On the 12th floor above the Esplanade, billed as the highest rooftop bar in Cairns, with Coral Sea views, champagne and Mediterranean-inspired cocktails. The signature Ladi Charli mixes vodka, lychee liqueur, coconut cream and citrus.
📍 Level 12, 131-141 The Esplanade, Cairns City QLD 4870
Tiki bar
A hidden downstairs bar of neon, palm trees, tropical prints and hula girls, pouring fruity tiki cocktails such as the Flamingo Sling and the Daintree Daiquiri from a long spirits list. It also runs cocktail masterclasses.
📍 43 The Esplanade, Cairns City QLD 4870
Poolside cocktail bar
A bright poolside bar at Crystalbrook Riley with palm trees, private cabanas, tropical cocktails and share plates. Try Tomorrow's Dust, made with cumquat gin, Aperol and apricot. Book a cabana for groups.
📍 131-141 The Esplanade, Cairns City QLD 4870
Cocktail lounge
Vintage glamour with velvet booths and art deco interiors, pouring creative cocktails, champagne and Espresso Martinis, with DJs and food from local produce.
📍 24 Shields Street, Cairns City QLD 4870
Tap a pin for the bar. Numbers match the list.
Start with Three Wolves, Rocco by Crystalbrook, Flamingos Tiki Bar, Calypso Club and The Cotton Club. Our full list has 5 bars.
This guide is written by the team at M.AD Agency. We run Cocktail Week, the ten-day cocktail festival held town by town across the UK and Ireland. Now we're bringing it to Australia. Since 2022 we have taken it to more than 20 towns and cities and worked with hundreds of bars. We put this guide together from our own research and trusted local guides, including Australian Traveller and Queensland.com.
No bar paid to be included and nobody can buy a place. We check the guide regularly as bars open, change and close.
Cocktail Week in Australia
Run a bar in Cairns that should be here? Get in touch at hello@cocktail-week.com and tell us about it.
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