KOI Bar & Restaurant

KOI Bar & Restaurant brings Japanese-inspired Asian-fusion dining to the Esplanade, with a menu designed around sharing. The food combines familiar Japanese influences with broader Asian flavours, creating a style suited to relaxed group meals, social occasions and diners who enjoy exploring several dishes across the table.

The restaurant’s menu includes sashimi, seafood, beef and other contemporary fusion plates, with traditional techniques and modern combinations shaping the offering. The share-style format allows a meal to move between lighter plates, richer options and dishes intended for the whole table rather than following a strictly individual course structure. KOI suits casual lunches, evening dinners and celebrations that call for food to be enjoyed communally.

KOI also operates as a cocktail and whisky lounge, giving the venue a separate drinks-led identity after dark. The bar focuses on cocktails influenced by Asian flavours, Japanese whisky, sake, wine and a broad selection of spirits. Bar-specific food and drinks create an option for guests seeking a later evening without committing to a full restaurant meal, while the restaurant and bar together provide a setting that can shift from dining to drinks and conversation.

The atmosphere is polished, energetic and social, with the Esplanade location adding an urban dining setting in Cairns. The restaurant welcomes lunch and dinner bookings, while the bar is intended for cocktails, late-night drinks and late-night food. The combination makes KOI appropriate for date nights, catch-ups, group dinners, birthday gatherings and corporate occasions, with food packages and group dining arrangements available for organised events.

Functions can be arranged across the restaurant and bar, including private or partially enclosed events. The venue’s share-style approach can be adapted for intimate celebrations, private dinners, larger group meals and cocktail-focused occasions. Guests planning an event can discuss the preferred format, food package and drinks requirements directly with KOI. For a more spontaneous visit, the bar accepts walk-ins without reservations, with seating offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

KOI Bar & Restaurant is a practical choice for diners looking for Japanese-inspired food with an Asian-fusion direction, as well as for guests interested in sake, Japanese whisky and cocktails in a dedicated lounge setting. Its mix of restaurant dining, bar service and function options gives the venue flexibility across daytime meals, evening occasions and later-night gatherings.