Rufus

S Shane Loadsman 1 review 13 July 2026

My wife and I dined at Rufus Restaurant last Friday night, opting for the Super Deluxe experience where the chef selects the menu, and the evening fell well below expectations. The setting is irrelevant when the basics aren’t right, and unfortunately, they weren’t. The food and service were both unacceptable. Despite choosing the Super Deluxe option, the dishes we were served were underwhelming at best. My steak arrived looking decent but was dry, tough, and overcooked, with none of the tenderness or flavour you would expect. Each bite was chewy and unpleasant. The prawn dish was worse—it consisted of a single, small prawn wrapped in iceberg lettuce with a smear of mayonnaise, offering no flavour, creativity, or value. The dessert was flavourless and an underwhelming, which summed up the meal perfectly. The service did nothing to improve the situation. The French waitress who served us was distant, unfriendly, and unwelcoming throughout. Her tone was curt, there was no real engagement, and the overall attitude felt dismissive rather than professional. For a restaurant charging for a “Super Deluxe” experience, this was simply not good enough. The food was poor, the service was worse, and the entire experience felt like a waste of time and money.

F Felix 14 reviews · Local Guide 2 July 2026

They offer well priced lunch menu which is an excellent value for lunch. I had the best cocktail there. since then I visited several other countries, after countless cocktails and drinks, I still remember the perfect taste of the margarita and miss their refined cocktails. The service & food was excellent. We tried raw oysters, steak, grilled fish, chicken salad and all were very tasty. We had lunch at Rufus twice during our stay at Cairns. Too bad we didn’t find time to have dinner there. The restaurant itself is worth for a visit.. the moment you step in, your mind can easily switch to the atmosphere.. Art Deco inspired paintings, comfy seatings in a beautiful dark green, smooth music in the background - what a great place for romantic / cozy meal :)

B Bazil Stander 11 reviews · Local Guide 28 June 2026

Very good food, good drinks & good service - easily the best restaurant in Cairns. Highly recommend!

A Alexandria Hills 28 reviews · Local Guide 26 May 2026

My colleagues & I went to Rufus for hospo night for the burger & marg special and we were definitely not disappointed! 🍔🍹 From the moment you walk in, it feels like you’re not even in Cairns anymore, the ambience is incredible. The staff were attentive, friendly, and always taking initiative to make sure we had a great experience. The food was delicious, the marg was a solid 10/10, and we’ll definitely be back to do it all again. Thanks for having us!

P Paul Wong 14 reviews · Local Guide 13 February 2026

I can say this is One of the best restaurants in Cairns definitely. We ordered 600g Sirloin was awesome! Smoky taste in the steak with medium rare and finishing with light wood fired charcoal. That is excellent and so remarkable. Thank you Chef. We are local and will come back and try other dishes again.