20 Best Places to Eat in Papua New Guinea: The Ultimate Culinary & Dining Guide

The culinary landscape of Papua New Guinea is deeply rooted in organic, farm-to-table subsistence traditions. Centered around nutrient-rich root crops like sweet potato (kaukau), sago palm starch, taro, and bananas, PNG cuisine is complemented by ultra-fresh Pacific seafood along coastlines and rich coconut milk. In major centers like Port Moresby, dining ranges from traditional earth-oven feasts (mumu) to high-end hotel restaurants.

Must-Try Traditional Dishes

Mumu: PNG’s national feast dish—pork, chicken, sweet potato, and greens wrapped in banana leaves and slow-roasted over hot stones in an earth oven.
Kokoda: Fresh raw fish cured in citrus juice and tossed in rich coconut cream, green onions, and local spices.
Saksak: Traditional chewy dumplings made from ground sago flour and mashed bananas, wrapped in banana leaves and boiled in coconut milk.
Kaukau: PNG’s iconic baked or mashed sweet potato, often enriched with coconut cream, garlic, and ginger.
Chicken Pot (or Aigir): Chicken stewed slowly with leafy green vegetables, root crops, and coconut cream.

20 Best Places to Eat in Papua New Guinea

1. Bacchus Restaurant

Cuisine: Fine Dining International & Local Seafood
Location: Airways Hotel, Port Moresby
Must-Try Dish: Char-Grilled Local Lobster Tail & Australian Steaks
About the Place: Port Moresby's premier fine dining venue, located inside Airways Hotel, offering international cuisine and imported fine wines.
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2. Enzo's Express & Waterfront Bistro

Cuisine: Italian & Casual Coastal Dining
Location: Harbourside Precinct, Port Moresby
Must-Try Dish: Wood-Fired Seafood Pizza and Fresh Tuna Carpaccio
About the Place: Set along the Harbourside waterfront promenade, offering thin-crust wood-fired pizzas, pasta, and sea views.
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3. Duffy Cafe & Bakery

Cuisine: Specialty Coffee, Bakery & Bistro
Location: Harbourside & Gabaka St, Port Moresby
Must-Try Dish: Single-Origin PNG Highland Drip Coffee & Fresh Croissants
About the Place: PNG's famous specialty coffee chain, roasting local highland coffee beans daily alongside artisan pastries and gourmet sandwiches.
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4. Mumu Restaurant

Cuisine: Traditional PNG & South Pacific Grill
Location: Hilton Port Moresby
Must-Try Dish: Traditional Mumu Pork & Roasted Root Vegetables
About the Place: Celebrates traditional earth-oven mumu cooking techniques in a upscale contemporary dining room setting.
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5. Asian Spice Restaurant

Cuisine: Pan-Asian & Indian Fusion
Location: The Stanley Hotel, Port Moresby
Must-Try Dish: Singaporean Mud Crab & Butter Chicken Curry
About the Place: Located inside The Stanley Hotel, serving Asian curries, stir-fries, and fresh Pacific seafood.
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6. Koki Fish Market Stalls

Cuisine: Local Seafood Street Food
Location: Koki Waterfront, Port Moresby
Must-Try Dish: Whole Grilled Snapper with Fried Plantains & Coconut Kaukau
About the Place: A high-energy waterfront market where local fishmongers grill fresh daily ocean catches over open fire pits.
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7. Rapala Restaurant

Cuisine: Classic French & Fine Seafood
Location: Crown Hotel, Port Moresby
Must-Try Dish: Chateaubriand Steak & Flame-Grill Mangrove Crab
About the Place: An elegant fine-dining institution in downtown Port Moresby renowned for classic silver service, fine steaks, and seafood.
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8. Walindi Plantation Resort Restaurant

Cuisine: Coastal Eco-Resort Dining
Location: Kimbe Bay, West New Britain
Must-Try Dish: Coconut Milk Kokoda & Grilled Reef Fish
About the Place: Open-air resort dining surrounded by gardens, serving fresh catches, organic local vegetables, and tropical fruit platters.
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9. Grand Palace Restaurant

Cuisine: Authentic Cantonese & Seafood
Location: RH Hypermarket Complex, Port Moresby
Must-Try Dish: Dim Sum Platter & Steamed Ginger Coral Fish
About the Place: The center of Cantonese cuisine in PNG, popular for traditional weekend Dim Sum services and live seafood tanks.
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10. Tufi Resort Dining Room

Cuisine: Fresh Seafood & Local Island Dishes
Location: Tufi, Oro Province
Must-Try Dish: Mud Crab in Garlic Coconut Cream & Saksak Dumplings
About the Place: Perched high on a cliff overlooking the fjords, serving seafood caught daily by local village fishermen.
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11. Silver Leaf Restaurant

Cuisine: Fine Dining Steakhouse
Location: The Stanley Hotel, Port Moresby
Must-Try Dish: Dry-Aged Tomahawk Steak & Truffle Mash
About the Place: An exclusive 19th-floor fine dining steakhouse offering city views, high-grade beef cuts, and sommelier wine pairings.
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12. Rapopo Plantation Resort Restaurant

Cuisine: Tropical Island & Grill
Location: Kokopo, East New Britain
Must-Try Dish: Sizzling Seafood Platter with Volcano Ashes Vistas
About the Place: Oceanfront dining with views across Simpson Harbour toward Tavurvur Volcano, serving fresh catches and charcoal grills.
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13. Beachside Bakery & Cafe

Cuisine: Australian Cafe & Bakery
Location: Ela Beach, Port Moresby
Must-Try Dish: Gourmet Beef Pies & Tropical Smoothies
About the Place: A beachfront cafe along Ela Beach serving fresh bread, savory meat pies, salad bowls, and cold iced coffees.
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14. Lissenung Island Resort Dining

Cuisine: Fresh Seafood & Island Fusion
Location: Kavieng, New Ireland
Must-Try Dish: Freshly Caught Crayfish & Taro Chips
About the Place: An open-air floor-of-sand dining bungalow serving three-course meals made from daily island fishing catches.
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15. Highlands Hotel Dining Room

Cuisine: Traditional Highland Comfort Food
Location: Mount Hagen, Western Highlands
Must-Try Dish: Roasted Highland Chicken with Kaukau & Local Greens
About the Place: Serves organic highland produce, organic coffee, and home-style chicken stews in Mount Hagen.
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16. Pondo Tavern

Cuisine: Casual Pub & Grill
Location: Coral Sea Hotel, Port Moresby
Must-Try Dish: Chicken Parmigiana & Ice-Cold SP Lager
About the Place: A popular casual pub venue for locals and expats, serving cold beer, hearty steaks, and burgers.
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17. Nusa Island Retreat Restaurant

Cuisine: Surf Resort Seafood & Buffet
Location: Kavieng, New Ireland
Must-Try Dish: Catch-of-the-Day Yellowfin Tuna & Fresh Coconut Curry
About the Place: A chill overwater resort restaurant serving buffet-style dinners, fresh ocean fish, and cold drinks to travelers and surfers.
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18. Kofi Haus

Cuisine: Highland Cafe & Light Bites
Location: Goroka, Eastern Highlands
Must-Try Dish: Freshly Brewed Goroka Arabica Coffee & Banana Cake
About the Place: Celebrates the world-famous Arabica coffee grown in Eastern Highlands province, paired with fresh pastries.
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19. Madang Resort Haus Cook

Cuisine: Waterfront Seafood & International
Location: Madang Waterfront
Must-Try Dish: Chili Mud Crab & Grilled Coral Trout
About the Place: Overlooks Madang harbour, offering fresh marine catches, Australian beef cuts, and traditional island sides.
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20. Seven C's Restaurant

Cuisine: International Buffet
Location: Airways Hotel, Port Moresby
Must-Try Dish: Daily Fresh Seafood Buffet & Gourmet Desserts
About the Place: Famous for its daily international lunch and dinner buffets featuring fresh sashimi, roasts, curries, and pastries.
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Featured Image

Traditional PNG Mumu Feast & Coastal Seafood