There was a time when dinner in Darwin was all barra and beer, but locals knew they couldn’t keep the hipsters away forever.

Even so, Darwin’s peculiarities have produced a city of pragmatic souls, meaning pretension is kept to a minimum and produce packs a punch even as the foodie scene explodes. These are some of the best eats in Darwin’s thriving food scene.

Hot Tamale

Red hot

The new Waterfront precinct, populated by a range of restaurants from a comprehensive oyster bar to swanky Greek and everything in between, is still big news in Darwin. An argument could be made for any one of them, but if you want to know where the locals go, Hot Tamale is the place you can hear before you see it.

Hot Tamale has a massive menu in an attempt to provide go-to Mexican cuisine for the city, from chicken mole to the local reef-fish ceviche. It’s loud, it’s colourful and it goes way beyond burritos and tacos; the tequila menu is pretty prodigious, too.

Read more at http://elsewhere.nine.com.au/2016/09/06/15/20/best-places-to-eat-darwin-the-new-chic-restaurants-dominating-food-scene#A5cKZz8PRmBxEl5H.99