Find the best Cocktails in Airlie Beach

If cocktails and marina views are the goal, Garden Bar is an obvious one. Tucked amongst the yachts at Coral Sea Marina, it has an open-air setting that feels pretty much made for an afternoon drink in the Whitsundays.

Cocktails are a big part of the venue, with a drinks list designed to sit alongside the coastal food menu and relaxed waterfront atmosphere. You can stop in for a single drink, add a few plates to share or settle in and let cocktails turn into dinner.

With fairy lights, boats all around you and the Coral Sea just beyond the marina, Garden Bar is particularly good around sunset when Airlie Beach starts cooling off for the evening.

If margaritas are your thing, Mika should be pretty high on the list. The margarita menu uses 100% blue agave tequila and covers Classic, California, Guava, Mango, Matador, Smoky, Coconut and Strawberry, with spicy versions and jugs available too.

There are also Classic and Salted Caramel Espresso Martinis, mojitos, sours and sangria if tequila isn’t calling your name.

Pair a few drinks with tacos, fajitas, nachos or some of Mika’s other Latin and Mexican-inspired food and you’ve got a pretty fun afternoon or evening sorted. Add the elevated views across Airlie Beach and the Coral Sea and it feels right at home in the Whitsundays.

KC’s might be best known for steaks, live music and its lively atmosphere, but there are plenty of cocktails behind the bar too.

Sitting right in the centre of Airlie Beach, it’s a good option when you want drinks somewhere with a little more energy. Grab a cocktail before dinner, stick around for live music or turn it into a bigger night with the rest of the Airlie Beach main street right outside.

The combination of cocktails, steaks, cold beer and entertainment gives KC’s a different feel from the waterfront cocktail bars around the Whitsundays. This one is less about quietly watching the sunset and more about getting amongst it.

It’s pretty hard to beat a cocktail overlooking the Coral Sea, and Coral Sea Pavilion has both the drinks and the location covered.

The signature list includes the Tiki Sour, Pavilion’s Treason, Mexican Flower, Lychee Spritz, Lemon Meringue, Coral Sea Splash, Cucumber Blossom and Co Co Mo-jito. There are plenty of classics available too if you’d rather stick with something familiar.

Sitting right on the waterfront at Coral Sea Resort, this is a cracking spot to arrive before sunset, order a drink and watch the light change across the Whitsundays. Add dinner afterwards and you can pretty easily make an entire evening of it.

Cocktails probably aren’t the first thing you associate with a sports bar, but Mulligans gives you plenty more than beer and a screen showing the footy.

Sitting right in the centre of Airlie Beach, it combines drinks with free pool tables, interactive darts, live sport and a golf simulator, making it a good option when the whole group wants something different. You can grab a cocktail, get stuck into some food and hang around for a game without needing to move anywhere.

It’s casual, lively and a good alternative to the more polished waterfront cocktail bars around the Whitsundays.

Paradiso has one of the biggest cocktail menus on this list and the rooftop setting to go with it. The menu moves through vodka, tequila, rum and plenty more, with drinks including the Lemon Brûlée, Pink Stiletto, Coming Up Roses, Espresso Peanut Butter Cup and Colada Cobbler.

Tequila drinkers have plenty to work with too, including the Naked & Famous, Purple Haze and classic Margarita with spicy and house variations.

Sitting above the Airlie Beach foreshore with views across the Coral Sea, Paradiso is a great option for afternoon drinks, cocktails with dinner or the start of a night out in the Whitsundays.

Sitting right on the marina at Port of Airlie, Zorro’s is a relaxed option for cocktails by the water. The cocktail list covers plenty of familiar favourites, including Aperol Spritz, Espresso Martini, Mojito, Passionfruit Mojito, Classic Margarita and Piña Colada.

If the tropical Whitsundays weather has really kicked in, there are Mango and Strawberry Daiquiris too. Alcohol is served from 10am, so Zorro’s works just as well for a late-morning Mimosa as it does for a cocktail alongside lunch or afternoon tapas. Grab an alfresco table overlooking the boats and settle in.

Northerlies is almost purpose-built for afternoon cocktails. Sitting right on the water at Woodwark, the venue looks back towards Airlie Beach and gives you a proper Whitsundays backdrop while you settle in with a drink.

There’s a full bar and cocktail offering alongside the huge food menu, with plenty of tropical and refreshing options suited to a warm North Queensland afternoon. The real attraction here is being able to grab a drink and stay for a few hours without feeling like you need to rush anywhere.

With a courtesy bus servicing surrounding areas, Northerlies is a cracking option for sunset drinks and a long afternoon by the water.

Right in the middle of Airlie Beach, Laguna is a handy spot when you want to grab a cocktail without straying far from the main street.

The drinks menu sits alongside Laguna’s breakfast, lunch and dinner offering, making it easy to stop in for a drink or add a cocktail to a meal. The central location also means you’re right amongst the action if a couple of afternoon drinks eventually turn into a bigger night out.

With a relaxed atmosphere and plenty of tropical flavours running through the broader menu, Laguna is an easy cocktail stop while wandering around Airlie Beach or enjoying a day in the Whitsundays.

Sorrento gives you cocktails right amongst the boats at Coral Sea Marina, with an ocean deck overlooking one of the prettiest parts of Airlie Beach.

It’s an easy place to arrive early for a drink before getting stuck into the Italian menu, or simply settle in for an afternoon overlooking the marina. With fresh pasta, pizza and plenty of seafood available, there’s no real need to move on when cocktail hour turns into dinner.

The combination of marina views, Italian food, drinks and regular live music makes Sorrento a good option for anyone wanting to enjoy the slower side of an afternoon or evening in the Whitsundays.

Whisper Restaurant & Gin Bar sits on the waterfront at Mirage Whitsundays in Cannonvale and is a good option when you want drinks somewhere a little quieter than central Airlie Beach.

Gin is obviously a big part of the story here, but Whisper also serves cocktails alongside its breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. The open-air setting and water views give the place a relaxed feel that suits an afternoon drink, cocktails before dinner or a slower evening away from the main street.

There’s also a weekend Bottomless Brunch if you want to make drinks a slightly bigger part of the plan while enjoying the Whitsundays.

Directly opposite the Airlie Beach foreshore, The Pub is a good cocktail option when you want plenty of atmosphere around you.

It’s a big venue with live music, live sport and a huge food menu, so cocktails can be anything from a drink before dinner to the beginning of a much bigger night out. The central location also makes it an easy meeting point if you’re heading into Airlie Beach with a group.

With the Coral Sea directly across the road and plenty happening throughout the week, The Pub gives you a more lively, casual cocktail experience than some of the quieter waterfront venues around the Whitsundays.