NORTHERN EXPOSURE

Melissa Leong's top spots to eat in the NT

Though the Northern Territory is best known for its wildlife and natural wonders, MasterChef judge and author Melissa Leong wants you to know the Top End also has a rich and collaborative dining culture.

"The best part about Darwin's food culture is that it is such a seasonal expression of location," she says.

"Australia is part of South-East Asia, and that fact is no more evident than in the food markets, faces, and plates of Darwin."

From market breakfasts to fine-dining dinners, the food critic offers her favourite spots to eat in Darwin and its surrounds.

FINNISS RIVER LODGE

A cattle station might not be your first pick to snack on canapés, but Leong recommends heading to Finniss River Lodge to indulge in Cows and Canapés - an exclusively NT experience. "There is such diversity in flora and fauna in this expansive space, and watching an epic summer sunset while patting some friendly cows and snacking on canapés is a unique and fun way to spend the twilight hours," she explains.

If you're looking for a more traditional dining experience, the lodge also contains a restaurant and bar.

finnissriverlodge.com.au