Abandoned Darwin precinct turns into booming foodie must-visit

It used to be a street to be avoided at all costs but now there’s a hidden gem lurking inside the once-abandoned building.

You would never imagine that the site used to belong to an abandoned Woolworths ‘graveyard’ that locals would avoid at all costs.

“You wouldn’t want to be here before the art,” David Collins, the Darwin Street Art Festival director, told news.com.au.

But over the last six years, the area has been completely resurrected and has turned into the beating heart of a now booming Darwin CBD, including an array of thriving eateries.

That’s partly thanks to Mr Collins, whose initiative to commission local and international artists to cover bland concrete walls in the city’s centre has brought people flocking into the area.

“This guy asked to paint and all of a sudden restaurants wanted to open in the lane,” he recalled.

That one painting in Austin Lane in 2017 has exploded into a cultural phenomenon.

Now Darwin is the only city in Australia that can boast having a mural on every street in its CBD, coming in at a total of 108 paintings.

With a population of 139,000, the Northern Territory capital is punching above its weight with so much to do in the city itself as the region heads into a tropical summer.

Darwin’s now lively CBD. Picture: Charlie Bliss

Another mural that can be found by meandering the streets and backstreets of Darwin’s city centre. Picture: Alex Turner-Cohen

In that old Woolworths site now sits Charlie’s of Darwin, a trendy bar and restaurant that provides customers with a twist on classic Aussie delicacies like crocodile dumplings and locally-made gins to go with your G&Ts, earning it a spot as a favourite among locals and tourists alike.

It’s one of several business-savvy restaurants that has secured a prime spot nestled near to the murals that has rendered every street reminiscent of a Melbourne laneway.

Darwin has transformed into a foodie must-visit destination with the arrival of places like Charlie’s and has also become home to several major art and food festivals.

These dual forces of art and food have cemented Darwin as a cultural melting pot.

Charlie’s of Darwin has now taken over the abandoned Woolworths site. Picture: Tourism NT/Tourism Australia

Darwin’s food scene has exploded. Picture: Tourism NT/Tourism Australia of Charlie’s of Darwin

As popularity mounted for his art initiative, Mr Collins launched a full-blown art festival in 2020, the Darwin Street Art Festival.

To draw in larger crowds, he created an interactive app that can scan the murals and animate them.

One mural’s interactive element was so popular – a giant sea turtle – that spectators used to stand on the road to marvel at it, much to the annoyance of local authorities.

“We got in trouble because the app was too engaging according to the local council,” Mr Collins said with a laugh. “Kids were laying on the road in front of the turtle.”

Several big name artists have participated in his art festival, including Celeste Mountjoy known be her professional name “Filthyratbag”, a famous Australian artist.

A classic Top End sunset. Picture: Tourism NT/Tourism Australia

The iconic turtle wall art which was a fan favourite. Picture: Alex Turner-Cohen

The city’s food has also brought people into the fold.

Laksa, a Thai and Malaysian staple, has exploded on Darwin’s food scene in recent years.

It’s so sought after, in fact, that it’s not an unusual sight to see someone slurping it up on a park bench for breakfast.

A laksa festival has risen up in Darwin, an instant talking point with any local you might meet.

The Darwin International Laksa Festival kicked off its fifth year running this month and ends on October 29.

Anyone can vote on their favourite place and the winner is crowned at the end of the month. Food trucks and established restaurants vie for a spot on the coveted list.

Parap Markets, which offers a range of food, artworks, souvenirs and clothes, was packed with people on a warm Saturday morning.

As I got out of the cab, the driver suggested I have a laksa at a food truck called Mary’s if I’d not yet eaten.

He wasn’t kidding; the queue for Mary’s piping hot laksas, which is usually a frontrunner in the annual competition, was long even at 8am in the morning.

Someone enjoying a Mary’s Laksa.

Mary’s is a Darwin icon. Picture: Alex Turner-Cohen

The queue for laksa at 8am on a Sunday. Picture: Alex Turner-Cohen

All kinds of cuisine — Asian fusion, modern Australian, Spanish tapas, you name it — can be found just a stone’s throw away from each other in Darwin’s CBD.

A local food tour operator called Darwin Gourmet Food Tour has found a gap in the market for tourists with limited time but unlimited appetite.

They offer the service of checking out multiple different restaurants and cuisine in just one night, with tasters at each place.

It’s a particular hit with cruise ships, as passengers mostly have only a night or two in the city. An employee of the food tour company said her record was more than 40 people on one tour, following her through Darwin.

And if that doesn’t tickle your fancy, there’s also the option to jump on a sunset cruise to watch the sun’s colourful descent.