Nick Holloway, also known as Nicko Holloway, is the Australian chef widely recognised as one of the defining figures in modern Tropical North Queensland dining and the chef and owner of Nu Nu Restaurant on the beachfront at Palm Cove near Cairns. Holloway built Nu Nu into one of the most-iconic regional Australian restaurants, celebrated for a menu that draws on the produce of the north combining fruit, spice, smoke and bright coastal Asian flavours. The beachfront Palm Cove location and the tropical-north ingredient focus have made Nu Nu a destination restaurant in far north Queensland.
Holloway’s 2025-2026 work centres on the continued operation of Nu Nu Restaurant at Palm Cove and an active programme of guest-chef collaborations and events. Across 2025 Nu Nu hosted collaboration menus celebrating the north, fruit, spice, smoke and bright coastal Asian flavours, including Filipino-meets-Queensland guest events. Holloway remains one of the most-prominent regional Australian chefs and a recognisable national figure through television guest appearances, continuing to champion Tropical North Queensland produce into 2026.
TL;DR
- Australian chef known as Nicko Holloway; chef and owner of Nu Nu Restaurant
- Nu Nu located on the beachfront at Palm Cove near Cairns, Queensland
- Menu draws on tropical-north produce: fruit, spice, smoke and bright coastal Asian flavours
- Built Nu Nu into one of the most-iconic regional Australian restaurants
- 2025: active guest-chef collaborations including Filipino-meets-Queensland events
- 2025-2026: continues championing Tropical North Queensland produce
Nick Holloway key facts
| Also known as | Nicko Holloway |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Restaurant | Nu Nu Restaurant, Palm Cove, near Cairns, Queensland |
| Location | Beachfront at Palm Cove, Tropical North Queensland |
| Style | Tropical-north produce; fruit, spice, smoke, bright coastal Asian flavours |
| Reputation | One of the most-iconic regional Australian restaurants |
| 2025 highlight | Guest-chef collaborations including Filipino-meets-Queensland events |
Early life and training of Nick Holloway
Nick Holloway is an Australian chef who built his career around the produce and landscape of Tropical North Queensland. He developed a distinctive culinary identity rooted in the far-north Australian environment, combining the region’s tropical fruit, spice, smoke and bright coastal Asian flavours into a style that became closely associated with the Cairns and Palm Cove dining scene.
Holloway established Nu Nu Restaurant on the beachfront at Palm Cove, a coastal village north of Cairns in far north Queensland. The beachfront setting and the tropical-north ingredient focus became the defining environment for his cooking, and the restaurant’s reputation grew steadily into one of the most-recognised regional Australian dining destinations.
Through sustained operation Nu Nu became an iconic Australian restaurant, drawing diners to far north Queensland specifically for Holloway’s tropical-north cooking. The combination of beachfront location, tropical produce and bright Asian-influenced flavours established Holloway as one of the defining regional Australian chefs of his generation.
Nick Holloway career timeline
- Early career: Builds culinary identity around Tropical North Queensland produce
- 2000s: Establishes Nu Nu Restaurant at Palm Cove near Cairns
- 2010s: Nu Nu grows into a destination regional Australian restaurant
- 2010s: Develops the fruit, spice, smoke and coastal Asian flavour style
- 2010s-2020s: Television guest appearances raise his national profile
- 2020s: Nu Nu recognised as one of the most-iconic regional Australian restaurants
- November 2024: Announces an ambitious year ahead for Nu Nu
- 2025: Hosts guest-chef collaboration menus celebrating the north
- 2025: Filipino-meets-Queensland guest events at Nu Nu
- 2025-2026: Continues championing Tropical North Queensland produce
- 2026: Continues Nu Nu operations and guest-chef collaborations
Nick Holloway signature style: Tropical North Queensland produce and coastal Asian flavours
Holloway’s central argument, developed across his Nu Nu tenure, is that the produce and landscape of Tropical North Queensland can anchor a distinctive iconic Australian restaurant. The Nu Nu menu draws on the north, combining tropical fruit, spice, smoke and bright coastal Asian flavours into a style closely associated with the far-north Australian dining scene.
The second defining element is the beachfront Palm Cove location. The coastal village setting north of Cairns became the defining environment for Holloway’s cooking and a key part of Nu Nu’s identity as a destination regional Australian restaurant.
The third pillar is the active guest-chef collaboration programme. Within the Australian chef cohort Holloway sits alongside peers including Brent Savage, Guillaume Brahimi and Mark Best as one of the defining figures in modern Australian dining, with a particular focus on regional far-north cuisine.
Notable Nick Holloway work
Several Holloway projects have become reference points in modern regional Australian gastronomy. Nu Nu Restaurant at Palm Cove is his career-defining operation and one of the most-iconic regional Australian restaurants, drawing diners to far north Queensland specifically for his tropical-north cooking. His fruit, spice, smoke and bright coastal Asian flavour style became closely associated with the Cairns and Palm Cove dining scene. His 2025 guest-chef collaboration menus, including Filipino-meets-Queensland events, demonstrate his ongoing programme of regional and cross-cultural cooking. His television guest appearances raised the national profile of Tropical North Queensland produce.
Nick Holloway awards and recognition
- 2000s: Establishes Nu Nu Restaurant at Palm Cove near Cairns
- 2010s: Nu Nu grows into a destination regional Australian restaurant
- 2010s: Develops the fruit, spice, smoke and coastal Asian flavour style
- 2010s-2020s: Television guest appearances raise national profile
- 2020s: Nu Nu recognised as one of the most-iconic regional Australian restaurants
- 2025: Guest-chef collaboration menus including Filipino-meets-Queensland events
- 2025-2026: Continues championing Tropical North Queensland produce
Nick Holloway impact on modern regional Australian dining
Holloway’s most concrete contribution is building Nu Nu at Palm Cove into one of the most-iconic regional Australian restaurants, drawing diners to far north Queensland specifically for his tropical-north cooking. The restaurant demonstrated that a regional far-north location could sustain a destination Australian restaurant.
The second contribution is the tropical-north produce and bright coastal Asian flavour style, which became closely associated with the Cairns and Palm Cove dining scene and raised the national profile of Tropical North Queensland produce.
The third contribution is the active guest-chef collaboration programme that brings cross-cultural cooking to far north Queensland. Within the Australian chef cohort Holloway sits alongside peers including Brent Savage and Guillaume Brahimi as one of the defining figures in modern Australian regional dining.
Nick Holloway FAQ
What is Nu Nu Restaurant?
Nu Nu Restaurant is Holloway’s career-defining restaurant on the beachfront at Palm Cove, a coastal village north of Cairns in Tropical North Queensland. It became one of the most-iconic regional Australian restaurants, drawing diners to far north Queensland specifically for Holloway’s tropical-north cooking.
Where is Nu Nu located?
Nu Nu is located on the beachfront at Palm Cove, a coastal village north of Cairns in far north Queensland. The beachfront setting and tropical-north ingredient focus became the defining environment for Holloway’s cooking and a key part of the restaurant’s identity.
What is Holloway’s culinary style?
Holloway’s style draws on the produce of Tropical North Queensland, combining tropical fruit, spice, smoke and bright coastal Asian flavours. The style became closely associated with the Cairns and Palm Cove dining scene and is the defining approach at Nu Nu.
Has Holloway been on television?
Yes. Holloway has made television guest appearances, including guest-chef appearances on Australian cooking programmes, which raised the national profile of Nu Nu and Tropical North Queensland produce. He remains a recognisable national figure through these appearances.
What collaborations did Nu Nu host in 2025?
Across 2025 Nu Nu hosted guest-chef collaboration menus celebrating the north, fruit, spice, smoke and bright coastal Asian flavours, including Filipino-meets-Queensland guest events. The collaborations demonstrate Holloway’s ongoing programme of regional and cross-cultural cooking.
What is next for Nick Holloway
Nu Nu Restaurant at Palm Cove continues through 2026 with an active programme of guest-chef collaborations, and Holloway continues to champion Tropical North Queensland produce. His public Instagram (@nickoholloway) is the best source for current updates.
