Although it’s located on the ground floor, Palette is next level. The visually striking venue represents a continuation of HOTA Gallery’s colourful rainforest theme, which was inspired by William Robinson’s painting entitled The Rainforest. Inside, the timber-clad space exudes a sense of warmth accented by pops of colour in the pale-blue booth seating and extensive glass windows that bathe the space in a warm, welcoming glow. The menu, crafted by head chef Dayan Hartill-Law, showcases modern Australian cuisine with a spotlight on fresh, local, and high-quality produce. The degustation-style offering takes cues from the major exhibitions in the gallery, with its inaugural menu responding to HOTA’s Solid Gold exhibit. The Darling Downs vegetables, for example, reflects the same flowers and plants featured in Mimi Dennett’s piece Bloom. Next up is Fraser Island spanner crab with watermelon radish, blue quandong, native tamarind, and lemon myrtle, before moving on to Harvey Bay scallop with saltbush and seaweed spice. The flavourful fare also includes a dry-aged Burrawong Gaian duck, which we’re told is an absolute must-try. Meat-free folk will be pleased to know there’s a separate plant-based menu, which includes the likes of Heirloom pumpkin cooked in native ginger leaf brine, pickled vegetables, and vegan fish sauce. Bring your fanciful feast to a fitting end with the Voronoi (flavours of banoffee) dessert, which incorporates the actual design of the building in its edible exterior. The degustation menu will evolve with the exhibitions, so there will always be an exciting new experience to discover at Palette.Perched upstairs on level five, guests can soak in the splendour of the Gold Coast-skyline from The Exhibitionist Bar. Snack your way through a sophisticated tapas-style bar menu with specialty cocktails, extensive wine list, house-made sodas, and local craft beer. Similarly to Palette, the venue’s specialty swill draws inspiration from the gallery. The Heat and Time (gin, mezcal foam, lemon and ginger) is one of the venue’s stand-out signature sips, but there’s also a delightful array of champagne and sparkling wine to enjoy with a soft-shell lobster roll. The Exhibitionist Bar is set to add another element to HOTA’s impressive entertainment offering – providing the perfect place to enjoy a pre-show bite, champagne at sunset, or post-show cocktail.

Palette officially opens to the public at midday on Friday, May 14 and The Exhibitionist Bar from 10:00 am Saturday, May 15. Those keen to book can jump over to the HOTA Gallery website here for Palette and here for The Exhibitionist Bar.