Restaurants
Spice up your life with Isla Cantina's fiery fusion of Southern Californian and Mexican fare
Food & Drink

Spice up your life with Isla Cantina’s fiery fusion of Southern Californian and Mexican fare

19 Apr 2023

Mexican is one of the most people-pleasing genres of food there is. What's not to love – it's fresh, flavoursome and fun. If you too are partial to a taco-filled feast and a marg or two (three), there's a brand-new noshery in town that you need to know about – it's called Isla Cantina and it's dishing up a delightful Californian-inspired twist on Mexican morsels. Here's everything you need to know ... more

Restaurants
Savour taste-bud tingling cocktails and tapas at Mermaid Beach's D' La Rosa
Food & Drink

Savour taste-bud tingling cocktails and tapas at Mermaid Beach’s D’ La Rosa

19 Apr 2023

One of the best parts of our job is visiting the little neighbourhood eateries and getting to know the people behind the places. The ones that do what they do, but they do it with their whole heart and soul. D' La Rosa in Mermaid Beach is one of those venues. Having only been open one month, the new noshery is slinging taste-bud tingling cocktails and tapas, much to the delight of those in walking distance. Here's everything you need to know ... more

Restaurants
Champagne and oysters – say hello to the new-look Tropic Vice
Food & Drink

Champagne and oysters – say hello to the new-look Tropic Vice

12 Apr 2023

Since opening in October of 2021, Tropic Vice, perched above the bustling Nobby Beach strip, has become a favourite sip spot among locals drawn to the bar's dreamy sun-drenched Palm-Springs-meets-Miami vibe, crafted cocktails and 'Florribean' cuisine. After a challenging 2022, the venue's owner Jimmy Tantsis-Hall was faced with a tough decision – renovate or roll the dice on another season of rain (thanks a bunch, La Niña). Fortunately for us, he chose the former. After an extensive five-month hiatus, get ready to meet the brand-new Tropic Vice … more

Restaurants
The Bowl breathes new life into a Boonah community hub with a culinary revamp
Food & Drink

The Bowl breathes new life into a Boonah community hub with a culinary revamp

05 Apr 2023

The local bowls club can be many things – a meeting place, a spot for a casual drink and a simple feed, or a location for special celebrations. Few bowls clubs are destination eateries, but The Bowl in Boonah is one bowlo that is well worth a drive. The brainchild of a creative-minded events guru and one of Queensland's best chefs, The Bowl is taking an outdated community nexus and turning it into a cracking chow spot for locals and road trippers. Offering a menu of elevated pub fare made with Scenic Rim produce and Italian inflections, and a drinks list showcasing some sensational sips, The Bowl is worth making a stop at next time you're cruising through Boonah. more

Restaurants
Suburban slices – Ex-Justin Lane chef opens Lenny Pizzeria & Bar in Mudgeeraba
Food & Drink

Suburban slices – Ex-Justin Lane chef opens Lenny Pizzeria & Bar in Mudgeeraba

29 Mar 2023

Pizza is one of those wildly divisive foods. When it comes to the humble (and not-so-humble) pizza pie, everyone has their personal preference – from the structural integrity of the base to the all-important crust crispness and girth. And that's before we even get started on the toppings. As the debate as to whether or not pineapple has a place on pizza continues to rage, Lenny Pizzeria & Bar has opened its doors in Mudgeeraba breathing new life into the suburb's village green space. Here's everything you need to know ... more

Restaurants
Pavement Whispers: a new chapter for the former Hard Rock Cafe site in Surfers Paradise revealed
Food & Drink

Pavement Whispers: a new chapter for the former Hard Rock Cafe site in Surfers Paradise revealed

16 Mar 2023

If you grew up on the Gold Coast, chances are you have at least one hazy story that involves traipsing up (and down) the stairs at the Hard Rock Cafe. The slightly sticky floor, the bands, the burgers – it was an icon, no doubt about it. When the much-loved sip spot called last drinks in 2022, it left a guitar-shaped hole in our hearts. After all, it had been a stalwart on the Surfers Paradise dining (and drinking) scene for 26 years. After a brief hiatus, we can now reveal that the high-profile corner site is set to turn the page on an exciting new chapter that will see two industry heavyweights come together to create one very impressive new venue. Here's everything we know so far ... more

Restaurants
Slurp Michelin-rated ramen at ZuroZuro Ramen Bar in Burleigh Heads
Food & Drink

Slurp Michelin-rated ramen at ZuroZuro Ramen Bar in Burleigh Heads

15 Mar 2023

Michelin awards and the Gold Coast aren't often words found in the same sentence, but that's precisely what makes Burleigh's newest ramen joint so unique. ZuroZuro Ramen Bar in Burleigh Heads opened quietly in between Jimmy Wah's and Wahoo's Fish Taco in November last year with a succinct menu featuring no descriptions and just an A-frame out the front. Those who have ventured inside, very quickly discovered that ZuroZuro is not your run-of-the-mill noodle slinger. Quite the opposite, in fact. Here's everything you need to know ... more

Restaurants
Take a trip to The Doonan – a garden-themed pub nestled in the Sunshine Coast hinterland
Food & Drink

Take a trip to The Doonan – a garden-themed pub nestled in the Sunshine Coast hinterland

09 Mar 2023

Described as more of a plant nursery than a pub, The Doonan makes greenery a major drawcard. With sprawling lawns, lovingly maintained garden beds and olive trees sprouting up all around the 2-ha property, The Doonan feels like an oasis, even amongst the leafy surrounds of the Sunshine Coast hinterland. The newest concept from the Comiskey Group is pairing its lush setting with a paddock-to-plate menu showcasing the best local produce, a drinks list that will have the cocktail cravers and beer seekers satisfied, and plenty of places to seat a group of friends or family. Take a look inside ... more

Restaurants
Currumbin's much-loved Tommy's Italian reinvents its culinary offering with a new head chef and a brand-new menu
Food & Drink

Currumbin’s much-loved Tommy’s Italian reinvents its culinary offering with a new head chef and a brand-new menu

08 Mar 2023

From the minute Tommy's Italian opened its doors in September 2021, it was an instant hit with locals. The casually refined venue slotted straight in to the Gold Coast's dining scene as the preferred backdrop for celebrations, long lunches and long overdue catch-ups like it's been there the whole time. As easy as it would be to stand back and allow Tommy's to tick over, the venue's co-owner Tom Torchut isn't one to sit idle. This week, the team is raising the culinary bar even higher with a new head chef and a brand-new menu. Here's everything you need to know ... more

Restaurants
La Calabrese brings a touch of Italy to Surfers Paradise
Food & Drink

La Calabrese brings a touch of Italy to Surfers Paradise

15 Feb 2023

Does your mouth water at the thought of delicate strands of pasta twirled around your fork, steamy slices of perfectly topped woodfired pizza and Aperol-laced aperitifs overlooking the ocean? If so, take a seat at La Calabrese in Surfers Paradise. The casually refined venue is the most recent addition to the culinary offering at Meriton's incredible 78-story Ocean. Here's everything you need to know about this show-stopping new Italian eatery ... more

Restaurants
Sofia's Restaurant & Bar's owner opens a sibling Italian-centric venue called Luna's Pizza & Wine
Food & Drink

Sofia’s Restaurant & Bar’s owner opens a sibling Italian-centric venue called Luna’s Pizza & Wine

15 Feb 2023

Since opening, Sofia's Restaurant & Bar in Broadbeach has earned a solid reputation for its simple-yet-delicious coastal European fare, seafood and salumi. As its popularity grew, the venue's owner Henry Hunt soon realised that in order for the much-loved restaurant to reach its potential, it needed more space. Too attached to let it go, Henry decided to relocate Sofia's to a larger site at the other end of The Oasis Shopping Centre while retaining the original space to create an intimate Italian-centric venue named Luna's Pizza & Wine. Here's everything you need to know ... more

Restaurants
Coast favourite Costa Taco expands to Byron Bay
Food & Drink

Coast favourite Costa Taco expands to Byron Bay

02 Feb 2023

In 2021 we introduced you, dear readers, to Costa Taco's Palm Beach eatery. It's here where a pair of New Zealand-raised brothers, Nick and Matt Stanley, built on their already established reputation as one of the best taco slingers on the Gold Coast. Now, the duo have brought their tantalising Mexican-inspired morsels to the heart of Byron Bay. Here's the 411 on their new outpost ... more

Restaurants
Ready the chopsticks – Brisbane's KatsuCo has ventured to the Gold Coast
Food & Drink

Ready the chopsticks – Brisbane’s KatsuCo has ventured to the Gold Coast

01 Feb 2023

There aren't too many foods that evoke quite the same physiological response as the word katsu. Just the mere mention of it has our taste buds tingling in anticipation of that first, glorious bite. The crisp exterior that yields to the tender and oh-so-succulent middle – it's a culinary gift, no doubt about it. If you're drooling right now, grab a napkin and take a seat at the newly opened KatsuCo in Southport. more

Restaurants
Gather the crew for nachos, tacos and tequila at Rosa Mexicano in Surfers Paradise
Food & Drink

Gather the crew for nachos, tacos and tequila at Rosa Mexicano in Surfers Paradise

25 Jan 2023

If we had to choose one kind of cuisine to eat every day for the rest of our lives, it would have to be Mexican. A bold statement, certainly, but what's not to love? Fresh ingredients, big flavours, vibrant colourful dishes, the ever-so-delicate tightrope between just the right amount of spice and instant heartburn and don't even get us started on tequila. If you too share our enthusiasm for Mexican cuisine, go ahead and get excited for Rosa Mexicano in Surfers Paradise. The effervescent newcomer has sprung to life in the Chevron Renaissance precinct, wedged in between Little Bali Street Food and Betty's Burgers & Concrete Co. Here's everything you need to know ... more