It can be easy to overlook what’s going on in your own backyard, so in case you missed it – there has been an incredible amount of money and passion poured into Surfers Paradise of late by some of the most prominent names in the industry. El Patio De Cuba, the sibling venue of The Cuban Bar & Dining, has recently opened its doors beneath the Chevron Renaissance towers, bringing its colourful Cuban fare and vibrant spread of cocktails to the precinct. Just nearby is the new home of slow-cooked souvlaki and mezze bar Levendis, which is owned by passionate local Kosta Rotos, a long-time resident foodie at Miami Marketta. One of Surfers Paradise’s oldest icons, The Avenue (c’mon, we’ve all thrown down some serious dance moves here over the years) recently reopened adjacent to the premises it occupied for 32 years – it’s now an impressive $3-million venue with a fresh new foodie focus. Head just a little south to Crowne Plaza where two new high-end eateries have opened in the past month – exclusive degustation and tapas space Balthazar and fine-dining Chinese restaurant, Sifu.

The abandoned space above Cocktails Nightclub was just a few months ago transformed into the Gold Coast’s first pour-your-own-beer bar, Taps. The ridiculously cool venue is dedicated to boutique brews, burgers and damn tasty snacks and sides (they do pork-belly fries – enough said). Pigs and Pints owner and former Vue de Monde chef James Brady continues his foray into Surfers Paradise with his second venue, Brady’s. Focussing on serving sustainable seafood fresh from the local trawlers daily, Brady’s sits somewhere between a fancy restaurant and a takeaway fish and chippery. Just a stones throw away in the former Toscani’s premises on Cavill Avenue is the bright and fresh Latitude 28, which brings a bit of Hamptons style to the heart of Surfers Paradise. Okay, so there’s only one problem with all of this – you’ll be forced to make a decision (ahh we hate decisions) on where to try first. Good luck with that.