The Collective’s unique cooperative environ has come together following a complete transformation of the old Palm Beach post office on the Gold Coast Highway. The result? A beyond-impressive 300-seat dining space with a collection of five separate-yet-cohesive restaurant kitchens – Calavera (Mexican), The Kitchen @ The Collective (modern Australian), Luckies Diner (American), Umami (Asian) and The Italian Job (you can put two and two together there). Sprawling two red brick-clad levels, The Collective is capped off with two giant bars – one on the ground level, the other a vibrant rooftop bar and lounge area with views towards the beach. As for the fit-out – you’ll be blown away. By day it’s an open-air, breezy space with a welcoming daytime vibe that makes the most of the natural light and sunshine. By night, watch The Collective turn into a magical space, as the unique assembly of exposed-bulb pendant lights and wooden sleepers hang effortlessly over the rustic timber-topped benches.

From Tuesday December 27, you’ll be able to enjoy breakfast at The Collective from 7:00 am (care of The Kitchen @ The Collective), while the other restaurant operators will open from 12:00–9:00 pm seven days a week from Monday December 26, serving a large sit-down table-service area as well as a more casual interactive marketplace-style area with communal tables and a grab-and-g0 atmosphere. So whether you’re up for a fancy sit-down dinner over a few wines with friends, an off-the-cuff meal or a few casual burgers and beers with the crew, you’ll find yourself very, very content here.

The owners of Easy Street Diner, Lucas and Erin Schranz, are behind the American-style Luckies Diner, which will offer a replica menu of its insanely popular Mermaid Beach venue. Yes, our southern friends, we can hear your cheers – the Easy Street burgers, wings and deep-fried goodies are now within reach. Jorge Mauleon, the owner of Kirra’s former Bread & Butter establishment, is behind The Italian Job, featuring amazingly authentic woodfired pizzas and antipasti plates. You’ll find an oh-so-tasty menu of modern Mexican fare from Calavera, from spiced beer-battered snapper tacos with street slaw, house pickles and queso fresco, to chipotle-roasted eggplant with shiitake mushrooms, vegan ricotta and pico de gallo. Former Mamasan Kitchen + Bar chef Vincent Seng is the driving force of Umami, where you can expect Asian-inspired eats like authentic crispy ‘cereal’ prawns with chilli, deep-fried whole market fish with tomato, sour plum, tofu and pickled vegetables, and Singapore chill crab with deep-fried mantou (steamed bun), pickled cucumber and curry leaves. The Kitchen @ The Collective will feature everything from hearty breakfasts to modern Australian-style lunches and dinners – think six-hour pork belly with celeriac puree, Asian herbed slaw and apple cider jus, Hawaiian tuna poke bowls and sticky barbecue beef short ribs. So, there you have it – The Collective is finally here. When you first step inside, you’ll kind of feel like an excited kid in the most vibrant playground, ever – take and breath and contain yourself though, you’ll need quite a few visits here to experience it all.