When word broke that Apres Surf had to close its Mermaid Beach outpost, people were pretty devastated. Lucky for us, owners James Angell and Richard O’Hanlon were not ones to sit idle and kept busy by hosting various pop-ups and kitchen take-overs to bide their time until they could come back, bigger and better. Froth fiends, that time has come. The much-loved bar has opened the doors to a brand-new Gold Coast Highway-fronting location, underneath Ambience On Burleigh Beach (neighbouring Macro Kitchen, Goukai Ramen, Rabbath and Oh My Waffle). This time around, James and Richard have recruited chef Byron Taylor to round out the ownership team and put his spin on Apres’ elevated pub grub and post-surf snacks. When it comes to the booze and bites, Apres is not attempting to reinvent the wheel, so to speak, but rather deliver good, hearty meals (think burgers, parmys, pork katsu sandos, Nasi goreng and truffle fries), cold beers and a tightly curated list of cocktails and a scattering of natural wines. On tap, you’ll find Young Henrys, VB, Stone & Wood and Balter. There are plans to open for lunch on weekends, so watch this space.