With 52 kilometres of coastline and 860 km of sparkling waterways, the Gold Coast has access to an abundance of fresh seafood.
Seafood forms an integral part of our dining culture. From Sunday night fish and chips to freshly cooked prawns straight off the trawlers, we can enjoy a casual meal of seafood at home or dine out on marine delicacies with an outlook of breathtaking water views.
Traditionally, seafood buffets and platters laden with fresh and cooked seafood have boasted the abundance of produce we source from the sea.
From simple to complex, most of our best restaurants have their own take on seafood, transforming staple seafood dishes to works of art. Here are some of our best seafood dishes:
The Classics
Many of these classic dishes are influenced by Mediterranean cuisine, their presentation enhancing stunningly fresh seafood as the star.
Surrounded by a menu of freshly shucked oysters, king scallops, Moreton Bay bugs and local trawler prawns, one dish on Shuck on Tedder’s menu stands out: their Signature Sand Crab Lasagne, the original recipe credited to Chef Gillian Hirst, who worked with Shuck’s founding owner Matthew Hill-Smith. Seafood is a well-recognised pairing with pasta, however this flavour-driven dish reaches new heights. The secret to its worldwide fame is the depth of flavour and delicate texture of the dish. Sweet fresh sand crab meat is balanced by a delicious handmade tomato abalone cream, the secret to the dish, owner Anna Budgen tells us, then sandwiched between tender fresh pasta sheets. Koi Broadbeach presents their own Signature Sand Crab Lasagne with abalone cream sauce topped by tempura softshell crab.
The favourite dish of many locals, Spaghetti Marinara is a classic Italian dish judged by its flavour and abundance of fresh seafood. Laden with fresh prawns, Moreton Bay bugs, squid, scallops and mussels, our best seafood restaurants, such as Omeros Bros and Georges on Sorrento, offer the dish served in two ways. Sautéed in wine and seafood stock, the fresh seafood is served with garlic, chilli, lemon, Italian parsley and extra virgin olive oil or infused with a Napoli sauce and basil. Overlooking Currumbin Beach, Tommy’s Italian presents a delicious Bay bug spaghetti with garlic, chilli, capers and cherry tomato sauce.
Enveloped in pasta, or as a feature in risotto, more modern Italian classics include Orzo’s Signature Scampi Orzo coated in a rich roasted shell sauce with leek and mascarpone from owner/chef Matthew Jefferson. At their sister venue, Social Eating House, the King Prawn Risotto is not to be missed, Matt’s luxe version finished with black truffle crème fraîche and caviar. Indulgence continues at nearby Koi Broadbeach with Prawn and Clam Risotto including stracciatella, samphire and citronette.
While fine dining restaurant Little Truffle is undergoing renovations, there’s no need to miss out on Daniel Ridgeway’s famous Agnolotti with bug and prawn in lemon butter. You’ll find it at another of his restaurant, Palm Beach Avenue, and it’s far too good to miss!
When cooked perfectly, whole fish is unbeatable. Both Omeros Bros and nearby Glass Dining and Lounge Bar feature Grilled New Zealand Whole Sole.
Modern Classics
Asian flavours, modern takes on favourites and the use of bush foods bring new dimensions to the textures and flavours of seafood.
Settling on the ground floor of one of our most iconic locations, Burleigh Pavilion, Rick Shores boasts an uninterrupted view at the Gold Coast at play on Burleigh Beach. From its first day on the menu, Head Chef James Brady’s Fried Moreton Bay Bug Roll was an instantaneous hit with locals and movie stars alike. What it lacked in size, it made up for in taste, a small, toasted brioche bun harbouring a delicate tempura bug dressed with kaffir lime and lemongrass with sriracha mayo and gem lettuce.
You’ll find a Japanese version of this fusion dish at the humble Kemuri Kitchen and Catering. In their delectable Tempura Bug Bao, deep-fried bug meat, rocket, crunchy eschalot and chipotle mayonnaise are sandwiched into a handmade bao bun.
Sashimi rates highly on our menus, especially at our Japanese restaurants, with Kiyomi and Yamagen among our best. From Sashimi Tacos to Spicy Tuna Rice, the delicacies at both restaurants are numerous. Our advice is to choose an Omakase menu where you will taste a bit of everything. Yamagen’s Friday lunch menu also offers a good selection of outstanding seafood.
As unlikely as the combination sounds, Crab Crumpet is a stayer on The North Room’s menu. Owner chef Tim Stewart’s combination of mud crab, cultured cream and salted egg yolk on a bone marrow crumpet is one of our most inventive seafood creations. “Some dishes come and go… and some dishes never leave. The crab crumpet has been on our menu for over 4 years now… and [is] still the crowd favourite,” co-owner Shannon tells us.
One of our most luxe seafood available in Australia is Toothfish. Sourced from the inhospitable Heard Island in the Australian Territory, Antarctica, toothfish is recognised as the ‘white gold’ of Antarctica for its elegant balance of flavour and texture. Our favourite has always been Miso Glazed Toothfish, as presented by Kiyomi at the Star, Yamagen and JW Marriott’s Citrique (made famous by the Fishhouse and Ten Japanese before them). You will find a buttermilk-soaked version at Nineteen at The Star, Asian-inspired toothfish at Etsu Izakaya.
If you’re still intent on doing a grand occasion seafood buffet, we recommend the JW Marriott’s Citrique’s weekend seafood buffet. When staying in the hotel, you can even swim with fish in the resort’s lagoon! And for a freshly made platter of seafood unadorned by a groundswell of chips, try Surfers Pavilion’s Oceanside seafood platter which features a decadent assortment of cold and hot seafood, a basket of chips on the side. If the queue at the trawlers on the Spit is too long, head down to the Miami Fish Market. From live oysters and sashimi grade fish to freshly steamed bugs and prawns, all the seafood is hand-selected. Then, seek out a shady stretch of beach to enjoy your catch.