The Aussie flavours of Native Harvest Cafe

If you have something that is yours and only yours, something to be proud of that nobody else has, wouldn’t you celebrate it? We’re talking Australian botanicals, the flora of Australia that has been growing here for thousands of years. Native botanicals pique our taste buds with their intensity, unique flavours and freshness. They also […]

Cooking Classes, Gold Coast

Our world changed during the pandemic and it wasn’t all bad. Appetite magazine reported that during Covid 19, Australians “increased home cooking and experimentation in the kitchen, enhanced their food literacy such as cooking skills and confidence, meal planning and purchasing skills, and increased consumption of family meals.” Cooking can be a very social, fun […]

Oven to table Ammazza Pizza

It’s not often that I am blown away by a new product that’s entered the market. And I certainly could not have guessed that it would be pizza that overturned my takeaway prejudice! I have no problem with takeaway pizza off the street in Italy, the wallet sized dough folded up and shoved into my […]

Do you know Six Tricks?

If you were looking for a distillery in the heart of the Gold Coast, there’s none closer than Six Tricks Distilling Co. Founded in November 2023 by Gold Coast local Chris Macklin and his partner, Teagan Peake, Six Tricks is named after the six core spirits: brandy, gin, rum, agave spirit (tequila), vodka and whisky. […]

From Italy with Love

For founders of Origins Italian Cooking Classes, Anna and Sara, teaching cooking is a great way to share their culture and their love of Italian cuisine. Both are of Italian heritage, bringing recipes and techniques they learned in their mother’s and grandmothers’ kitchens to an Australian audience. In a way, cooking for others is a […]

The Story Behind Willy’s Beans

Willy’s Beans specialises in high quality single origin Colombian coffee, its owner Jayson Mathiou telling the story of his coffee from farm to cup.

Be my Valyn Thai

In its first year of operation, Valyn Thai has already been voted by Gold Coast locals as our best Thai restaurant. But while Valyn may be new to us, its heritage is not. Experienced owners Pattaree (Pat) Jiranuchaiwattana and Vitchaya (Alex) Hasitawet are not newcomers to the Gold Coast dining scene. After moving to the […]

Dayan Hartill-Law, a Renaissance Man

HOTA Gallery’s Executive Chef Dayan Hartill-Law is, in many ways, a Renaissance man. Chef, culinary artist, mentor and advocate, his artistic flair and food philosophy are a huge influence on the developing culinary identity of the Gold Coast. When the HOTA Gallery opened in May 2021, Hartill-Law was appointed as Executive Chef of the precinct, […]

J’s Brunchette in full bloom

J’s Brunchette opened in May 2024, a welcome addition to the Mermaid Beach dining scene. It brings us something very different: a garden café just a five-minute walk from the beach with the resident pastry chef being one of the owners. Owners Jasmine Chen, Chef Ming Yiu and business partner Lyn met through mutual friends, […]

Dine all day at Crispy Italian Bar

Take two friends, a new concept and lots of humour, and you get Crispy Italian Bar, a tiny Italian restaurant, cafe and bar that emulates the traditional ‘Bar Italiano’ you would find on street corners of Rome or Naples. For Italian owners Matteo Tricario and Ricky Proserpio, their first venue brought together their respective skills […]