You can always tell when there’s an owner/chef in the kitchen. There’s an assurance to the menu, a passion that is evidenced in almost every aspect. Stones Throw at Currumbin is a good example.  Owned by brother and sister duo Cameron Chartres and Melanie Windsor, Cameron had worked his way around the world in kitchens...

For ten years, Elk Espresso has been at the top of its game, wooing diners with its quality food and seamless service, producing food that’s innovative, perfectly cooked and beautifully presented. Looking back, the reasons for its success were evident from its beginnings. Elk Espresso wins friends, first of all, for its simple but funky...

Can you remember when the epitome of a great healthy lunch was a salad sandwich? It was made to order from the deli bar of corner stores, where stainless steel containers of lettuce, tomato, cucumber and beetroot sat waiting in readiness for the next order. Ham, chicken and cheese were optional. Beetroot was a given...

There’s nothing like a great local café, exactly what we find when we visit Three Beans in Elanora. Opened late in 2020, Three Beans is tucked away in suburbia in the very village-like 19th Avenue Shopping Centre. There it has a bright and airy corner position, the perfect welcoming space for any local to stop...

When we think of a getaway on the Sunshine Coast, there are many attractions in the region worth searching out. From the gleaming sands of Fraser Island to the bountiful Mary Valley and the rolling hills of Maleny and Montville, there’s a diversity of beauty, history and cultural activity happening all over the Sunshine Coast,...

Thai on the Hill is one of those unassuming little local restaurants that serves up fresh and tasty food at the right price. Achieving fame through its former owner/chef Piti Chitchamnonk (now at See Thai under the Meriton in Southport) , Thai on the Hill is now run by his brother, who is also well...

If you’re seeking a warm welcome on the Southern Gold Coast, then look no further than Café All Sorts. Founded in 2019, to many it’s a second home; a community hub that welcomes its patrons to enjoy a coffee, cake or light meal overlooking one of the Gold Coast’s most famous surf breaks. It’s magic!...

It was the smile that first got us in. The young couple gave customers such a warm welcome that of course we had to buy their food, even though it looked different: arepas, the crunchy pocket bread stuffed with filling that’s the most common food of Venezuela and Colombia. We tried arepas and loved them...

Little Cooly pizza pasta bar opened recently, taking a prime position upstairs in The Strand overlooking the golden sands of Coolangatta Beach. We’re a city of tribal people, each group with its own feel, its own lifestyle and its own favourite spots. The Cooly gang is a casual lot with a beach-centric lifestyle. They know...

Costa D’Oro is a rarity, a restaurant that has survived the changing culture of the city, catering for tourists and dual city dwellers, supported by locals most of all. I have memories of the old Surfers, in particular of the heart of Surfers. We would spend weekends and holidays here, my memories including days drinking...