There was a huge ripple in the Northern Rivers dining scene when Ben Devlin left Halcyon House’s acclaimed Paper Daisy to open his own restaurant with partner Yen Trinh down the road at Pottsville. The ripple was felt on the Gold Coast, the pre-opening tension palpable. ‘Have you been to Pipit yet?’ the question echoed...

Bridging old and new traditions, Grand Dynasty is one of our most modern Chinese restaurants on the Gold Coast. Ken Zeng, who co-owns the restaurant with business partner Alain Yue, is no stranger to hospitality. Having grown up in his family’s restaurants in Shenzhen and Hong Kong, Ken trained in hospitality before moving to Australia....

It takes vision and tenacity to create a village, such as Pavilions Marketplace on the peak of Terranora. With panoramic views over hilltops to Coolangatta and Stradbroke Island beyond, it’s the little shopping village that has it all: a great range of services for locals, a community-based focus, regular free events, and fabulous food. Defying...

With waterfront dining at a premium on the Gold Coast, it’s surprising that Quarterdeck Kitchen & Bar is still a secret haven, frequented mostly by locals, boaties and a number of stars and millionaires. Quarterdeck boasts one of our best locations, fronting the marina in the heart of the Gold Coast Marine Precinct. While its...

If there was a family tree of restaurants on the Gold Coast, Mario’s would be the patriarch. Since it was established in 1989, Mario’s has been a favourite of many families, whether they are locals or tourists on annual holidays. Mario’s longevity, when so many other restaurants have come and gone, is testament to its...

If there was a dining ‘Hall of Fame’, then Jo-Anne and Greg Short would be among the first to be inducted. It’s twenty years since the couple opened the Broadwalk Café, the forerunner of today’s iconic Sandbar. Migrating from NSW with their young family, the couple were excited to start their own new venture in...

Osteria del Mare reminds me that in so many ways the Gold Coast is fortunate. Not only are our climate and mountain-fringed seascape a joy in themselves, but the coast’s magnetism draws world travellers like flotsam to our shores for us to enjoy. One such couple is Andrea and Simona Riva, owners of the newly-opened...

Simon Scott lives and breathes the ocean. Born and raised on the Gold Coast, Simon’s a keen surfer and fisherman. When he’s not out on the ocean, he’s in the kitchen cooking the catch. So, it’s understandable that when Simon and his wife Buffie opened a seafood shop in Burleigh it would be within sight...

After spending a lot of fruitless time fishing, I’m of the opinion that there are more than two wise fish in the ocean. Experience tells me that there are lots of fish who were canny enough to snatch bait from my line without being caught. From our past fish shop experiences on the Gold Coast,...

“Are you sure you want to go out in this weather?” he asks. “Crabs!” I reply. Just one word. It’s enough to get us moving from the comfort of the lounge, out into a storm wild enough to blow crabs up onto the beach; not enough deterrent, though, to keep us from eating crabs with...