Little Mermaid

Little Mermaid is a haven for the Mermaid Beach ‘coastal community with a village feel’. It’s a home away from home for many, a place to hang out with friends, and a venue with the vibes they love. “This venue has been created with one clear vision,” Little Mermaid’s website states, “to foster friendships, generate […]

Somm Wine Store

There’s a feeling you get when you first walk into a place that’s all important. It’s evident from the outset, the vibe that can make or break the experience. You experience feelings on a continuum from tense and overwhelmed to relaxed and at ease. Walking into SOMM, short for ‘sommelier’ (because it’s a sommelier-like experience […]

Ally Chow

FROM THE ARCHIVES: NOTE: Ally Chow is now under new ownership. You can find Trent Scarr at his new restaurant Billy Chow at Kirra Beach, Coolangatta. … In the past ten years or so, Australian cuisine has embraced Asian flavours and endeavoured to make them our own. Lots of recent new restaurant openings boast Asian-inspired […]

The Other Brunch List

Beneath our love of all things new, we are creatures of habit. It’s too easy to go back to places we love; places that have the vibe we love, reflecting a lifestyle we aspire to. In the spirit of sharing, we pay homage to some of our most popular brunch places, giving you an alternative […]

Best fish and chips

FROM THE ARCHIVES: There was a time when Sunday nights meant fish and chips for dinner, the aroma of salty chips escaping from their butcher’s paper wrapping. With Good Friday fast approaching, here are some of the region’s ‘must try’ fish and chipperies, open for takeaway and/or delivery during COVID-19: The Inky Squid, Terranora (Now […]

Ramen roundup, Gold Coast

From a working man’s dish in China to Japan in the 19th century, to being given ‘haute cuisine’ status in America by chef David Chang, ramen has journeyed along trade routes and survived world wars. Despite being a cultural ‘mish mash’, ramen is unrivalled in its ability to gain fans #noramennolife. Talk ramen and its […]

Poke, we’re dedicated to you

When you’re looking for food on the run, poke bowls are one of the healthiest, most convenient fast food meals in town. The name ‘poke’ (pronounced ‘po-kay’, and written without an acute accent on the ‘e’) comes from the Hawaiian word meaning ‘to slice’ or ‘cut crosswise into pieces’, referring to the leftover pieces of […]

Izakaya, serving Japanese comfort food

The back streets of Japanese cities are filled with tiny eateries, each specialising in different dishes. They’re the inspiration for travellers who have gone home to create their own version of Japanese culture with ramen and yakitori bars, sushi and teppanyaki restaurants, shabu-shabu and izakaya popping up around the world, the latter being one of […]

The North Room

Lunch at The North Room is an exquisite pleasure. Without the distracting clamber of other conversation, our senses are heightened to the appreciation of Tim Stewart’s amazing cuisine. We’ve popped in to check out his use of native ingredients in dishes, such as local Pottsville pippis with fresh squash, pickled green tomatoes and coastal greens […]

The Lost Salad Sandwich

“Where can you find a good salad sandwich on the Gold Coast?” It was a question that sparked a citywide search. Remember the days when a salad sandwich could be bought at every corner store, made to order from the deli bar where stainless steel containers of lettuce, tomato, cucumber and beetroot sat waiting for […]