Dovetails at The Pumpyard Brewery
Ipswich, the ‘grande dame’ of Queensland, is being reborn, her stately buildings and houses undergoing rejuvenation as the city takes on new life. There are lots of attractions in Ipswich if you take time to look: road and rail events, heritage walks, funky cafés and a load of owner-operated niche interest, vintage and gift shops. […]
Seascape Restaurant + Bar
Seascape holds the ultimate position – in the gorgeous Soul building in the very centre of Surfers Paradise directly overlooking one of the most iconic beaches in Australia. Location, location, location! Who could ask for more! Seascape has three levels: a casual bistro on the first floor, on the second a gorgeous restaurant perched high […]
A Weekend in Ipswich
The ‘grande dame’ of Queensland country towns, Ipswich may not immediately spring to mind as a holiday destination. Yet there’s lots to discover here in our own backyard, a fascinating history which unfolds before our eyes, a laid back lifestyle away from the bustle of city streets and people who will greet you in passing […]
Springfield
It’s our first visit to Springfield, the suburb advertised as ‘a place where you can truly live, learn, work and play’. We’ve heard the stories. Now it’s time to pay a visit. The story of Springfield’s development is almost mythical, how in 1992, despite having little money of his own, Maha Sinnathamby raised the money […]
Sandbar
Change is in the air in Surfers, nowhere more evident that at the Sandbar. With uninterrupted sea views and the widest offerings of beer on the coast, Sandbar is iconic. An institution. But even ‘institutions’ need to move with the times. After operating the restaurant for almost twenty years since its time as the Boardwalk […]
Brooklyn Depot
Burgers are one of the Gold Coast’s favourite foods. It seems everyone is hanging their mouth around one, from tiny sliders to sweet brioche wonders housing gourmet delights. Of course, it didn’t take long for the big guns to get involved in the boutique burger business; guys who’d seen trends develop before, such as co-owner […]
Balter Beer Dinner at The Glenelg Public House
We’re dining tonight at The Glenelg Public House, a moody man cave if ever there was one. With its masculine industrial vibe, it’s a fitting home for a mythical beast, ‘the other David’ (not Bowie) the labyrinth-dwelling minotaur, poised on one wall. It’s the place I’d take a bloke on a first date, if I […]
Hideaway Kitchen & Bar
Hidden away behind a rather bland concrete-rendered façade, Hideaway Kitchen & Bar is the latest addition to the Gold Coast’s Asian street food scene. It’s the dark backstreets of Asia that co-owner Scott Imlach visits in his latest restaurant; those shady alleys with overhanging awnings and neon sign lit dodgy bars, with hawker food carts […]
Jimmy Wah’s
“Good morning, Vietnam!” Jimmy Wah’s brings a huge smile to our face. Not only is it a sideways nod to the local GI bar in the 1987 movie Good Morning, Vietnam, but its combination of talented owners – Jake Cooley, highly regarded former head chef of Social Eating House + Bar and Shelly Greaves, former […]
The Avenue
Some deaths are slow and painful; others bring a new beginning. For Vince and Michael Russo, our longest running licensed nightclub bar and restaurant owners, closing The Avenue in Surfers Paradise came as a huge shock, soon replaced by the excitement and challenge of re-establishing the venue across the road in new premises with a […]