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 […]
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
NOTE: Jimmy Wah’s now has new owners. … “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 […]
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 […]
The Loose Moose Tap & Grill House
Step inside The Loose Moose and you feel like it’s been there forever. Or maybe it just should have been! There’s an ‘old but new’ feel to the joint – a heady mix of Romania’s steampunk Enigma Bar and a Canadian taphouse that belongs in both the Old and New World, its detail meticulously aged […]
Izakaya Ichi
Sitting pretty amongst laminex diners, Izakaya Ichi is as cute as a Ningyō Kabuki doll. With fairy lights winking and the dining wagon calling, there are lots of reasons to check out this little gem. Owned by Young Hun Cha, owner of the Sushi 1 chain, the bar opened in late 2015, the flagship (he […]
Garden Kitchen & Bar
Outdoors comes inside at Garden Kitchen & Bar, part of The Star Gold Coast’s multi-million transformation. The hotel foyer’s wall of cascading greenery is the first statement of intention: Garden Kitchen & Bar is a fresh take on all day dining. With bar and pergola areas bathed in natural light and a large back deck […]
House of Brews
At first glance, a taphouse may appear to be a blokes’ joint, but that’s certainly not the case with House of Brews, set in the middle of Surfers Paradise. This is a new age venue with a lot to please the ladies (as well as the guys)! Owners Sacha, Damien and Ben Kanaghines brought back […]
Beer and Bugs at House of Brews
FROM THE ARCHIVES: Beer and bugs! It’s too good an invitation to miss. Skipping lunch, I prepare my appetite for a seafood onslaught at the House of Brews media lunch. A feast it is, but the ‘bugs’ at Brews push my dining experience into wild frontiers. They’re bugs alright. To be more specific, ants and […]