The Pastry Emporium
Adrian Grazioli always had a dream of opening his own patisserie. After training at Brunetti’s in Melbourne, Adrian moved back to the coast, working for different cake shops before opening his own premises, ironically in the same block as the restaurant his parents founded: Riviera. Hidden away in a tiny suburban shopping centre in Sorrento, […]
Double Barrel Kitchen
Having kitted out some of the smartest restaurants in town (think Etsu and Mamasan), Jess Winters had plenty of ideas for what she wanted in her first cafe, so her partner Peter Tutton learned new skills to complete the vision, the pair harnessing some great talent to be part of their team. So, Double Barrel […]
Mockingbird Cafe
Every so often you meet someone whose enthusiasm is the driving force of an establishment. So strong, in fact, that it’s like a magnetic field, drawing you into its energy. At Mockingbird Café, Kingscliff, that force is Jo Jackson. We’d first met Jo at her very successful restaurant, Signature Dish in Varsity, where she not […]
Thai Mudgee
Sometimes dreams take us to unexpected places. At least, so it seems for Thai Mudgee’s owner Siranee Hocheuay, known to her guests as ‘Boo’. After moving to Sydney from Central Thailand, Boo fell in love with the Gold Coast when visiting friends. “It was just like my home town,” Boo tells us. “In King Street, […]
Greendays
It doesn’t seem that long ago that Evergreen was all the rage for a family breakfast or brunch for ‘ladies who lunch’. A verdant wild jungle in the middle of busy suburbia, replete with overflowing water fountains and voluminous plants, owner/chef Robert Powell and his wife Lynne employed a bevy of young wait staff to […]
Greenwood Farm
“When you work hard for something you don’t like, that’s called stress. When you work hard for something you enjoy, that’s passion,” Greenwood Farm’s co-owner Paul Fullwood tells us, laughing. After taking a five-minute trip out of suburbia, we’re discussing the concept of work vs passion with husband and wife team Angi and Paul Fullwood […]
Baritalia
Sometimes a really solid little restaurant can be hiding in full view, waiting to be discovered by locals. Perhaps you, like us, have walked past the olive trees too many times. All along, Baritalia has been sitting in the corner beckoning us with hooded eyes and somehow we’ve missed the overtures. Located on a triangular […]
Kubo’s Bar & Grill
UPDATE: Kubo’s Bar & Grill has relocated within Australia Fair Metro to a larger premises on the corner of Young & Scarborough Street, Southport. Their authentic Filipino food is available for dine in, pick up or delivery. Owned by Jake and Clifford Gutierrez, Kubo’s Café Bar & Grill in Australia Fair Metro is a rare […]
High Coffee at The Intercontinental
For years blokes have been missing out on one of the ‘sweet’ spots of life: High Tea. High tea is for the girls, I figure. Somehow it feels like a very cultured thing to do, dressed up in high heels and short skirts to celebrate a hen’s afternoon or baby shower. A shame, really, if […]
Cardamom Pod Brickworks
When Cardamom Pod Broadbeach began serving à la carte breakfasts, the Gold Coast’s vegan/vegetarian dining scene took a massive turn skywards. With beautifully presented, nutritious meals made to order, Cardamom Pod converted a throng of fans, their fruit and flower laden ‘Pod’ breakfast bowl being named one of the best dishes on the Coast. In […]