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Comuna Cantina

Grab your girl squad.

Pacific Fair’s Comuna Cantina is the epitome of girly good times; Instagram-worthy food, tick, pretty pink cocktails, tick and world-class shopping right at your fingertips, tick tick tick.

Boasting fresh, tasty South American share-style morsels, Comuna Cantina is the perfect place to wrap up a huge day of shopping at the newly renovated and unintended workout inducing, Pacific Fair.

Start with an Arepa, a Venezuelan staple, which is a taco pocket (basically a cooler version of the pita pocket) filled with marinated prawns, pineapple salsa, avocado and tequila aioli and coriander.

Moving on, try a ‘not-your-typical-taco’, which are light and flavoursome in varieties along the lines of pulled pork, pickled onion and shaved green apple #juanisnotenough.

Brazilian-style barbecued meat also graces the menu as do Tortas or Mexican Burgers, made on brioche buns with a magical Mexican twist.

As you’d expect, every dish is colourful, packed with flavour and the perfect accompaniment to a refreshing cocktail or two.

Speaking of cocktails, the Comuna Colada is uniquely pink and refreshing but if sharing’s more your thing, order a watermelon margarita and stick your straw in. It’s literally a frozen margarita inside half a watermelon decorated with fruit and edible flowers. You’re welcome ladies.

With a few cocktails under your belt you might be brave enough to spend your Saturday night dancing the Salsa. Comuna Cantina offer free lessons from 7pm to 8pm and from 8pm onwards the dance floor is open to everyone.

So grab your BFF’s and get excited for a South American street food extravaganza.

HOURS: Open every day 11am until late

LOCATION: Pacific Fair, Hooker Blvd (next to Zara on the ground floor)

Words and photos Kirra Smith

 

3 reasons to hit up BiN 89 in Broadbeach

Smack bang in the middle of the recently redecorated Broadbeach restaurant strip is BiN 89.

The latest venue in the empire, BiN 89 makes it’s presence known with a striking timber and stone fit out and a brightly lit, impressively stocked bar that draws you in from down the street.

Here are three reasons you need to sample it for yourself.

1. First and foremost, BiN 89 just released their impressive new cocktail menu featuring ten brand new, totally unique beverages. Here’s a small snippet of what you can look forward too – Jalapeno Business is made with Tequila Blanco and Cointreau and has the perfect balance of sweetness and tang. Berried Alive is a lot less menacing than it sounds made with Gin, Chambord and sparkling wine and last but not least The Fresh Prince lives up to its name with Cucumber Gin, lime juice and basil leaves.

2. The menu is to die for. If you’ve visited a BiN restaurant previously you’ll understand the caliber of food that’s dished up across the board and of course, BiN 89’s dishes are nothing short of spectacular. You must try the Homemade Gnocchi with sautéed spinach, beef cheek and white wine cream sauce.

3. Dessert of course. The dish of the day (every day) is Chocolate and Hazelnut Mousse with berry puree and hokey pokey; it’s pure creamy deliciousness. It’s far and away the best mousse you’ve ever wrapped your mouth around.

Arrive hungry, you’ll need all the space you can get.

LOCATION: 89-91 Surf Parade, Broadbeach
HOURS: 11.30am to 11pm Sunday to Thursday and 11.30am to 12am Friday and Saturday.

Words and photos by Kirra Smith

Soho Place Bar

In a first for our foodie-centric city, Broadbeach has recently welcomed a London-style speakeasy known as a small bar in hospo-land. The drinks-only concept is popular around the world and now (hallelujah) the Gold Coast has joined the party.

Soho Place, opposite the Convention Centre, is marked only by a red door with no signage encouraging passers by to pop their heads in and discover what’s going on in the moody, candle-lit space.

Spray-painted scenes depicting London landmarks draw your eyes around the room until they land on the substantially stocked bar which, of course, is where the magic happens.

Owner Scott Imlach and his team, of Bine Bar & Dining and Hideaway Kitchen & Bar fame, have done their research and the result is a cocktail menu to rival any you’ve ever laid eyes on before. Combining some of the world’s most-loved concoctions along with plenty of their own unique creations, Soho Place is your new favourite watering hole.

Here’s why:

The Painkiller was first served on the island of Jost Van Dyke in the 1970’s and quickly became popular at Tiki bars around the world. It’s a sweet little drink made up of Pusser’s dark rum, cream of coconut, pineapple and orange juice, nutmeg and maraschino cherries. It’ll certainly soothe what ails ya.

The Bacardi Coconut Bomb is a delight to both behold and consume. It’s simply a whole coconut with a tiny little bottle of Bacardi inserted into the side and it will indeed, knock your socks off.

The Monk Movie is one of the most interestingly delicious things you’ve ever put in your mouth. Green Chartreuse, Gin Mare, popcorn syrup and lime juice combine for a punchy, popcorny flavour that has to be tasted to be believed.

The cocktail list is a long one so set out in search of the red door and choose your own adventure.

LOCATION: Gold Coast Hwy, Broadbeach (between Queensland and Victoria Aves)
HOURS: 5pm to midnight seven days

Words and photos by Kirra Smith

11 of the best local gin cocktails

Granddad Jacks' Seymour Street via @shark4chipdrink
Granddad Jacks' Seymour Street via @shark4chipdrink

On June 13th each year we raise a glass to World Gin Day and the spirit that has certainly had its come up over the last little while. The Gold Coast boasts our very own gin distillery plus a host of bars making magic with local gins. All of which you won’t be surprised to learn we’re big fans of.

In honour of that, here are the best spots to get your gin fix on the Gold Coast this World Gin Day (or anyday for that matter). Happy sipping.

Tamborine Mountain Distillery
Tucked away on Mount Tamborine is one of Australia’s smallest and most unique distilleries with over 280 International Awards. Their gold medal award winning gin is the Lilly Pilly Gin, a pot still gin using botanicals such as Australian Lilly Pilly (Riberry), Juniper, Angelica root, Orris root, Citrus peel, Caraway, Coriander, Aniseed Myrtle, Elderflower, Mistletoe, Passionflower, Shepherd’s Purse and more. The best part about it, it’s got a delightful pink hue.
Where: 87-91 Beacon Road, North Tamborine

The Island Rooftop
It’s always a good time on the rooftop in Surfers Paradise, overlooking the city and with guaranteed good vibes. While all the sips are sweet, our recommendation is the Clover Leaf made with Beefeater gin, raspberry, lemon and egg white, so good.
Where: 3128 Surfers Paradise Boulevard, Surfers Paradise

Aloha Bar & Dining
How does a Saturn Juniper Uranus sound? Cool right. That’s exactly what you should order at Broady’s most colourful alleyway bar, Aloha Bar & Dining. It’s got Four Pillars gin, sloe gin, orgeat, passionfruit, lime and rosemary and it’s out of this world. The bar itself is decked out in full colour, with hidden rooms and moody, good time vibes aplenty. Follow the music down the alley and you’ll find yourself in a magical world of tiki goodness.
Where: 18 Main Place, Broadbeach

Number One and Two, Fig & Frankies
Number One and Two, Fig & Frankies

Fig & Frankies
Another delightful Broadbeach bar dedicated to exceptional sips and very good times is Fig & Frankies, also newish on the scene and also very well-loved amongst Gold Coast locals. Their cocktail list is tight and filled with delights made up of local spirits and you’ll want to try them all. Drinks are numbered rather than named and each is absolute perfection to be honest. We particularly loved Number One (aptly named) because it is made up of MAC by Brookies, clarified green apple and house lemonade and we cannot overstate tasty enough. Gather the crew and sip up a storm. 
Where: 4/2707 Gold Coast Highway, Broadbeach

Roosevelt Lounge
A must-visit cocktail bar in Broadbeach, Roosevelt Lounge is one of the city’s sexiest spots for a cocktail, capturing the seductive style and glamour of decadent New York. For World Gin Day try the Down the Rabbit Hole Signature Cocktail made up of Ink gin, in-house chimmer liqueur (pink moscato, pisco, peach & orange blossom), blueberry vinegar, citric acid and life of cha crystal tea. Delightfully served in a tea pot, this cocktail is an Instagram dream.
Where: 75 Surf Parade, Broadbeach

Granddad Jacks
The Gold Coast’s first gin distillery Granddad Jacks are, quite obviously king when it comes to gin cocktails (and gin in general). Our number one on their list is the Seymour Street with their very own Greenhouse Gin plus Eucalyptus and fresh lime juice because it’s the ultimate in Aussie-inspired freshness and it tastes top notch too. Love your work mates.
Where: 45 Lemana Lane, Miami

Rosella’s Bar
Oh Rosella’s, little love of our lives. A refined Australiana bar in the heart of Burleigh Heads, Rosella’s is bringing all Aussie eats and tipples to the very appreciative people. On a list of cocktails that will 100% improve your life (especially the Pet Nat Slushie – love you) but for the purposes of this article let’s chat about the Kylie Minogue Martini with Vickers Gin from Beenleigh Distillery no less, vodka, elderflower, verjus and pink peppercorn. It’ll have you spinning around in no time.
Where: 6/1743 Gold Coast Highway, Burleigh Heads

Kylie Minogue Martini
Kylie Minogue Martini

Lockwood Bar
Tucked away down Justin Lane behind a red velvet curtain is Lockwood Bar. They a serving up a sexy sip titled Brookie’s Aviation which fuses Brookie’s Dry Gin, lemon juice, Tempus Fugit liqueur de violette and Luxado Maraschino liqueur. Topped off with a maraschino cherry, you know it’s a goodie.
Where: Justin Lane, Burleigh Heads

Suga
An intimate little space down Palmy way is Suga, a cocktail and rum bar open until late and serving up cocktails that are quite unlike anything you’ve sipped before. On World Gin Day we recommend a Gin Lippy with Larrikin Gin, citrus syrup, housemade lemonade and a whole lots of tastiness. A very tasty tipple indeed. Pop on in for a few of those this weekend.
Where: 1142 Gold Coast Highway, Palm Beach

The Collective Palm Beach
The Rooftop Bar at The Collective Palm Beach is a gin-lovers paradise with beloved gin-based cocktails including the Rose Hip Martini with Poor Toms Gin, hibiscus syrup, lime and grapefruit and the Unnamed Sympathy served Tiki-style with macadamia-infused Nobel Cut Gin, Bushfire Botanic Australis Gin and pine-lime allspice. Both of which are tried and tested by us and both of which are really very delicious.
Where: 1128 Gold Coast Highway, Palm Beach

Saint Helen’s Kitchen + Bar
If sipping cocktails seaside is your thing (and we know it is), you’ll love Saint Helens Kitchen + Bar signature slurp The Gin Thruster. It’s got gin, blueberry and tonic. It’s bright, refreshing and super Insta-worthy – if it lasts that long.
Where: Shop 2/78 Musgrave Street, Kirra

Words by Kirra Smith

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