Picture this. It’s 3.30am on a rainy Saturday. When you’re suddenly awoken from your blissful dreams (the one where you’re flying) to the incessant screeching of your alarm, and beyond the depths of your doona is cold and dark. Buuuut, if you get up now, you can begin the 3 hour ordeal that is shaping, proofing and baking a loaf of fresh sourdough and *hopefully* be eating something that resembles bread sometime not too long after brunch…

Okay, so we think we’ve made our point, because who actually wants to be doing that? #hardpass #immastayinbed No, we’re going to do what the everybody else does, leave it to the pros and pick one up on our morning coffee pilgrimage at a respectable hour.

And if you’re based on the Southern end of the GC, specifically Currumbin, spreads at the ready because you butter believe your new dough-to is finally here. Baked good enthusiasts and those in the dough will probably already be well acquainted with the name Bread Social, and now the crew is making like an overgrown sourdough starter and spreading their (white) wings across the border. Because the brand new Bread Social takeaway kiosk has officially crumb to the GC, and they’re slinging all the good stuff: coffee, cakes, bread, sambos and – the only time we actually want flaky in our lives: golden, buttery pastries! #nom.

We’ve watched the Bread Social crew rise in popularity among carb-lovers ever since their humble debut at a little place called The Farm back in 2015 as an artisan Bakery with a passion for seasonal, local, organic produce and ingredients #thatsjusthowtheyroll. The mastermind trio behind the bread, directors Sam Saulwick, Tom Scott, Paul Giddings have stretched Bread Social strength to strength ever since, collecting new suppliers and locations along the way with #operationbakeover now officially commencing here on the Coast.

The remainder of the brand new 1200 square metre industrial-style HQ is slated to open later this year will house Bread Social’s new production facility, café and educational space along with our fave new takeaway kiosk of course.

And if your ears immediately lit up at the word café, and your brow quizzically furrowed at the phrase ‘educational space’, same. What we can confirm is that, while no, it’s not it’s not some kind of culinary institute (yet), the plan is to host bread and pastry classes for anybody and everybready willing to roll their sleeves up and learn a thing or two from the pros. The trio are excited to create a space that showcases their talents and involves the customer in all aspects of sourdough bread and pastry production – and the feeling is mutual.

Til then, stage one, aka our fave new takeaway kiosk is all-systems go, with the sunshine-y crew popping the window six days a week and reminding us yet again that good things really do come in small hole-in-the-wall sized packages. Just follow the yellow brick tiled wall and you’ll be greeted with all the to-go faves, and of course the wall of infamous loaves stacked up just begging to be taken home for the jar treatment – but the question is will it be PB, or jam?

And we don’t know about the rest of the GC, but we think we will manage cruuust fine with some too-frequent frolicking by the Bread Social kiosk for our daily bake-away fix, with hot coffee and all the Bread Social cult fave treats (heyyy, porto tart) on repeat.

Where: 2 Queensbury Avenue, Currumbin Waters
When: 6am – 2pm Monday to Saturday

Words by Kellie Leader.
Images by Brittany Kreskas.

Okay so technically it’s New South Wales but you can’t blame us for wanting to claim it as our own when you see the treasure trove of goodies we’ve found that are local approved.

If you haven’t been down there lately then we’ll let it slide this time, but Tweed Heads brings a bit of everything to the table. It’s got all you need from Coast to Creek to Hinterland, so you have myriad opportunities to commune with nature while tucking into some of their signature nosh.

Come south of the border with us for guaranteed good times and even better food.

Riverland Kitchen
Fresh on Tweed’s foodie scene is Riverland Kitchen, a creekside haven bringing big foodie flavours to our favourite border town. If you like big buns and you cannot lie – burger buns that is – then their dedicated burger menu has your name all over it, with 10 to work your way through. But don’t be fooled, it’s not just a ripped burger joint. They’ve got all the café classics to fill the carb-shaped hole in your tum.
Where: 45 Kennedy Dr, Tweed Heads

Still & Barrel
If you’re in the spirit for a seriously insta-worthy cocktail you’ll want to whis-key yourself away to one of the newest speakeasy style bars to hit Tweed’s nightlife scene. While the cocktails might be old fashioned by name the art deco interiors are anything but. Think luxe velvet finishing bringing the 1920’s to the 2020’s for a sultry, 007-esque vibe. We’ll take our martini shaken, not stirred in this case.
Where: Twin Towns, 2 Wharf St, Tweed Heads

Ivory Waterside
Overlooking Terranora Creek and the Ivory Marina, Ivory Waterside is the perfect spot to soak up some Vitamin D while you get ready to tuck into a hearty feed – and maybe a cocktail or two. The menu is brimming with options no matter what you’re craving, with loads of share-style options so you can treat yourself to a bit of this and a bit of that, along with pub-style classics like fish and chips for something a little heartier.
Where: 156 Wharf St, Tweed Heads

Baked at Ancora
You know, we’ve never met a baked good we didn’t love, so you can imagine how we feel about Baked at Ancora. Not only do they deliver on the best of the best pastries, but they also whip up a mean coffee. And what’s more brew-tiful than a mug of liquid gold to wash down one of their signature baguettes while you take in river views? Newsflash – nothing.
Where: 118 Wharf St, Tweed Heads

Oyster Shed
What’s better than farm fresh oysters, shucked on-demand? Knocking back a dozen farm fresh oysters with a panoramic view of the Tweed River, clearly. Don’t be shellfish with your selection because there’s plenty to go around, and we really mean it, because Oyster Shed over looks their very own oyster farm in Birds Bay. Feeling thirsty? Shuck it, a Bloody Mary oyster shot should do the trick, or wine-not pair with your favourite glass of white.
Where: Birds Bay Dr, Tweed Heads

Delightful by Deluxe
A delightful and delish take on the classic deli-style sandwich, Delightful by Deluxe have made a name for themselves with sando’s known for being loaded with not just fillings but flavour. Obviously they’ve curated an epic selection of combos for you to get ready to grab and go but if you want to let the creative juices flow then try your hand at creating your own, one of a kind flavour sensation.
Where: 25 Stuart St, Tweed Heads

Rob Roy Deli
Well, hello there to the geniuses behind Rob Roy Deli because it’s like they knew we were missing the ultimate collab between deli goods and wine, and we’ll never not be grateful for them bringing this little haven to life. How did we not realise we needed a one stop cheese, charcuterie and cocktail stop until now? It turns out it’s the best thing since sliced deli meats. Not only are the European style deli subs deli-cious, they’ve got grape wines on offer – name a more iconic duo… we’ll wait.
Where: 20 Bay St, Tweed Heads

Bread Social
In the wise words of Taylor Swift, are you bread-y for it..? Or it goes something like that anyway. Bread Social is the name and hand-crafted baked goods are the game, because a slice of sourdough a day keeps the hunger at bay. Their bread and butter is – unsurprisingly – bread, but they dough-nt stop at just that, they also nail pretty much every baked good you can think of like you know, pies, pastries and of course the humble sandwich.
Where: 12 Bay St, Tweed Heads

Whale Watching
Whale, whale, whale – we’d forgive you for thinking there’s not much more to the Tweed than seriously good food, but did you know it’s also one of the best spots to catch the Humpback Highway in action? Yep, this stretch of coastline has sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean where you can catch a glimpse of the annual whale migration up and down the East Coast. Winter is when you’ll want to pick your place to get the best view while you watch adults and their calves splash around in the sea.
Where: Point Danger

Coolangatta-Tweed Tenpin
Fancy letting your competitive side out? Then Coolangatta-Tweed Tenpin will be right up your alley. Come with a little or a lot of time to spare because they’ve got 16 full-sized bowling lanes for you to live life in the fast lane. We guarantee hours of fun for the whole fam, but bonus points for the fact they’ve got a licensed bar because a tipple always helps us up our lane game.
Where: 55 Wharf St, Tweed Heads

Gallura Italian
Say ciao to a taste of Sardinia with Gallura Italian’s authentic fare, think handmade pasta and local produce that’s big on flavour but low on fuss. If you want to see your meal come to life then take a seat at the Chef’s table so you can get in all the behind-the-kitchen action. Our picks are the local chargrilled octopus and sardo tasting plate to kick things off, with the 8 hour slow cooked wild board pappardelle a crowd favourite for good reason. Of course the wine list is graced with Italian drops and we’re partial to a bottle of Chianti if we do say so ourselves. Grazie!
Where: 1/20 Stuart St, Tweed Heads

Jack Evans Boat Harbour
Get in loser, we’re going picnic-ing! Perch up on the promenade at Jack Evans Boat Harbour for the ultimate picnic spot where the sun meets the sea. There’s loads of space to spread out and let the kids run wild, with a giant playground to keep the fun going. It’s also home to the Waterfront Markets that pop up on the 1^st Saturday of the month so you can get your hands on farm fresh produce, artisan foods, boutique fashion and handcrafted goodies.
Where: 6 Coral St, Tweed Heads

Epic Skate Rink
We can see why Epic Skate Rink got its name because it’s exactly that. Get the crew together for a free-range skate sesh or if you want to up the ante, book a learn to skate session with a master of the roller rink for a wheel-y good time. If the little ones can’t get enough of tearing up the rink why not book it in your next kids party to keep the good times rolling?
Where:  23 Enterprise Ave, Tweed Heads South

Words by Jacqueline Bojanowski

Are you the kind of person who skips right to the desserts page of a menu? Yep, well, you’re not alone. Taking tactical consideration of what sweet things can and will follow is a clever move by anyone’s standard. Luckily we are spoilt for choice with sweet treats and desserts on the Gold Coast.

Why not seek to fix that sweet craving you have? Here’s our list of the best places on the Gold Coast to grab a dessert, worthy of that extra time on the treadmill!

Tarte Bakery & Tarte Beach House
As if all self-control didn’t already tank at the mere sound of the word Tarte, our reigning pastry queen Chloe Watts went all out earlier this year to bestow upon us a knockout second site – Tarte Beach House #havemercy #we’reweak. The chic sister venue bringing Tarte’s trademark goodies to the banks of Currumbin’s picture-perfect creek, and in the process, blowing the bar previously set by our OG dessert darling out of the water.

We’d stop at ‘muffin’ to get our hands on the signature Crueller, or a Raspberry, Strawberry & White Chocolate Muffin Top, or.. okay basically everything they’re churning out. Which begs the question, can one ever have too much Tarte? We think no.
Where: 2 West Street, Burleigh Heads and 2 Thrower Dr, Currumbin

Oh My, Waffle
Make no mistake about it, if you find yourself in and around Burleigh Heads and are hit with a hankering for something sweet, head directly to Oh My, Waffle to have your mind (and calorie intake, lbh) blown –#ohsoworthit.

Prepare those ravenous, post-surf appetites to meet their match at the sight of some seriously loaded waffles and thick shakes. Though word to the wise – you may need to waddle home afterwards.
Where: Shop 6 / 1837 Gold Coast Highway, Burleigh Heads

My French Pastries
Husband and wife duo, Jen & Antonio Marchesi are the French maestros behind some mighty salivating goodies at this Robina bakery, and what these folks don’t know about sweet and crunchy European desserts frankly isn’t worth knowing!

Don’t delay. Head along for the shiniest looking caramel eclairs and the flakiest known pain au chocolats this side of the equator — Bon appétit!
Where: Shop 5/361 Robina Parkway, Robina

Custard Canteen
Is a breakfast dessert a thing? If it’s not, we’re officially calling it. And if you find yourself down by the ever-majestic Tallebudgera Creek dipping in its crystal clear waters, we suggest you hot foot it right away to Custard Canteen.

Get into some great coffee — and a bacon & egg burger to end all burgers — before rounding things off with one of their ooze-tastic cookies or the flakiest of Portugese Tarts. YUM!
Where: 1525 Gold Coast Highway, Palm Beach

Bam Bam Bakehouse
Inventive, indulgent, and darn tasty in every department: Bam Bam Bakehouse is the goods — period. The line of sweets and desserts are nothing short of mesmerising (even attracting the likes of Margot Robbie and Matt Preston).

With so many mouthwatering morsels on offer, attempting to choose only a couple of them is a challenging feat (as is not allowing ourselves to immediately to scarf down the lot).
Where: 2519 Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach

D Point Ten
Bringing an exclusively sweets-based offering to the GC’s sea of swole and shredded rigs surely required a seismic leap of faith, but any sceptics are now eating humble pie thanks to D Point Ten’s growing donut empire.

These days, their dough-licious conquest of the Coast spans across three official outlets – Pacific Fair, Varsity Lakes and Hope Island – with northern residents now also able to get their hands on the seductive looking donuts at sando sister venue, Janus Deli.

The delectable flavour rotation includes the likes of Golden Gaytime, Ferrero, and S’mores, all of which keep us wanting more. Whip out a box of these bad boys at your next gathering, and watch how fast you become everyone’s bestest bud.
Where:  Hope Island, Varsity Lakes, Molendinar and Pacific Fair – Broadbeach Waters

Paddock Bakery
One of the Gold Coast’s game-changing cafes, the level of baked and sweet goods that these guys consistently punch out is utterly jaw-dropping.

If you haven’t treated yourself to several (hundred) coffee dates at one of the cutest mini-Queenslander’s gracing the GC… welcome, you must be new here?! To remedy this immediately, we suggest you get together some of your nearest and dearest and get in on some brunch action before you launch a full-scale attack on the cracker assortment of sweets.

Be sure to try the crowd-fave Biscoff Cheesecake Doughnut or their whopping 1kg Giant Cookie! (Remember, Mum says sharing is caring.)
Where: 20 Hibiscus Haven, Burleigh Heads

Franquette
If you live in or around Tamborine, and haven’t yet wrapped your mitts (and tastebuds) around some Franquette… frankly, it’s time to re-evaluate your priorities (unless you’re gluten-free, obvi, in which case, commiserations).

Under the expert eye of master baker Jérôme Favier, Franquette (pronounced Fraen-ket) assuages hinterland hankerings with authentic French-style sweets, rolls and scrolls, and of course, the ever-crescent croissant.

They’ve teamed up with the Tamborine Mountain Gelato Co. gang to bring us ‘The Gelaffin’… a freshly baked cruffin loaded with small-batch gelato – aka the most glorious ice cream sandwich you’ve ever laid eyes upon. Officially our new favourite franken-food obsession for summer. Brain freeze (and bulk satisfaction) incoming.
Where: 1/159 Long Rd, Tamborine Mountain 

Basque
We’ve been giddy over Basque since the gorg new specialty bakehouse-cum-sippery sauntered into Chirn Park earlier this year, bearing mind-blowingly good cheesecake and French champagne. Umm, did we just become best friends?! Two of our very favourite modes of celebration under one chic roof – consider us, and our ‘coffee and cake catch up’ standards, spoiled forevermore.

Owners Laura and Zach Guertin devised the dreamy concept in answer to the age-old conundrum, ‘what should I bring?’ – and yeah, we can attest, one taste of Laura’s incredible creations and you’ll forget alll about the box of Favourites.

Luckily for the lot of us, we need not wait for a special occasion to partake in their signature Spanish Cheesecake and Champagne selection, with both available by the slice, and glass – any old time you please to cheese.
Where: 33b Musgrave Avenue, Chirn Park

My Favourite Baker
The very aptly named My Favourite Baker is one beloved among locals as a lifeline for incredible, last-minute cakes (that look and taste anything but).

The GC’s everyday cake heroes ‘crumb’ through with the (baked) goods – delivering same day turnaround on their delectable range of cakes and cupcakes almost every day of the year. Saving our bacon bakin’ from all kinds of sticky, special occasion situations, ‘logistical oversights’ and baking fails – with rave reviews, might we add. Phew! *backs slowly away from the packet mix*

Forgotten occasion? What forgotten occasion?

Only bulk brownie points to be found here (shhh.. it’ll be our little secret).
Where: 4/1 Inventory Ct, Arundel

Aux Fines Bouches
For devout pastry buffs (there’s an oxymoron in there somewhere – and hats off to anyone who manages to be buff, and a pastry enthusiast simultaneously) we do éclair, Aux Fines Bouches is the place to be.

This place is really not flaking around – run by decorated French pastry chef, Richard Le Deunff – locals in the know can’t get enough of the authentic, buttery baked-goods they’ve been doling out since 2019.

An unassuming space tucked away in Burleigh’s industrial outskirts, with a window where you can marvel at the culinary wizards whipping up the delectable works of art. Meticulously crafting tarts, cakes and custard-laden pastries Wednesday through Sunday, with a level of obsession matched only by that of our enthusiasm for consuming them.
Where: 2/43 Taree Street, Burleigh Heads

Cheeky Waffles
This naughty noshery has been getting sweet lovers hot under the collar since they burst onto Surfer’s nightlife strip, boasting a decadent and debaucherous range of genitalia-shaped desserts.. that also leave the sweet cravings totally satisfied.

The novelty (and priceless bants) of a choc-dipped coochie or pecker-shaped waffle might be too good to pass up, but don’t be tempted to write them off as a ‘one-time thing’. This place is the whole package, with the famously soft and fluffy waffles (described as ‘the best I’ve had’) the kind that keep lip-licking locals coming back for more.

Swing by and get yourself a ‘sugar daddy’ for happy endings all round.(in case you were wondering, no, we’ll never tire of writing about this place).
Where: 3189 Surfers Paradise Boulevard, Surfers Paradise

Madisons Cafe & Patisserie
A name that certainly needs no introduction among cake fans, alas no GC sweets list worth it’s salt sugar would dareth omit local mainstay, Madisons. The Broadbeach institution has long been hooking us up with our daily coffee and cake needs, with the sight of their specialty cakes becoming somewhat of a staple at our celebrations over the years.

The online ordering process is as dreamy as the buttercream (no phone call necessary, millennials rejoice) simply build your own from the options on offer – oh alright, make it a caramel mud + vanilla buttercream, since you asked (and smattering of gold dust, if you don’t mind.)
Where: Ground Floor, Oasis Shopping Centre, 12 Charles Avenue, Broadbeach

Dipcro
All hail the buttery king-of-pastries, the mighty croissant (controversial? We think not). Chevron’s debutant sweet-snackery, Dipcro delivers our sweet fix in the form of artisan baked goods like Cinnamon Buns, Croissants, Mille Feuille and Palmiers.

The venue’s namesake and signature item (a play on the words ‘Dip’ and ‘Croissant’– à la, ‘Dipcro’), invites us to take the blessed croissant to a whole new level – served with an array of signature toppings & fillings for your dunking pleasure. Oh if we must.
Where: 55 Thomas Drive, Chevron Island,

Captain’s Candy
The childhood rite of passage that was letting loose on the local pick and mix may merely live on as a fond, yet distant (albeit a little more distant than we care to admit) mem these days, but luckily us locals can venture to Captains Candy to fulfil even our most obscure candy cravings. The willy wonka-vibing wonderland inconspicuously tucked away in Ashmore’s outlet precinct, fully loaded with floor-to-wall goodies (including a hefty selection of international faves for our expat friends).

You need not *only* leave with a sugar rush, you can also stock the pantry with slightly more responsible provisions such as hot sauces, pickles, seasonings and rubs while you’re at it.

Whatever lolly your heart desires, it’s almost guaranteed you’ll find it here (even some formerly erased icons.. shout out green frogs and spearmint leaves).

Responsible adults to chaperone our candy expeditions, apply within.
Where: 12 Central Park Avenue, Ashmore

Words by Kellie Leader.