Southport has long been regarded as our little ugly duckling, but with the recent opening of Swannie's, this elegant new establishment will give you a reason to return with your flock.
Southport has long been regarded as our little ugly duckling, but with the recent opening of Swannie's, this elegant new establishment will give you a reason to return with your flock.
This stylish new restaurant reminds us of a bar somewhere in a metropolitan city, well it’s in our little CBD, Southport. Cafe/ breakfast joint in the morning, restaurant during the day and tapas lounge bar at night. And the crazy thing? They’re effortlessly good at it all!
Located on busy Nerang Street, Swannie’s is the perfect spot for business meet-ups, casual lunch or Friday arvo knock-off drinks. Upon entrance, you’re faced with a huge bar (filled with all kinds of alcoholic goodness for later) and a tempting cake display filled with doughnuts (the injectable kind), pastries, caramel slices, muffins, sandwiches and ciabatas! The zebra striped floor, large pendant lights and curved wooden wall hint of your night to come. But you know what’s better than a coffee in the morning? Old-school R&B music! It;s a soulful and smooth start to your day, way to go Swannie’s!
So what’s on offer for brekky? A refreshing iced-coffee, smashed avo and marinated fetta served on crispy toast topped with fresh coriander and just a sprinkle of basil and feta oil (optionally you can add eggs). Sounds pretty basic, but they do it well.
Swannie’s ‘Our Eggs Benny’ consists of two perfectly poached free range eggs with smoked salmon on an English muffin, smothered in mouth-watering house-made hollandaise. Now if you can handle a bit of booze in the morning, we’re not promoting, but informing that their signature dessert/cocktail Don Pedro involves vanilla ice-cream, Bailey’s and chocolate cream (don’t mind if we do).
If you’re enticed to stay beyond breakfast, Swannie’s have live music every night of the week* plus some great specials like $10 Beer and Burger Tuesdays or Cheese and Wine Tasting on Wednesday nights!
Best day to go: They’re literally busy everyday, but we like the buzz of a crowd on a Friday or Saturday night from 4pm til late!
Signature dish: Angus Eye Fillet Steak Sandwich (do it for lunch).
Favourite drink: All the cocktails are tasty, but the Don Pedro s a dessert and cocktail in one for the sweet tooths.
Mon – Live Music from 6pm
Tues – Live Music from 6pm
Weds – Jazz & Blues Night, live music from 6pm
Thurs – Classic Rock Night, live music from 6pm
Fri – Live Music from 6pm
Sat – Live acoustic soloist over breakfast from 8am
Sun – Live acoustic from 12pm
See ya at Swannie’s!
34 Nerang Street, Southport
By Louisa von Ingelheim
Imagine being wrongly accused of murder, chained to a wall and having to rely on your friends’ detective skills to free you.
Welcome to Escape Hunt, Southport’s brain bending escape game that is guaranteed to test your problem solving skills like they’ve never been tested before.
Here’s how it works:
Players are placed in a room and given an hour to decipher clues and solve a particular mystery. At the moment, there are three unique rooms, each with a story and intricate set of clues.
Every single thing you can see (and some you can’t) within the rooms are part of the puzzle – there are codes etched on walls and hidden keys in unlikely crevices.
Recently added is the prison cell, where players need to decipher who actually committed the crime so they can break themselves out after being wrongfully imprisoned.
An hour seems like a lot of time, but there are many clues involved and if solving crimes isn’t your usual weekend activity, it can be tricky.
You’re welcome to ask for hints via the intercom but many opt to go it alone.
For an entirely unique and extremely enjoyable experience, give Escape Hunt a try. Play an individual room or get a package deal for all three and save them up for a rainy day.
Escape Hunt is the perfect fun activity to enjoy with your friends and family
It’s the most fun you can have inside a locked room.
HOURS: 10am to 10pm
LOCATION: 2/162 Scarborough Street, Southport.
Born in Byron Bay, it’s no surprise Main Street Burger Bar, newly opened in Broadbeach, is making burgers with as many good vibes as they can muster.
The Gold Coast version brings a trendy beachside diner vine with both indoor and outdoor seating, ceiling greenery, a copper bar top and walls lined with murals featuring classic images of Broadbeach in its heyday. The tunes are pumping and it’s the perfect place to chill out and people watch.
Oh, the food’s good too.
Think organic soft rolls, 100% organic grass fed beef, free range pork, happy chooks, local eggs, and fresh seafood, all sourced close by and all as fresh as can be.
The Harissa Roasted Lamb Shoulder burger is a fave with smokey-spiced lamb shoulder, mint and kale slaw, garlic hummus, aioli and red onion. If one simply isn’t enough go with Joe’s Got The Blues because a) it’s got blue cheese and b) there’s also double beef, double bacon, truffle aioli and lots of salad (for balance guys).
Vegans and vegetarians never fear, you too will be well looked after at Main Street. There’s a Vego Pattie burger made from beetroot, quinoa and halloumi and a Vegan Jackfruit burger with peanut satay, bean sprouts, carrot, spring onion, coriander, sesame soy dressing and sriracha hot sauce (we have it on good authority, it’s delicious too).
That’s not all though, there’s milkshakes and not just any old milkshakes. Caramelised Banana with a (optional) shot of Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey or Vanilla & Malt with Frangelico Hazelnut Liqueur. It’s all the fun of your childhood mixed with one of the best things about being an adult. Cheers to that!
So, if a balanced meal in the form of burgers and boozy milkshakes is calling your name, look no further than Main Street Burger Bar in Broadbeach. It’s the perfect addition to the newly renovated restaurant strip.
You can park for three hours for free at the Oasis Shopping Centre, which is plenty of time to down a burger and a craft beer or two.
LOCATION: Shop GO.53, Oasis Shopping Centre, Victoria Ave, Broadbeach
HOURS: 11.30am to 9pm daily
Words and photos by Kirra Smith
