Last week our amazing cafe’s were in the limelight and this week, it’s our ravishing restaurants’ turn to shine shine shine!

Presenting our annual round up of the GC’s nosheries, tried and tested and guaranteed to please tastebuds of any persuasion. Cracking Modern Australian, Asian, European and American fare to name a few, it’s all here and waiting to be savoured all day and twice on Sundays.

On your marks, get set, EAT!

La Luna Restaurant
Oozing endless summer vibes and highbrow flex for days, The Gennari Group have outdone themselves with the luxe fit out, breathtaking Broadwater location, and refined Mediterranean and Asian fusion fare. Directly connected to the Tulum inspired La Luna Beach Club, it’s the place to see and be seen…cocktail in hand.
Where: Marina Mirage, 74 Sea World Drive, Main Beach

Little Tommy’s
Little bro to the ever-popular Tommy’s Italian, this takeaway-geared Italian pizzeria also invites you to sit in and enjoy an oceanside beverage. No need to make a booking, just swing in for hand-picked faves from its older sibling’s menu, plus epic new bites exclusive to this casual cool nook that’s one hot pizza ass!
Where: 140 Duringan Street, Currumbin

Local
Imagine a modern, lush, insta-worthy upmarket pub with a blend of classic and refined lunch and dinner options, late night drinks, and even a breakfast menu #NotYourAveragePub. Nailing contemporary pub-grub and a coastal industrial chic aesthetic, it also houses Burleigh’s only beer garden and a tinnie bar #NuffSaid.
Where: 1744 Gold Coast Highway, Burleigh Heads

Doko Demo V
Doko Demo is back with totally ‘radishing’ new digs, and a tofu-king good multi-cultural vegan eats menu. The funky fit out, complete with bamboo bar and cool neon signs, makes you feel like you’re in lush Bali, and the toughest decision here is whether to visit for breaky, lunch or dinner #Alloftheabove.
Where: 2/2 Sunlight Dr, Burleigh Waters, Qld, 4220

Sofia’s Restaurant & Bar
The 2.0 version of this coastal Mediterranean glamour girl has an on-fleek new fit out, complementing the carefully curated (and ten outta ten) European menu. Championing simple, delicious food and an impressive wine list, make sure you enjoy a pre or post lunch/dinner cocktail at THAT bar #IYKYK.
Where: The Oasis Shopping Centre, Victoria Avenue, Broadbeach

T’ang Court
Housed in the bougiest hotel in town, The Langham Gold Coast, of course T’ang Court is timeless and refined perfection. The very first Australian installment of the internationally acclaimed T’ang Court restaurants, it’s Cantonese fine dining at its, well, finest #AllThatAndDimSum.
Where: Level 3, The Langham, Gold Coast, 38 Old Burleigh Road, Surfers Paradise

Farm & Co
With industry icons at the helm, top tier paddock to plate nosh, and a genuine commitment to sustainability, it’s a Kingscliff treasure. Newly revamped with sweeping views of the Tweed region, the seasonal menu showcases fresh farm produce and sustainable wines, and we award extra points for their composting facilities and recycling program.
Where: 529 Cudgen Road, Cudgen

Apex Dining
Residing in the architecturally award-winning Tweed Regional Gallery with views to Wollumbin and Mount Warning, Apex Dining serves up a world class outlook and food to match. Offering a unique combination of rustic French patisserie goodies and modern plates with a very now pan-Asian twist, breakfast, brunch and lunch here are simply tree-mendous.
Where: 2 Mistral Road, South Murwillumbah

Franc Jrs
Bringing back the simplicity, authenticity and good times of the non-pretentious 90’s dining vibe, this old-skhool Manhattan pizzeria is #rad. A reinvention of the inanely popular Francie’s, expect Detroit-style Sicilian pan pizza with epic flavours and crisp factor. Get in our bellies!
Where: 2/102 Griffith Street, Coolangatta

Burger Lane
With a tagline like “life is too short for bad burgers”, it was always bound to be love at first sight….and bite! No longer just a food truck, the Burger Lane crew have moved into the ex-Cross + Feather site, churning out amazing burgers, hot dogs and all-round American chow sorcery.
Where: 2/2 Grice Avenue, Paradise Point

The Hood 4221
If you’re a sucker for the 80s and 90s (umm, duh), this one is for YOU! An intimate indoor / outdoor venue serving up simple good food, hella good sips, a cracking 80’s/90’s soundtrack, and a pink neon and black infused fit out to make our teenage (and current day) selves swoon, it’s an arvo and evening must-visit.
Where: 10 Palm Beach Avenue, Palm Beach

COAST Beach Bar & Kitchen
Dripping in coastal-styled furnishings and high quality on-fleek accents, COAST is a spectacular $2.5 million-dollar dazzler with fine Modern Australian shared cuisine and breathtaking uninterrupted ocean views. In addition to the melas – especially those cooked in the Spanish-style Josper oven, COAST’s extensive wine list and 14m marble bar are reshaping the Surfers Paradise foody landscape.
Where: Level 1, Ocean by Meriton, 86 The Esplanade, Surfers Paradise

Oh My Greek Kitchen & Bar
Get ready to ‘Greek’ out at lunch-and-dinner o-clock with traditional yet innovative nosh, with all food – even the sauces – made fresh on site. The cocktails are also a vibe, as is the fit out which screams Greeky goodness with an oh-so-modern on fleek aesthetic.
Where: Homeworld Helensvale, 59/503 Hope Island Road, Helensvale

Georges On Sorrento
Those Covino’s are at it again, this time with Georges On Sorrento, the latest in their long-standing portfolio of Italian Stallion status nosheries. Georges features indoor seating for those who prefer the rustic vibe, and plenty of outdoor seating in a large open courtyard for an unforgettable lunch and dinner. Traditional Italian at its best.
Where: 2/20 Bundall Road, Bundall

Palm Beach Ave
A café by day and restaurant by night, the latest brainchild from The Ridgeway Group is relaxed and unpretentious yet throws Beverly Hills Hotel vibes for dayz. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the Modern Australian food is as lust-worthy as the venue’s supermodel good looks.
Where: 6 Palm Beach Avenue, Palm Beach

Falafel’s Vegetarian Kitchen
Take a deep dive into the mouth-watering, morish world of Middle Eastern cuisine and good mood food at Falafel’s. There is something here for everyone, not just vegetarians, with every single dish nailing the taste test and leaving us wanting more!
Where:  Corner of Lakeview Boulevard and Southport Burleigh Road (near the 7/11 service station on Bermuda Street), Mermaid Waters

KL Dining
Unlike other Malaysian fare on the Coast, KL Dining specialises in truly unique dishes AND pre-order specialties which you won’t find anywhere else around our city. A true food Picasso, owner and head chef Michael Chan prides himself on creating dishes using new, traditional, and unique ingredients.
Where: 90 Markeri Street, Mermaid Waters

Little Bali Street Food
With bright colours and shiplap cladding and an alfresco dining area complete with a tuk tuk 3-wheel bike cake cart, this place is more Balinese than a Bintang singlet. The menu is filled with eclectic cuisine, just like you would expect to find on the bustling street sides of Bali.
Where: Chevron Renaissance, 3240 Surfers Paradise Boulevard, Surfers Paradise

La Calabrese on Ocean
Situated right next to the pristine beach, La Calabrese is all about traditional Italian ingredients with a modern twist. Enjoy both indoor and outdoor dining, a swoon-worthy 90 square metre ocean-view terrace, and special VIP seatings for ‘dem exclusive feels.
Where: Level 1, 84 The Esplanade, Surfers Paradise

KIN Pan-Asian Kitchen and Bar
Calling the old Iku digs home, Kin’s epic reno, super cool eclectic vibes, and insanely good menu are #goals. The mixed bag of custom-made furniture, dimly lit booths, funky Japanese laneways, and boho beach vibe are only one-upped by the exceptional north-west Asian share-style nosh.
Where: 1730 Gold Coast Highway, Burleigh Heads

Dukes Chicken
From chicken to chips, burgers to rolls, and wraps to salads, everything at Dukes is cooked fresh daily. Serving up a cracking roast, fly the coop at lunch time, snack time (or even dinner time Wednesday to Sunday), for one heck of a hen-some feed.
Where: 4/240 Varsity Parade, Varsity Lakes

La Casetta Pizza Bar
Another feather in GC Hospitality Group owners Jack Chaglasian and Mark Geraghty’s cap, you’ll be transported to the heart of Italy where they discovered their love for wood fired pizzas. Using the homely charm of Napoli for style inspo, dine in (it’s BYO – yasss!!) or grab and go, maybe to the beautiful Paradise Point Park over the road.
Where: Shop 9, 2 Grice Street, Paradise Point

The Charcoal Hub
The GC Hospitality Group are at it yet again with authentic Greek goodness in the form of flame-cooked meats prepared with in-house special flavours. Choose from outdoor or indoor bar-style dining, and watch the chefs flex their culinary muscles as they cook, carve and create in the open style grill kitchen.
Where: Shop 10/ 2 Grice Avenue, Paradise Point

Seaside Kitchen & Bar
With lunch and dinner menus focusing on a casual blend of the freshest catches and traditional Thai flavours, it’s a modern fusion Thai sensation. Levelled up by the beachside location and an industrial-meets-rustic-meets-modern fit-out, it’s 2023 meets eye of the Thai-ger authenticity.
Where: 1742 Gold Coast Highway, Burleigh Heads

Suzy BBQ
Burleigh’s Suzy BBQ is equal parts delicious, eclectic and amazing, serving up an unmissable interactive dining experience to remember. With BBQs in the centre of every table, YOU are the one who cooks up your very own Korean feast, with bustling Seoul street vibes.
Where: 1730 Gold Coast Highway, Burleigh Heads

Pablito’s Mexican Cuisine and Tequilaria
Sanctuary Cove’s quintessential Modern Mexican cantina (with a slight Caribbean influence) is nothing short of spec-taco-ular. Pablito’s serves up a predominantly plant based and gluten free menu in a terracotta and cactus lovers paradise, and don’t even get us started on the 50+ tequilas and mezcals…
Where: Shop 39D Masthead Way, Sanctuary Cove, Hope Island

Social Eating House
Recently undergoing a five-star nip ’n’ tuck and a foody fave, the award-winning Social does New York luxe better than New York. Co-owner and Executive Chef, Matthew Jefferson, cooks up share-style Modern Australian and International cuisine to dine for, with an incredible wine and signature cocktail list to boot.
Where: 136-138, 3 Oracle Boulevard, Broadbeach

Unicorn Seafood Restaurant
Who doesn’t love an all-day menu – and an extensive, Mediterranean seafood infused one at that! Unicorn Seafood Kingscliff’s GC sibling is fittingly decked out with refreshing blue and white hues and relaxing ocean murals, serving food and cocktails which can only be described as o-fish-ally fin-tastic.
Where: Phoenician Resort, 24-26 Queensland Avenue, Broadbeach

Fishbowl
With a mission to change the face of fast food, the Sydney born FISHBOWL phenomenon is built around a customisable base and extras and who doesn’t love an element of DIY. To maximise nutrition, the menu is centred on veggies, alongside ethically and sustainably sourced seafood, meat or vegan options made fresh every day.
Where: 2 James Street, Burleigh Heads

Kami
Hatched by the Magnolia Lane boys, Kami serves up the who’s who of South East Asian bites royalty (bao and gyoza et al) for a dinner to remember. With breeze bricks, mosaic tiles, a big bifold window, funky wall art and neon lights, it’s as heavenly as its name (which means ‘God’ BTW). Amen!
Where: Shop 5/1863 Gold Coast Hwy, Burleigh Heads

Zephyr
This casual yet sophisticated space specialises in Mediterranean inspired food, served with a side of cool elegance, tropical feels, and oodles of REAL foliage! The open-plan layout is welcoming and perfect for people watching, and after dinner transitions into a bustling bar with DJ’s and live tunes.
Where: 2215 Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach

Tweed River House
Perched on banks of the Tweed River with sweeping views of majestic Wollumbin and lush green hinterland ranges, this renovated century-old riverside plantation oozes 1930s style…with a French twist. Relax on the veranda, in the ambient dining room, or in the open air lawn bar and indulge in a delicious French inspired lunch or dinner.
Where: 131 River Street, South Murwillumbah

Toro’s Pizza
Palmy locals are tickled pink with Toro Pizza’s intimate Italian eats, and its cool collision of Mediterranean and Moroccan vibes. With an on-trend pinky peaches-and-cream colour palette offset by classic blue Moroccan tiled tabletops, the fit out is as delish as the nosh, and the topping on the pizza? It’s BYO!
Where: Shop 2/7 Eighth Ave, Palm Beach

Siblings
Once a humble Pizza Hut, the iconic and heritage listed beachside Kirra Pavilion has been reincarnated! Siblings, founded by local restaurateur royalty Jarrod Kyle and TJ Cianci, is a modern Australian brunch and dinner showstopper, dripping with 1950’s Miami beach vibes goodness.
Where: 15 Marine Parade, Kirra

Joe’s Deli
Influenced by Italian and American street food with a south pacific nod, celebrity chef Patrick Killalea brings us a plethora of locally sourced and imported deli delicacies. Grab and go or soak up the New York vibes, with booth seating and 90s hip hop bangers blaring on the boom box.
Where: Pacific Fair Shopping Centre, Hooker Boulevard, Broadbeach

Junior’s Deli
Junior’s Deli gives classic American food the Aussie treatment, with scrumptious made to order sandwiches and the best house made pickles and preserves you’ll find outside of New York City. With a focus on takeaway but offering in-and-out seating, a seasonal menu and weekly specials, you’ll pickle this as your new fave brunch and lunch spot.
Where: 2/51 Railway Street, Mudgeeraba 

Rubi Red
World-renowned chef Michael Lambie has taken over the ex Hellenika and Miss Mee digs, creating  the ultimate it-girl dinner haunt. The exciting and eclectic modern Asian menu features some of Michael’s much-loved dishes, along with Rubi originals created with local and regional produce.
Where: 2235 Gold Coast Hwy, Nobby Beach

Bird Royale
Slinging bougie charcoal chicken like you’ve never experienced, Dave Galvin and SITE Hospitality’s Bird Royale is #CluckingAwesome. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, they even deliver AND offer kerbside collection from 5pm via an open-air chicken shop window.
Where: Brickworks Ferry Road (next to Merlot Coffee), 107 Ferry Road, Southport

Mozza Mozza
Iconic owner Dave Galvin has brought classic share-style Italian and fun feels to the northside with Mozza Mozza. Perfect for a fam-bam dinner, long lunch or lazy Sunday sesh, expect a little theatre and some 80’s / disco tunes with your meal and beverage of choice.
Where: Southport Sharks, Corner Olsen Avenue & Musgrave Avenue, Southport

Xenia Grill
With more authentic Greek nosh than you can poke a souvlaki stick at, Xenia’s lip-smacking recipes hail from co-owner Dino Georgakopoulos’ family kitchen! In fact, they have created an environment where customers feel like they’re part of ‘the family’ with a plethora of delicious food, laughs and good times to share.
Where: 30 Peak Avenue, Main Beach & 52 Marine Parade, Coolangatta 

Ashmore Tav
Local fave for over 40 years, Ashmore Tav has undergone an epic $5 million reno and sports some serious a la mode flex. There are sleek new indoor and outdoor dining spaces, a glossy new gaming room, a large sports bar and adjoining balcony, a gourmet kitchen, and a fresh menu with traditional tav fare plus fresh new eats.
Where: 161 Cotlew Street, Ashmore

Nahm Thai
Located in the newly renovated Paradise Centre, Nahm cooks up traditional Thai and Asian dishes with spectacular flare and finesse. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner and boasting a beachfront balcony, some of their dishes even include liquid nitrogen, plus you’ll find bubble smoke on select cocktails!
Where: Paradise Centre, 2 Cavill Avenue, Surfers Paradise

Words by Bianca Trathen.