Food & Wine
Food
The Gold Coast has numerous restaurants and cafes, with something to suit every budget and taste.
The award-winning Absynthe (www.absynthe.com.au), located at Q1 Resort in Surfers Paradise, is known for its modern Australian cuisine and stylish decor.
For excellent seafood and oceanfront dining, don’t miss the acclaimed Oskar’s on Burleigh (www.oskars.com.au), set right on Burleigh beach. Mermaids Dining Room and Bar (www.mermaidsonburleigh.com) is also popular.
The chic Marina Mirage is a great spot for dining. It offers a range of award-winning restaurants with waterfront views. For delicious Italian food, try Ristorante Fellini (www.fellini.com.au). Or visit Omeros Brothers (www.omerosbros.com) for quality seafood.
For a touch of glamour, visit Palazzo Versace, located just next to the marina. Besides its grand architecture and decadent Versace furnishings, the hotel also has superb restaurants including Vanitas (www.palazzoversace.com).
Not far away at Main Beach, you will find the upmarket Tedder Avenue, known for its sophisticated boutiques, chi chi crowd and fine restaurants.
Visit the award-winning Chill on Tedder (www.chillontedder.com.au), an elegant restaurant offering modern Australian cuisine with French and classic influences. Or enjoy exceptional seafood at the classy Shuck restaurant (www.shuck.com.au).
Another popular dining precinct is Broadbeach, where you’ll find all kinds of cuisine, from Thai and Japanese to Italian and French. One of its top restaurants is the award-winning Moo Moo The Wine Bar + Grill (www.moomoorestaurant.com), which specialises in premium export quality steak.
If you are craving good Indian food, try The Tandoori Place (www.tandooriplace.com). It has 5 outlets on the Gold Coast and is known for its excellent Indian food and curries.
For top-notch Chinese cuisine, head to Zen (www.conrad.com.au/jupiters), an award-winning restaurant at Conrad Jupiters hotel.
You will also find brilliant restaurants in the Gold Coast hinterland, such as the renowned Songbirds in the Forest (www.songbirds.com.au). Located on Mount Tamborine, it has won numerous awards for its modern Australian cuisine, prepared with the finest ingredients and organic produce.
Great dining on the Gold Coast need not be a pricey affair. Check out one of the numerous surf lifesaving clubs, spread along the coast. They are popular hangouts for locals and offer pretty good food at affordable prices, amid views of the ocean.
You can also tuck into delicious fish and chips and seafood at Charis Seafood (www.charisseafood.com.au), a seafood market and kiosk. Have a picnic by the Broadwater and watch the daily feeding of wild pelicans.
Or enjoy takeaway seafood at Peter’s Fish Market, which offers a wide range of seafood, fresh from the trawlers. Prices are affordable too. (www.petersfish.com.au )
Wine
Visit the award-winning Tamborine Mountain Distillery (www.tamborinemountaindistillery.com), about an hour inland from the Gold Coast. It boasts an array of fruit liqueurs and schnapps, with delicious flavours including macadamia, honeydew melon and chocolate hazelnut.
The Cedar Creek Estate Vineyard and Winery (www.cedarcreekestate.com.au) is a charming winery, with a lovely restaurant overlooking the lake. Its vineyard comprises two varieties including Chambourcin and Verdelho.
Albert River Wines (www.albertriverwines.com.au) is one of Queensland’s most successful boutique wineries. The vineyard and winery offer panoramic views of Albert River Valley and Tamborine Mountain. It has an award-winning restaurant housed in its historic homestead, as well as a quaint timber chapel that is an ideal venue for weddings.
Canungra Valley Vineyards (www.canungravineyards.com.au) is a boutique vineyard offering quality wines. Its vineyard consists primarily of Chambourcin and Semillon grape. Enjoy the relaxing sounds of Jazz and Blues every Sunday whilst dining in the a la carte restaurant or picnicking amongst the vines.
