If there was a family tree of restaurants on the Gold Coast, Mario’s would be the patriarch. Since it was established in 1989, Mario’s has been a favourite of many families, whether they are locals or tourists on annual holidays. Mario’s longevity, when so many other restaurants have come and gone, is testament to its...

Rick Shores brings a warm tropical breeze to Gold Coast dining. Opened by the owners of LONgTIME, Brisbane, Rick Shores occupies one of the most revered spots on the coast, the ground floor level of the iconic Burleigh Pavilions, seaside dining at its best. Today, the sea is calm. We enter the restaurant down the...

Osteria del Mare reminds me that in so many ways the Gold Coast is fortunate. Not only are our climate and mountain-fringed seascape a joy in themselves, but the coast’s magnetism draws world travellers like flotsam to our shores for us to enjoy. One such couple is Andrea and Simona Riva, owners of the newly-opened...

When you’re on holidays or retired, lunch can be the main meal of the day. It’s a cost-saving choice of travellers as lunch deals abound, as well as a good health move to eat lighter at night. But sometimes finding the deals is harder than it seems, especially if you’re looking online. Here are some...

Beached on the Terranora mountaintop lies The Inky Squid Fish & Chippery, carrying all things salty and umami, caught from the ocean just within sight. Owned by chef Ben Jones (ex-Gwinganna and Taverna) and his partner Jessica Price, the shop has the dual role of selling freshly prepared seafood-based meals as well as fresh seafood...

Simon Scott lives and breathes the ocean. Born and raised on the Gold Coast, Simon’s a keen surfer and fisherman. When he’s not out on the ocean, he’s in the kitchen cooking the catch. So, it’s understandable that when Simon and his wife Buffie opened a seafood shop in Burleigh it would be within sight...

It’s the perfect winter escape away from the Gold Coast and into the forest; a weekend away in the Tweed Valley. The Tweed holds many attractions to explore: the magnificent Tweed Art Gallery, Mavis’s Kitchen with its own kitchen garden, Carool’s coffee plantations, winery and Potager, as well as craft galleries and farms set in...

As a city, we are very young indeed… at least superficially. We can’t boast a Colusseum, nor the glorious artworks of the Sistine Chapel. There are no obvious antiquities dating back 20,000 years to when the first Aboriginal footsteps were etched into our sand, nor to the first European settlers who breathed this air and...

After spending a lot of fruitless time fishing, I’m of the opinion that there are more than two wise fish in the ocean. Experience tells me that there are lots of fish who were canny enough to snatch bait from my line without being caught. From our past fish shop experiences on the Gold Coast,...

Sunday Brunch has become the new meetup; a time to relax and enjoy an indulgent weekend with friends before launching into another working week. Where better to meet than at Bazaar in the QT, the retro-themed hotel famous for its award-winning interactive breakfast and dinners, now offering ‘The Bazaar Brunch’ every Sunday from 11am –...