When it comes to enjoying the good life, all things are not equal. Many people have dietary constraints that limit choices, meaning that joining in festivities and celebrations is often difficult. The founders of Australia’s first organic grain-free bakery, Seeds of Life, addressed that need last year with the launch of the Rainbow Bar servery...

It was the smile that first got us in. The young couple gave customers such a warm welcome that of course we had to buy their food, even though it looked different: arepas, the crunchy pocket bread stuffed with filling that’s the most common food of Venezuela and Colombia. We tried arepas and loved them...

“No ego by name, no ego by nature.” This is not only the mantra for one of our most unassuming coffee shops, but also its name: Noego Coffee. Hidden away in an industrial area of Ormeau, Noego Coffee is a secret hideaway for some, a totally undiscovered secret to others. With the Gold Coast’s café...

One of the benefits of living in a tourist destination is being around after the day-trippers have gone home. Finally, when buses and boats have pulled away, carrying their camera-toting guests, we are left with the locale that we love, the reason that we settled there in the first place. That’s exactly how we feel...

When a new café pops up on the Gold Coast dining scene there’s a buzz of excitement, especially when it’s from a reputable owner, such as Chloe Watts, former owner of Paddock Bakery. Opening the doors of Tarte Bakery & Café in August 2020, she has every reason to be proud of her masterpiece. In...

Every tribe has its favourite places, and nowhere is that more evident than at Morena Espresso. ‘Morena’, meaning ‘brunette’ in Spanish and ‘good morning’ in Maori reflects the Latin-Kiwi heritage of its owners Bel Pesantes and Stefan Bradley. Situated on an ‘awkward’ corner of the Gold Coast Highway in Mermaid Beach, you could almost miss...

Position, position, position. Often touted as the key to investing, these are not the only three precepts of real estate. Another is to gain a location as close as possible to your opposition. Emma Collingwood did better than that. She took over the lease. Having owned Kirramisu as a family business since 2007 and established...

NOTE: In 2023, Izakaya Midori gained new owners. … It takes courage to open a ‘destination’ restaurant, one so out of the way that diners must ‘seek to find’ it. Without walk-by foot traffic, destination restaurants depend on reputation and recommendation, other diners spreading the word about great food and service. Izakaya Midori is one...

The restaurant name ‘Garlic Clove’ is not new to the Gold Coast, but neither is its owner, renowned Head Chef, Sabir Merchant (ex-Kokum). Sabir Merchant is one of those chefs that diners follow, travelling from Brisbane and the Northern Rivers to enjoy the food he prepares. In Garlic Clove Indian, the first restaurant he has...

“Simple fresh food. Local and environmentally clean. Handmade as much as possible. Cooked using clean oil. Reasonable pricing.” It’s Isa Ham’s summary of what sets his fish and chip shop, The Jolly Roger, above the rest. Fish and chips are traditional Aussie fare. Do you remember when fish and chips was the standard Sunday night...