‘Success breeds success,’ they say, and for Substance Espresso that’s certainly true. There were tears when Jareth and Leah Smith sold Daark Espresso in Chirn Park, in fact the lights dimmed a little on the northside of town. But there were better things coming, with the pair opening a coffee shop, Substance Espresso, in Runaway...

It’s been almost two years since Daniel Smith set up First Fruits Coffee with a business partner in a tiny space in Ashmore. Visiting the Cotlew Street alleyway shopfront where they not only roasted beans but also sold coffee, space was at a premium. Sitting on coffee bags was almost an option! From the level...

It had been bucketing rain during the night but Mel had been up since 3am baking the Turkish buns for our breakfast. She didn’t know the buns would be for us, but we’d decided the night before that we’d score an early brekkie at The Roost@53 on the way to work. The Roost@53 is not...

It’s a pleasant surprise when you don’t expect too much from a corner coffee shop and then find out that all the food’s made by the chef in the oven you can see, that the coffee’s great and the service friendly and attentive. Euphoria Espresso Café is a rare watering hole in the urban jungle...

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,...

NOTE: Cardamom Pod is no longer open for dinner, however Cardamom Pod Broadbeach is open nightly until 9.30pm. Gone are the days when ‘vegetarian’ meant a simple salad landing on your table. Not any more! As more people adopt a plant-based diet, the bar has been raised for vegetarian food. Vegetarian has gone gourmet! Our...

You know how it is. You’re hungering for those clean fresh flavours of Thai food – something with a bit of a hit, but not too bad for you; flavours that linger on your tongue rather than fatty fried food for a change. Tucked into the corner of Easy T Centre in Robina is a...

When we think of Indian Cuisine on the Gold Coast, the picture in our minds is predictable: Copper clad bowls filled with curry, accompanied by naan bread and rice. If we’re fortunate, those curries are rich and succulent with spices, served obligingly in an ambient venue.  Beyond this, the vision fades. Rick Stein’s spectacular journey...

Every so often you meet someone whose enthusiasm is the driving force of an establishment. So strong, in fact, that it’s like a magnetic field, drawing you into its energy. At Mockingbird Café, Kingscliff, that force is Jo Jackson. We’d first met Jo at her very successful restaurant, Signature Dish in Varsity, where she not...

They say that location is everything, but for cafés, that doesn’t always mean being in the main street. Sometimes, being the only café in a neighbourhood can be a winning formula, especially when the venue provides great service to the community. When Dylan and Kira Rackley took over the Lakeview General Store just over four...