The Loose Moose Tap & Grill House

Step inside The Loose Moose and you feel like it’s been there forever. Or maybe it just should have been! There’s an ‘old but new’ feel to the joint – a heady mix of Romania’s steampunk Enigma Bar and a Canadian taphouse that belongs in both the Old and New World, its detail meticulously aged […]

Izakaya Ichi

Sitting pretty amongst laminex diners, Izakaya Ichi is as cute as a Ningyō Kabuki doll. With fairy lights winking and the dining wagon calling, there are lots of reasons to check out this little gem. Owned by Young Hun Cha, owner of the Sushi 1 chain, the bar opened in late 2015, the flagship (he […]

Garden Kitchen & Bar

Outdoors comes inside at Garden Kitchen & Bar, part of The Star Gold Coast’s $345 million transformation. The hotel foyer’s wall of cascading greenery is the first statement of intention: Garden Kitchen & Bar is a fresh take on all day dining. With bar and pergola areas bathed in natural light and a large back […]

Aloha Bar & Dining

NOTE: The McCluskeys have sold their share in Aloha in preparation for another project. Watch this space! If fabulous cocktails and delish food are your thing, head on down to Aloha Bar & Dining, tucked in off the laneway behind Main Place, Broadbeach. Aloha is the first in what’s hoped will be a series of […]

House of Brews

At first glance, a taphouse may appear to be a blokes’ joint, but that’s certainly not the case with House of Brews, set in the middle of Surfers Paradise. This is a new age venue with a lot to please the ladies (as well as the guys)! Owners Sacha, Damien and Ben Kanaghines brought back […]

Beer and Bugs at House of Brews

Beer and bugs! It’s too good an invitation to miss. Skipping lunch, I prepare my appetite for a seafood onslaught at the House of Brews media lunch. A feast it is, but the ‘bugs’ at Brews push my dining experience into wild frontiers. They’re bugs alright. To be more specific, ants and crickets. Eating insects […]

Bon Bon Bar

There’s something about Sunday afternoon that always catches me unawares. I want to slam the brakes on the weekend, reining in the rest of the leftover hours to head for the nearest watering hole. ‘‘Nooooooo! I’m not ready for the working week yet!’ I cry, as we gatecrash the Sunday sesh at Bon Bon. Ah […]

Burgster

There’s a huge space in my heart for earth mothers. You know the sort of woman I mean – the one who’s the hub of her family; who makes everyone feel welcome, holding their well-being close to her heart. She’s the matriarch apparent. When we first meet Rochelle Smith, I know that she’s the beating […]

Pickled Pig Brewery

I glance at the business card in my hand. Paul Brewer. Pickled Pig Brewery. I don’t know what’s more implausible – a brewer named Paul Brewer, or the whimsical name ‘Pickled Pig’. Is this for real? Absolutely! In fact it’s one of our few local craft breweries, located in Tweed Heads, making chemical-free, preservative-free ‘no […]

Easy Street Diner

UPDATE 2018: Easy Street Diner has new owners. To all those loyal Instagram followers out there who waited patiently: You asked for it and now you’ve got it! It’s time for Easy Street! Opening first as a street food market stall, Erin and Lucas Schranz developed a fan club of enthusiasts, continuing their support when […]