Clifford’s Grill & Lounge, voco Gold Coast

“This town is steeped in a rich tapestry of colourful history.” The Gold Coast is not only built on a colourful past, it must grow to a brilliant future. A former holiday ground for the Kombumerri people, since the 1860s the Gold Coast has been a place of big personalities. They were people who boldly […]

Blendlove

UPDATE 2019: How far this cafe has come since it opened! The menu of raw cakes is now only one part of a complete plant-based a la carte menu. My generous serve of Corn fritters is served on a bed of spinach, layered with tomato relish and a tasty avocado salsa finished with balsamic glaze […]

Caffe Republic, Bundall

For the first time in several years, the crunch is on for eateries with almost as many restaurants closing as opening.  In 2018, cafés and restaurants are facing stiff competition for the food dollar. Prepared foods from grocery and convenience stores and meal delivery services continue to attract busy consumers who seek convenience over experience. […]

Le Café Gourmand

A display of brightly coloured chairs on the Cronulla corner of the highway in Mermaid Beach marks a little French café / restaurant! The bright attitude is obvious. “Here I am!” the chairs exclaim: Le Café Gourmand! One of our fondest memories of France is wandering through little country villages, ‘discovering’ a café to enjoy […]

The Brick Café

The Brick Café is not what it may first appear. A smart little café at the front of a new commercial complex in Molendinar, behind this façade of newness there’s a strong family heritage. If we’d looked more closely at the top of the menu, the clue was there all along: ‘The Brick Café by […]

Scoring a deal on lunch

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 […]

Black Lime Café

While ‘Location, location, location’ is the big catch cry to success, there are some local favourites that have achieved modest success by going against the norm, choosing venues in hidden pockets of suburbia. There, they provide service to locals who previously had no food outlets nearby. That’s how it is with Black Lime Café. Tucked […]

First Fruits Coffee Café & Roastery

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 […]

Euphoria Espresso Café

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 […]

Frigg Café

The pizza arrives, a steaming plateful of cheesy topping dripping over the edges of the crust onto the giant-sized plate. It’s huge, far too big for my appetite, and this is only one slice of pizza! It’s lunchtime in Disneyland, the place ‘where all your dreams come true.’ Someone’s dreams, perhaps, but some of my […]