Double Barrel Kitchen

Having kitted out some of the smartest restaurants in town (think Etsu and Mamasan), Jess Winters had plenty of ideas for what she wanted in her first cafe, so her partner Peter Tutton learned new skills to complete the vision, the pair harnessing some great talent to be part of their team. So, Double Barrel […]

Lakeview Espresso

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 […]

Hot Shott

Gold Coast café culture has done well from the downward shift in fine dining culture. Hot Shott is no exception. An example is owners and business partners, Chef Kellie Rolfe and Barista Jenna Finch, who took the opportunity to move from their jobs at Palazzo Versace to open their own business in Main Beach in […]

Return to Ipswich

There are lots of attractions that draw us to Ipswich. While many visit the city to enjoy rail or car racing events, our natural inclination is to visit the Top of the Town area to shop at specialty stores, stopping for coffee and a meal along the way. Fringed with green, it’s as though the […]

The Grounds of Alexandria, Sydney

The Grounds of Alexandria is a place we’ve been eager to visit since it opened in 2012, creator Ramzey Choker transforming the former industrial space in Alexandria, Sydney, into The Grounds with the aid of friend Jack Hanna, a coffee guru. Carrying reference to Babylon’s Hanging Gardens, The Grounds is the pair’s own vision of […]

Rumi Persian Restaurant

You don’t have to travel far to enjoy a taste adventure. In fact, it’s possible to stay on the Gold Coast and journey via your tastebuds to the exotic Middle East, dining on the authentic cuisine of one of the oldest cultures in the world: Persia. Influenced by many surrounding countries through trade and migration, […]

The Fish Shak

There’s nothing that compares to a great fish and chip shop with a water view, and that’s exactly what you get at The Fish Shak. The latest venture of Liz and Justin Allie, (also co-owners of Longboards Laidback Eatery), the former Café Rockpool has been transformed into an upmarket yet casual licensed ‘dine in or […]

Nonna’s

“Eat better, Drink happy.” Opened in 2005, Nonna’s is a good example of a family restaurant that gives the people what they want. Always popular, the recent renovation will make it even more so. As they’d done with House of Brews, the Kanaghines brothers embarked on a ‘discovery’ trip to the US to uncover food […]

A Weekend in Ipswich

The ‘grande dame’ of Queensland country towns, Ipswich may not immediately spring to mind as a holiday destination. Yet there’s lots to discover here in our own backyard, a fascinating history which unfolds before our eyes, a laid back lifestyle away from the bustle of city streets and people who will greet you in passing […]

BSKT Café, Mermaid Beach

When Titans Greg Bird, Nate Myles, Sel Berdie and Mat Rogers decided to open a restaurant with their friends, we were interested to check out the food of superheroes! Hype aside, BSKT is a simple concept: a dual function holistic café integrated with a yoga/pilates centre upstairs; a venue flooded with sunlight holding the best […]