Black Sheep Bistro

If there’s an unsung hero of the northern dining scene, it’s the Black Sheep Bistro. Located not far from the Oxenford turnoff, the Black Sheep is a local favourite, especially for its weekend breakfasts and lunches. To Australians, ‘black sheep’ carries the connotation of a stray, or disreputable family member. However, my New Zealand childhood […]

Chaffey Bros. Wine Co. Winter Event at Season Restaurant

It’s perfect winter weather for the Taste Tweed Festival with bright sunny days and cooler nights. The whole month of July is filled with events: tours, lunches, tastings, dinners, markets, picnics, cooking classes and fashion events. One of the pinnacle events is the festival’s much anticipated signature dinner held at Season Restaurant, Peppers Salt Resort […]

Red Hot Cod

Simon Scott lives and breathes the ocean. Born and raised on the Gold Coast, Simon’s a keen surfer and fisherman. When he’s not out on the ocean, he’s in the kitchen cooking the catch. So, it’s understandable that when Simon and his wife Buffie opened a seafood shop in Burleigh it would be within sight […]

Lucky Bao

They say that the mark of great food is whether you remember when, where and who you were with when you ate it… Even the smell and sensation of texture can linger on… That’s not all I remember. Memories of my bao epiphany featured groans punctuated by exclamation: “Bloody hell! That’s the best damn bun […]

Tonic on Chirn, Labrador

With the village-like hub of Chirn Park a rising star in Gold Coast dining, Tonic on Chirn is a tried and true local hero, an establishment where we can recommend food, drink, ambience and service as being equally important and on point. Walk into Tonic on Chirn, and you could be mistaken for thinking that […]

Harajuku Gyoza Beer Stadium

Get on your ‘little Japanese dumplings of happy’ and get down to Harajuku Gyoza in the Broadbeach Mall. If the combination of beer and gyoza is not enough to put you into a spin, add the zany elements of ‘Harajuku’ and you’ll be doubly happy! The largest of seven outlets of the phenomenally successful chain […]

Two Wise Fish

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, […]

Crab Carnival 2018 at The Balcony Bar, Byron Bay

“Are you sure you want to go out in this weather?” he asks. “Crabs!” I reply. Just one word. It’s enough to get us moving from the comfort of the lounge, out into a storm wild enough to blow crabs up onto the beach; not enough deterrent, though, to keep us from eating crabs with […]

La Barrita

“How come we’ve never been here before?” We shake our heads as we walk away from La Barrita, impressed. Nestled in between Fins and Bombay Cricketers Club in Salt Village, La Barrita opened in December 2017, slipping quietly onto the tail end of the ‘Mexican wave’ of coastal openings. While the opening of some restaurants […]

Sage Café Restaurant

Chances are that if you’ve been to Broadbeach for holidays, you’ve eaten at Sage. Slung around a winning corner in the highly competitive Broadbeach dining area, Sage has been a solid performer over the last few years. Now under new owners, a whole Asian Fusion menu has been introduced and we can’t get enough of […]