Like its namesake, the exotic saffron flower. Kesari has two colours: the violet hue of modern ‘soulfood’ for breakfast and lunch and the glow of saffron at night when its Indian-infused menu is on offer. After building a bar and undertaking a quick renovation to the venue, in March 2022 co-owner and manager Sunil ‘Sunny’...

“Great coffee, tasty toasties and pastries, and friendly vibes.” The latest hidden gem on the northern Gold Coast is Santa Barbara Specialty Coffee, the small café with lots of heart. After serving coffee in some of the coast’s best cafés for years, barista Kevin Gatti knew what he and his wife Emma would place value...

From heritage to adventure, from culture to country, there are lots of reasons to visit Ipswich. Ipswich is the starting point for many journeys, both around the city and to the countryside beyond. Whether you visit to follow your main interest in car racing, mountain bike riding, antiques shopping, camping, canoeing and adventuring, taking a...

Entering Blackboard Varsity you get the feels. It’s a chilled place where you feel comfortable. Some patrons are working on laptops, others sipping coffee or talking to friends. Staff smile and say hello in passing. It strikes me that this is a happy place, ‘inclusive’ in every way. ‘Good times daily in the heart of...

NOTE: Miu Coffee has been rebranded Royal Le Restaurant. Royal Le is a new sweet spot for Chirn Park locals. It’s a place where everyone is invited to gather, catch up over coffee or an interesting meal. The Gold Coast is made up of many communities, each with their own distinct vibe. Locals eat, drink...

There are few suburbs on the Gold Coast built to encourage a sense of community well-being, however Emerald Lakes is one of them. Oozing the charm of a modern European-inspired village, its centre is surrounded by a village, an 18-hole golf course and clubhouse, along with 13 kilometres of walking and bike tracks around a...

Grazeway, the latest café to pop up in Nerang, is a great addition to the developing Tibbing Street food precinct. For Akita and Christian, owners of Grazeway Café in Nerang, their business is about art. The art of food. Fresh and bright, the new venue focuses on Modern Australian café cuisine, bringing a younger demographic...

Little Mermaid is a haven for the Mermaid Beach ‘coastal community with a village feel’. It’s a home away from home for many, a place to hang out with friends, and a venue with the vibes they love. “This venue has been created with one clear vision,” Little Mermaid’s website states, “to foster friendships, generate...

Hazel Nguyen’s eponymous café, Hazel Espresso, is a place of passion. Named after Hazel by her partner and co-owner, Long Tran, Hazel Espresso is dedicated to a fusion of cultures, flavours and colours. In fact, that’s exactly what gets our attention. Having left their jobs as hospitality managers in Melbourne, Hazel and Long have opened...

Milk Money Espresso harks back to simpler times when milk was such a necessity that milk money was put aside in a tin to make sure it wasn’t spent elsewhere.   Now, for many people, the daily espresso is equivalent to ‘milk money’, a mental health essential that fires up the day and makes life...