Little Mermaid

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 […]

Koi Broadbeach

‘The only constant in life is change’ Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, and that’s certainly true of the dining scene in Broadbeach. Restaurants open, close, change owners, staff and cuisine so often that it’s hard to keep track. Among them, there are several stayers that set the standard of food and service for the rest, their […]

Rick Shores

Rick Shores brings a warm tropical breeze to Gold Coast dining. Opened by the owners of LONgTIME, Brisbane, Rick Shores occupies one of the most revered spots on the coast, the ground floor level of the iconic Burleigh Pavilions, seaside dining at its best. Today, the sea is calm. We enter the restaurant down the […]

Yamagen’s Friday Lunch by Asahi

Yamagen’s ‘Friday Lunch by Asahi’ is an introduction to delight; a finely nuanced mini-degustation of the best of the best. I’m a huge fan of the long lunch. There’s no better start to the weekend than the Friday afternoon ‘flex’. As you leave work early to slip away for a sneaky lunch, there’s a hint […]

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 […]

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 […]

The Bazaar Brunch

Sunday Brunch has become the new meetup; a time to relax and enjoy an indulgent weekend with friends before launching into another working week. Where better to meet than at Bazaar in the QT, the retro-themed hotel famous for its award-winning interactive breakfast and dinners, now offering ‘The Bazaar Brunch’ every Sunday from 11am – […]

Quan 55 & Bar

If you visit Quan 55 in search of a traditional Vietnamese restaurant, you might just be disappointed. Quan 55 is all that and more. Wynn Huynh, who owns Quan 55 with her husband Thanh Tram, is the first to tell us that she has never felt confined by expectations. So, you should expect the unexpected! […]

The Cuban

The glamour of Cuba in the 1950s is legendary. In the favoured holiday destination of movie stars and celebrities, at chic bars and stylish restaurants, tables were laden with food and mojitos flowed. Socialites partied on in a haze of cigar smoke, their drivers waiting outside in Studebakers lined along the street. But trouble was […]