4 FOODIE HAUNTS IN PALM BEACH

If you’re seeking the latest emerging dining precinct of the Gold Coast, look no further than Palm Beach. It’s hot, hot, hot, with each week bringing a new opening, each one very different to the last.

Several local cafés such as Barefoot Barista and Espresso Moto have quietly shone, with restaurants such as Burgster joining them in recent years. From local bars and tapas joints to cutting edge foodie haunts where ‘foraging, fermenting and farming’ delight the senses, there are dining offerings in Palm Beach to suit every palate. Now boasting more than 50 restaurants and cafés, the once sleepy suburb is now the new destination for discriminating diners. Here are some of the local favourites:

WILDERNIS CAFÉ + BAR

Bright and light, Wildernis Café + Bar captures the Palmy vibe perfectly. Bi-fold doors open the venue to alfresco dining, as light floods the restaurant from a sun roof overhead. Coffee’s on at 5.30am along with smoothies and juices, with brekkie starting at 6 – early enough to please tradies and beach walkers.

Breakfast gets a good showing on this menu, from a Botanical Bowl or Garden Brekkie through the likely suspects to the decadent Buttermilk Pancakes topped with berries, ice cream, maple syrup, Nutella and nuts.

Lunchtime backs up with burgers for a fast getaway, but take time to dwell and enjoy dishes such as Bangalow pork belly and tuna. There’s nothing ordinary about these dishes; the pork is beautifully presented with a thyme-roasted apple topped with a sticky glaze and crisp crackling; and the Rare crusted yellowfin tuna plated up on a deconstructed Niçoise salad with cauli cream and basil oil. It’s the perfect lunch – fresh, local, innovative, perfectly cooked and tastefully presented.

On weekends, the venue stretches out into lazy decadent days, with a tapas menu kicking in from afternoon until late; just the place to share plates of food and a few drinks. Plenty of choice, with seven beers on tap and a page of smart cocktails.

Head upstairs to the rooftop-style space for cocktails and share plates.  The light and airy, Mediterranean-style space looks out to the beach below for the ultimate wind down setting.  One thing’s for sure…this bit of Wildernis certainly won’t go astray!
Where: 1166 Gold Coast Highway, Palm Beach

BALBOA

It’s hard to miss Balboa as you drive through Palm Beach, its red brick two-storey building forming an imposing picture; even more so at night when the interior emanates a warm glow and the tables spill over with food, drinks and good times.

The latest venture of Avvia owners Ehud (Eddie) and Cherie Uzan, Balboa is a classy venue, oozing Italian sophistication. Its vaulted ceiling is studded with exposed beams and a chandelier. Beneath, a stairway takes us to the mezzanine level overlooking the huge bar. This is ‘rustic Italian’, a 120-seat restaurant where an extended family could gather and celebrate. Historic photographs and regalia, including a Vespa perched amid the rafters, transport us away to another time and place.

Wood-fired pizza is made to order in the Napoli-sourced oven and pasta is handmade daily. Choose antipasti to start, such as Fiori di zucca ripieni (zucchini flowers with ricotta, anchovies and eggplant), roast octopus, or Affettati Misti (Italian and Australian salami hanging on a stand, accompanied by burrata, olives, pickled vegetables and caponata).

Then move on to pizza (also available in gluten-free), primi (pasta), gnocchi, risotto or secondi (mains) with sides. The dishes are simple Italian classics, well done and packed with flavour. From Pizza Bianchi with caramelized onions, slivered potato, fior di latte, pancetta and truffle oil; luscious Linguini de gamberi (pasta with prawns), to the rich Chestnut gnocchi served with black truffle, sage and Grana Padano – plates can be shared. Balance with a tangy chilli and lemon-laced sugar leaf salad for a summer lunch.
Where: 1069 Gold Coast Highway, Palm Beach

THE COLLECTIVE

Every so often something radically different comes along in the dining scene; an idea which gives new life to our culinary scene. The Collective at Palm Beach is just that. A restaurant version of a food market, The Collective is the brainchild of Jeremy Davidson and Chloe and Wayne Hubbard.

“As a family, we love food and eating out, and have always craved somewhere that offers a variety of choices of different cuisines in a restaurant service style environment,” Jeremy tells us.

Featuring a menu cooked in five kitchens, all under one roof, each person dining can choose a different world cuisine from some of our favourite chefs:

• Luckies Diner from Erin and Lucas Schranz brings us casual American cuisine, including their burgers, wings and sides made famous at Easy Street Diner;
• The Italian Job from Jorge Mauleon of Bread and Butter fame serves up woodfired pizza and tapas;
• Umami’s Vincent Seng (ex-Mamasan) puts fresh Asian flavours on the plate;
• Calavera Cantina offers a new fresh taste of Mexico – ceviche, raw and vegan dishes, slow dry-roasted meats and seafood to share;
• The Kitchen @ The Collective is an all-day Modern Australian dining kitchen offering share plate dining at lunch and dinner.

The courtyard mural says it all: ‘Better Together’, a principle shown in this collective of great chefs, transforming the old Palm Beach Post Office into an airy 300-seat, seven-day-a-week venue. A rooftop bar and barista cart complete the drink options. Complementing the southern Gold Coast’s already vibrant social scene, The Collective features live music on weekends.

“Palm Beach was a natural choice for us as we live here, but we are also excited to see Palmy flourish with a selection of openings that are going to firmly cement the area as a great new dining precinct for the Gold Coast,” Jeremy adds.
Where: 1128 Gold Coast Hwy. Palm Beach

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