Food & Drink

There is always something cooking in Gold Coast kitchens and new restaurants to sample on the ever-emerging Gold Coast culinary scene. Just pick your favourite location - from waterfront, beachfront, beachside, rooftop or even served straight from a vintage caravan and you’ll find something new. We’ve got award-winning restaurateurs and chefs bringing their best to the beaches and ‘burbs of the Gold Coast with some of the latest offerings including Australia’s largest plate of nachos weighing in at a whopping 1kg, frugal-friendly $5 tacos and bottomless margaritas, to succulent Cantonese inspired seafood, the Gold Coast’s first tap wine bar and an Australia’s charity first, not-for-profit, run by the people cafe. Get your tastebuds ready - it’s time to feast!

Blessed with a long stretch of beaches, waterways that snake through our heart and high-rises offering elevated perspectives, you’ll always have a stellar view to choose from on the Gold Coast. For a nautical twist, opt to dine with a marina view at Sanctuary Cove or Marina Mirage. Surfers Paradise has plenty of beach-grazing restaurants to choose from and if you pop up a level or two from the ground, water views all the way to the horizon. You’ll find some of the best vantage points in Queensland from the dining decks of our salt-infused surf clubs in Broadbeach, Palm Beach and Coolangatta, and for an iconic view, book a place at Burleigh, where a clutch of the Gold Coast’s best restaurants perch right on the water’s edge.

Our most well-known address is having a renaissance and cuisine is leading the way with some of the best restaurants on the Gold Coast calling Surfers Paradise home. Tempt your tastebuds with sea-to-table at succulent seafood buffets or grab a seat at a sushi bar to devour dishes chefs have prepared right in front of your eyes. There’s a 40-million-dollar food-inspired make-over of the Paradise Centre, with eight gleaming new eateries to try, plus a microbrewery, the Gold Coast’s largest rooftop bar and a beer hall with 32 beers on tap. You’ll also find Michelin-starred Cantonese, a cellar boasting 2000 wines and a burger that comes with a challenge to see if you can wrap your appetite around its 1.6kg size.

You’ll be spoilt for choice for fine dining on the Gold Coast, with our luxury hotels offering opulent five-star dining experiences, top-rated (and reviewed) restaurants serving some of the very best in haute cuisine, and innovative up-and-coming chefs delivering their own artistic interpretation of supreme coastal cuisine. There are hatted, starred and awarded restaurants dotted along the beachside, and scattered throughout the suburbs too. When it comes to Australia’s finest, Gold Coast restaurants are regularly named amongst our country's best by famous foodies.

 

Blog: https://www.destinationgoldcoast.com/blog/fine-dining-on-the-gold-coast

With an endless array of eats to sample on the Gold Coast, every taste is catered for. From some of the freshest seafood plucked fresh from our surrounding seas and multi-cultural cuisines spanning all corners of the globe including Mexican, Italian, Greek, Moroccan, Cantonese, Indian, Chinese, African, Japanese, Thai, Brazilian and so much more. Modern Australian is considered the Gold Coast’s local cuisine, and you’ll find our menus richly layered with fresh local produce alongside flavours that take inspiration from our multi-cultural community, representing a myriad of cultures from across the world. Anyone with dietary requirements can be confident they’ll find a fabulous meal, from Halal, to vegan, gluten free and vegetarian.

Yes, most restaurants offer a choice of meals that include gluten-free, vegan and pescatarian options. Vegetarian and vegan eateries are popular on the Gold Coast, with a focus on whole foods and organic produce, you can find cafes, restaurants and food trucks serving delicious and wholesome cuisine to suit all tastes and dietary preferences.

In some cases, you can but it is best to check with the restaurant either by contacting them or visiting their website online to see if BYO (bring your own) is available. You may find that some restaurants charge corkage for BYO, but it is generally just a small token fee for providing beverage service and glassware.

The dress code is generally smart casual for most restaurants on the Gold Coast, which includes a collared or long-sleeve shirt, polo shirt or clean t-shirt for gentlemen with dress shorts or lightweight trousers and a casual dress, lightweight trousers or dress shorts for women. Footwear is required to be worn at all times, and some restaurants request no singlets or swimwear to be worn. If the restaurant is a beach bar, the dress code will usually accommodate a cover-up worn over swimmers and singlets may be permitted also. The Gold Coast offers plenty of relaxed, alfresco dining options, but it is advisable to check with your preferred dining establishment before arriving to ensure dress codes are considered.

Most restaurant kitchens close by 10pm so, to find something to eat on the Gold Coast head to the entertainment precincts in Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach. You’ll often find food trucks and hole-int-the-wall eateries offering late-night menus including moreish kababs to steaming bowls of ramen, sushi and burgers. Fast food Chains such as McDonalds and KFC stay open late, as do some service stations and convenience stores, and if you are really late - coffee shops and bakeries usually start opening around 5 am.

It is always advisable to book popular restaurants well ahead of time. This will ensure you are not only able to secure your preferred time of dining but also make any requests for seating or specialty menu items too. Some popular restaurants have wait lists that can stretch into months, particularly in summer, when dining out at night is pleasant, so if you can reserve restaurant bookings, you won’t miss out on trying somewhere new or feasting on your favourite local dish. If you are a large group, it is advisable to book well in advance to ensure you can be seated together.

No, restaurants on the Gold Coast do not automatically add a service charge to the bill when dining. Tipping is not considered an Australian custom, although if you choose to tip for exemplary service or an excellent meal, most restaurants will offer it as an option before you finalise your account, or there will be a tip jar available for you to add cash. Australia does however charge a goods and service tax on all purchases made, so expect to pay an additional 10% on top of item prices that appear on the menu if there are not already listed as inclusive of GST. On public holidays (ANZAC Day, Labour Day, Easter Monday etc) many restaurants and cafés will include a 15% surcharge on your bill.

There are plenty of kid-friendly dining options on the Gold Coast. From casual surf clubs that can invite kids to eat for free and casual bistros offering playground equipment, playrooms and video games close to family dining areas. Most restaurants will offer a kids’ menu, plus a colouring book and pencils to keep them entertained. Kids are welcome at most restaurants on the Gold Coast, including fine-dining establishments, and will often receive a free dessert or ice cream when dining with parents and ordering from the kids' menu.