08 Feb 2023
If fine dining is your jam, then no matter where you are on the Goldie, there’s a restaurant for you.
From intimate dining to expansive views, the Gold Coast has a plethora of amazing places to eat. Be prepared to experience some of Australia’s best seafood.
If it’s intimacy that you’re looking for, then head to The North Room at Mermaid Beach.
The North Room hosts up to 20 guests per sitting; six per table maximum. There are two sittings at night: starting at 5pm and 7:30pm. Lunch is offered on Fridays and Saturdays.
The North Room is certainly a place for the adventurous and tempting for those looking to have their taste buds tingled.
The menu is seasonal and diners choose from five of the eight dishes on the daily menu. A sample menu demonstrates the breadth of the culinary offerings: bay lobster, curry leaf and choko; Hervey Bay scallops, pigs ear and melon; lamb, oats and black garlic served with kale. Finish off with beetroot and strawberry yoghurt or the potato skin ice cream, honeycomb and apple.
Bookings are available up to three months in advance and are essential.
Let’s be honest, a view always adds to a dining experience, and Seascape Restaurant has arguably the best view on the Goldie.
Inside Seascape the lighting is moody because who needs lights with a view like this? And when you can drag your eyes from looking at the Pacific, your plate will be equally as fascinating.
But first make your choice from the two, three or five course options. Of course there are oysters and fresh fish; but don’t forget the squid ink spaghetti with Pacific lobster or the coconut tempura prawns and that’s just some of the starters. Mains include Moreton Bay bugs and Queensland prawns on salad as well as lobster and crab lasagne. For the less seafood inclined there’s Cape Byron beef tenderloin or free range chicken involtini with prosciutto and celeriac puree.
Finish off with a hazelnut creme brulee or a peanut butter parfait.
Ringside seats to the view are premium so book in advance.
Looking to impress someone, then Palette at the HOTA (Home of the Arts) in Surfers is your destination.
Palette has two chef’s hats and four, yes four, menus. It’s casual too so leave the high heels and put on your elastic-waist pants.
The tasting menu has nine dishes and includes seafood, lamb, pork belly and some of the best bread and miso butter you’ll ever taste. And go on, add wine, we know you want to.
But wait, there’s more – the dessert menu has five dishes that scream ‘life’s so short start with dessert’, a philosophy we heartily endorse.
Palette is truly the way forward in contemporary dining experiences – don’t forget to arrive early enough to browse the art gallery!
Social Eating House offers fine dining in a casual atmosphere.
Front up to the bar and watch staff prepare your meals – who doesn’t like watching someone else work? Bar snacks are always fun and Social Eating House offers savoury donuts, sesame rice crackers and lamb empanadas.
Or sit outside and soak up the Goldie atmosphere. Small plates of sashimi, quail or prawns are popular. If you’ve with a bevy of friends then share a king prawn risotto or slow-cooked lamb shoulder or one of their charcuterie boards.
Social Eating House – the vibe is in the name: pile the table high with food and surround it with your besties.
Lunchtime is truly the best time to enjoy the panoramic views from Rick Shores. The Burleigh Heads waters are sparkling blue and the perfect accompaniment to the seafood spread you’ll enjoy.
Truly, if you can corral at least five more friends then the set menu at Rick Shores is the obvious choice. I mean yellowtail kingfish, Wagyu pot stickers, Moreton Bay bug roll (house speciality for sure), karaage chicken and banana blossom salad… and there’s more.
At the risk of stating the obvious, book ahead to secure a front-row panoramic window table.