The Gold Coast restaurants you can’t miss

Ask any local about Rick Shores in Burleigh Heads and you’re guaranteed to cop an earful of high praise and fond memories. Close enough to feel the salt spray, you won’t know what’s more impressive – the prime waterfront location or the flavour sensations blowing your mind, from starters like aged beef tataki with soy cured egg yolk and smoked sriracha through to the finger-licking main of sticky pork belly with apple, sesame and ginger, and salted caramel parfait with brown rice miso and potato skin for dessert.

Unsurprisingly, considering the guys behind the aprons hail from some of the country’s top South-East Asian restaurants, Rick Shores boasts a long list of awards. Year after year, it receives chef’s hats in the Australian Good Food Guide and landed a prized spot on the Australian Financial Review’s Top 100 Restaurants list.

Social Eating House, Broadbeach

This suave culinary hotspot garnered John Cusack’s Hollywood tick of approval, but we knew it was a winner well before then. The actor opted to dine at Social not one or two, but five nights running while filming on the Gold Coast. And you can’t blame him for being so smitten with the hatted restaurant and its Modern Australian fare.

Impeccable service, a classy fitout, quality charcuterie and cheeses, and inventive Spanish-inspired share plates make Social Eating House a stand out in Broadbeach’s Oracle complex. The dishes are works of art on a plate that are almost too good to eat.

Tip: Eat at the bar overlooking the buzzing kitchen for a slice of Manhattan living on the Gold Coast.

Restaurant Labart, Burleigh Heads

Sink into the Parisian-style seating, order yourself a cocktail or something from the natural-leaning wine list and find yourself humming along to the playlist while you peruse tonight’s menu. This is the neighbourhood local you wish you had at home.

One of the few Gold Coast restaurants to earn two chef’s hats in 2022, Labart quickly shot into best restaurant lists across the country since opening in 2018. And after one round of the Set Menu here – which changes regularly depending on what’s in season, you’ll understand why.

The Collective, Palm Beach

There are times when your crew just can’t agree on what they feel like eating. This is when you head for The Collective in the old Palm Beach post office and open yourself up to one big menu covering five individual kitchens with table service to boot.

With Italian, Mexican, Asian, Greek and American cuisines in the mix, you can work your way around the world in one sitting. The indoor-outdoor vibe makes this the perfect place to set up for a leisurely lunch. When the sun starts to go down, the fairy lights come on and the rooftop bar offers a prime spot for sunset sips.

For more amazing bars you need to try on the Gold Coast, see this list.

Maman, Burleigh Heads

One bite and you’ll want to give Maman a hug. French for mum, this Gold Coast restaurant was founded by two mums, Lizzy and Karen, on a mission to bring mouth-watering Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food to the beachside ‘burb.

This mission has been a success, and from the organic locally-sourced produce to sustainable wines, you’ll find Gold Coast locals flocking here to feast on plates of moussaka, local prawn fattoush and lamb tagine. End your evening with the rose yoghurt pannacotta and you’ll be looking for your next chance to come back again. 

Goccia Italian Pizzeria, Mermaid Beach

Mermaid Beach’s slice of Italy can be found at Goccia Italian Pizzeria –known as one of the best pizza joints on the Gold Coast. The restaurant offers a concise menu of traditional entrees, pasta and risotto, but pizza is king here. Pulled straight from the Italian pizza oven and onto your plate, choose from a wide range of tomato or white base pizzas made on traditional thin dough and topped with Anna and Goccia’s inventive combinations. Like the Sucati with mozzarella, zucchini, prawns, stracchino and fresh basil. Pair it with a bottle from the Italian-heavy wine list, and your night is complete.

The Tropic, Burleigh Heads

The vibe is buzzing over at Burleigh Pavilion, with locals flocking to the beachfront haunt at all hours of the day; but over on the ‘formal’ restaurant side at The Tropic, you get that epic view accompanied by some truly elevated dishes.

You might just fall in love when you spot the pretty pastel decor of pink terrazzo tables and seafoam chairs splashed around, which perfectly complement the stunning sunsets and rolling waves out the window.

As for the food? The approachable menu is ever-changing here, but you can't go wrong with a spread of kingfish tartare, southern rock lobster and frites, and the splurge-worthy 800g dry aged rib eye on the bone. Vegans are well looked after too. 

Jimmy Wah’s, Burleigh Heads

Jimmy Wah’s keeps it classy yet coastal with its blonde wood furniture and a light-filled space. The menu is refined Modern Vietnamese with love and care taken through its elegant share-inspired dishes.

Start with fresh prawn rice paper rolls and melt-in-the-mouth braised beef short rib buns, then move onto soul-warming mains like barramundi yellow curry and half chicken with morning glory, kaffir lime, tamarind and coconut cream. If you can’t decide what to eat, just utter two small words: Feed Me. That’s the chef’s cue to handpick a feast on your behalf.

Eddy + Wolff, Robina

Relatively new on the Gold Coast food scene – yet already scooping up a Chef’s Hat from Australian Good Food Guide – Robina’s Eddy + Wolff is well-worth the detour away from the sand and into the ‘burbs. Though you wouldn’t know it from the name, this is an intimate 22-seater Asian restaurant, helmed by Vien and Thao Nguyen.

If food tells a story, this is a heck of one. Eddy + Wolff celebrates their pair’s Vietnamese heritage, having fled as refugees with their families in the early 1980’s to eventually settle in Canberra; and the result is a meeting place of authentic dishes and boundary-pushing flavours.

Get cosy, order a few BBQ bites, then tuck into the signature dish of chargrilled king prawns with burnt garlic butter and shrimp paste, along with the ever-popular crunchy eggplant spiced with chilli caramel. Just be sure to save room for dessert: you may have never seen dishes like soy sauce ice cream and tofu cheesecake on a menu before, but now’s your chance.

Dinner is accompanied by Japanese whisky, sake and cocktails like the phogroni, flavoured with pho spices, gin, Campari, vermouth, cinnamon, basil and lime.

Justin Lane, Burleigh Heads

Nestled down a lane in the surfing mecca of Burleigh Heads, Justin Lane suits the cool vibe of this area to a T. The bohemian set congregates here in big numbers on a Friday and Saturday night (expect to queue) for some of the best pizzas on the Gold Coast.

The sourdough bases are Justin Lane’s signature, and the toppings vary from Italian classics to a few unexpected heroes, like the pistachio pizza or the chicken with olive and ricotta tapenade. The rooftop bar and cocktail list keeps you coming back for more. The passionfruit and chilli margarita is a crowd favourite and the eggplant chips with spicy arrabiata sauce are highly addictive.

Palette, Surfers Paradise

Food is edible art at Palette, a two-hatted Gold Coast restaurant that’s made its home within HOTA (Home of the Arts) in Surfers Paradise.

The fine-dining establishment made headlines for creating an edible version of Andy Warhol’s famous Campbell’s soup can, overflowing with chocolate, strawberries and cream, to celebrate a recent pop-art exhibition – and then collaborated with the great Marco Pierre White for a subsequent exclusive dinner. But any visit to Palette is a true feast for the senses. Executive Chef Dayan Hartill-Law brings finesse to a Modern Australian menu inspired by the exhibitions, while a decadent High Tea is offered every Sunday from 11am – 4pm. 

The North Room, Mermaid Beach

No two nights at The North Room are ever the same. Sourcing much of its ingredients from local farmers, like Traditional Owners Currie Country, the dishes are inspired by each new delivery of fresh produce that comes into its kitchen.

Earning a Chef's Hat in 2021, 2022 and 2023, the philosophy here is 'eat with your eyes' as you devour dishes that look like they belong in a gallery. The intimate dining room welcomes only 16 guests per sitting, making this the perfect place for a romantic date night. For just $99 per person, the five-course shared tasting style menu takes the decision making out of what to order.

Etsu, Mermaid Beach

Not the easiest place to find unless you’re in the know, look for the red lantern to begin a feast you’re sure to remember long after your last bite. A contemporary Japanese haven, Etsu Izakaya is tucked off the Gold Coast Highway in Mermaid Beach, and its moody atmosphere sets the scene of a night of share-plate style dining.

From the raw bar – try the blue fin tuna sashimi and Hamachi carpaccio – to sushi, yakitori, and wagyu steak cooked on the robata grill, Etsu’s menu is well deserving of its 2023 Chef’s Hat. If it’s your first visit, go for the set menu and top it off with a matcha tiramisu. 

Tommy's Italian, Currumbin

The Southern Gold Coast’s charm extends to its restaurant offering – and Tommy’s Italian is no exception. The Currumbin favourite partners Italian cooking with the best local produce, and brings it to the beachside. Book a table on the balcony for the best views, and pack your appetite to try it all: there’s a hefty antipasti menu, handmade pasta, pizza and more.

Our advice? Start with the truffle burrata and pistachio mortadella, savour the Bay bug spaghetti, split a few pizzas among the group, and finish it all off with berry panna cotta. 

Kiyomi, Broadbeach

World-class, fresh and inventive-as-Einstein Japanese is found in the form of two-hatted Kiyomi on the lobby level of The Star Gold Coast in Broadbeach.

Executive Chef Chase Kojima of Nobu and Sokyo (The Star, Sydney) is the master of the menu here, with a lengthy selection of small bites, tempura, grill traditional sushi and sashimi taking you from tuna tataki with carbonised leek aioli to cloud-like snapper tempura with coriander, chilli and black pepper amazu, then onto dry aged Maremma duck with wasabi jus. 

Once you’ve finished the last drop of sake, move on to dessert for the insanely good Goma Street signature stack or ravioli matcha mochi.

Light Years, Burleigh Heads

Punchy, bold Asian flavours meets a party atmosphere at Light Years. The brainchild of three Aussie lads, Light Years' Burleigh location has more than proved its popularity since opening in 2020; following the success of their sister restaurants in Noosa and Byron Bay.

An unbeatable dinner spot before kicking off a night on the Gold Coast, the cocktails are unique (like pineapple margaritas and coconut espresso martinis), the music is lively, and the menu is made to share. Settle in for mud crab and scallop dumplings, spicy Korean fried chicken bao buns, duck pancakes and cumin spiced cauliflower – but save room for the signature wagyu beef rendang curry. 

Still hungry?

• Head for these Gold Coast restaurants with epic water views.
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• Dine by Gold Coast precinct with this guide.
• Visit the top healthy cafes on the Gold Coast.