Food, Drink & Dining Out Gold Coast food scene

[Matchu]

So I thought it would be a cool idea to have Gold Coast/near Gold Coast residents share their knowledge of the food scene on the GC. First things first - No, I'm not talking about the McDonald's on the corner of Cavill Avenue in Surfers Paradise. This thread is intended to discuss good quality restaurants/eating areas.

exile Donble Sunny_ Corkie OB11 Experimental GC2015 tigernova Iva Bigun SUNS Big Red Machine GcSunsfan LynchysMob Phlanispo supernova_ SandyToes Sunraysia Lord_Flashheart TARGETMAN

I thought I'd start off with an area in Carrara (near Metricon) that is often referred to as the French Quarter. Although there is an obvious European theme, I actually like to think of it as a Little Italy more than anything else. It is located on The Boulevard, Carrara. Here are some pictures of the area:

You can already see there is an Italian theme going on and there also happens to be a piazza surrounded by restaurants with a 7-metre replica Statue of David right in the middle. I couldn't find a picture of the piazza but here's the Statue of David from behind with the Surfers Paradise skyline in the background:

I believe the piazza also contains a replica of the Spanish Steps from Rome. I haven't personally had anything to eat in the area but I've heard good things about the Athenia Greek restaurant in the piazza. I know there is also a French restaurant in the area called Garlic Cove. I'd be interested to hear if anyone else has eaten in the area and whether the food is any good. I drove through the area a few days ago and I can genuinely say the architecture is the closest you'll get to Europe on the Gold Coast.

Anyway, let's discuss more restaurants/eating areas you guys have tried or heard about.

 

[kreglze]

I have always driven past that lil European group of buildings but have never actually gone in there.

Last few times I have been back to the GC, I have stopped in at Brooklyn Depot in the Surfers Paradise bus terminal, the burgers there have been pretty good and I am a sucker for some nice American food.

 

[exile]

I've always wondered what that place was! Looked very european, makes sense haha. Thought it was apartments from afar.

Good thread idea, Matchu! Will definitely do a couple write ups.

 

[Matchu]

I have always driven past that lil European group of buildings but have never actually gone in there.

Last few times I have been back to the GC, I have stopped in at Brooklyn Depot in the Surfers Paradise bus terminal, the burgers there have been pretty good and I am a sucker for some nice American food.

Spot on, kreglze. Brooklyn Depot is very popular among the young folk of the Gold Coast. It's in a building called The 4217 located on Beach Road, Surfers Paradise (opposite Melbas) and I can confirm they make great burgers. It offers both an indoor and an outdoor setting. Here are some pictures:

Another popular restaurant at the moment is Justin Lane Establishment (rooftop) at 1708 Gold Coast Highway, Burleigh Heads. The pizza there is really good. Here is a picture:

 

[kreglze]

Justin Lane is also great!

 

[exile]

NIGHTQUARTER

"NightQuarter is a creative precinct that has been developed to bring high quality entertainment and cultural experiences to the Northern Gold Coast. The entry fee goes towards the costs of running the site including security, cleaning, maintenance, electricity and regular entertainment. The entry fee is $3 and kids under 12 have free entry. We look forward to seeing you at NightQuarter soon!"

Location: 1 Town Centre Drive, Helensvale
Opening Hours: 4pm-10pm every Friday & Saturday

---

This place used to be a patch of dirt that the visiting circus used to set up on every couple years. Besides that, it was used as staff parking for Westfield during xmas when us workers didn't want to get fines.

Now, it's a thriving food market, having opened to the public in late November '15. The photo above was from the opening night, of which the line was back near to options (for those who know the area haha).

It features a range of food, live music/entertainment and a variety of small stores throughout the complex, mainly set up in shipping containers similar to it's northern neighbour "Eat Street Markets" in Brisbane.

The main dining area, Hawker Street (as seen above), has a wide range of food stalls (the paella featuring prominently in the photo a personal favourite!) and seating areas. As you can tell, it can get quite busy. However, a pro-tip if you're walking from one end to another, don't walk right alongside the food stalls. Move inbetween the tables, much less traffic that way. Other foods featured in this area are schnitzel master, reid st kitchen (deserts & cakes), brat haus (german sausages), wildfire pizza, canadian cook shack, sate house, and a few others.

Next up is Tapas Street. More food through here, such as longboards (burgers - chips are killer from this place), tapas catania (south american), the pocket (falafel), gnocci gnocci brothers (italian), brooklyn meatball bar, kemuri japanese, totally shucked oysters, plus a few others.

These are the two main food halls, however there are probably twice as many more food stalls located on the outsides of these areas, such as churros, cronuts, tornado potatoes, waffles on a stick, pretzels, calamari, hungarian, kebabs, american style bbq, fudge, turkish gozleme, various drinks stalls, california tacos, and many more!

Another popular desert optio, as seen by the gathering crowd above, is World Famous Funnel Cakes. I haven't tried them yet, but I'll let you find out why they draw such a big crowd if you decide to go.

Live music is also featured throughout Nightquarter, with acoustic performances usually around Tapas Street & The Backyard (another smaller food space, with a "cook your own steak" stall & a bar).

The main music/entertainment comes from The Paddock. A large open space, usually situated with varying seating from stacks of pallets, to tables & chairs to beanbags. They'll occasionally do a fashion parade/kids area earlier in the night, then have the live music set up later on. There's a couple bars in this area too (along with in The Backyard & Tapas Street).

Along the outskirts of Nightquarter are numerous shipping containers, filled with more of the artsy/fashion type stalls. I've never really bothered with it, as I'm more interested in going for the food, but I can see why some people would go there to shop for that stuff.

Overall, I think it's a great venue. Something the northern gold coast has been lacking for quite a while. It's not overly pricey, around $10-$15 per main meal or something like that (don't quote me on that haha). It's been quite busy every time I've been, which is a good sign in terms of the longevity of this place. Also the fact there's a 300 or so long waiting list for vendors is promising that Nightquarter will stick around for a while! A few of the suns boys occasionally go as well.

 

[Matchu]

Nice write up, exile. I have been to the NightQuarter in Helensvale and it's definitely a great way to spend a night. Great food and great entertainment. I think it's $3 entry from memory.

 

[Matchu]

Has anyone tried the restaurants on Chevron Island? Particularly Boom Boom or Tribeca?

 

[Experimental]

Has anyone tried the restaurants on Chevron Island? Particularly Boom Boom or Tribeca?

I've been to the tavern there that sells $2 rumps

 

[Matchu]

One restaurant I've always wondered about that I've never had the chance to experience is Hellenika in Mermaid Beach/Nobby Beach. I believe it is a Greek themed restaurant that is considered to be one of the best on the GC. Has anyone tried it?

 

[Matchu]

The Fish House in Burleigh Heads was today announced the best restaurant on the Gold Coast.