From Southport and Palm Beach to Currumbin and Coolangatta all the way down on the Queensland-New South Wales border, the Gold Coast’s long, idyllic coastline is dotted with a never-ending array of foodie spots waiting to be discovered.

For all the other must-try foodie spots at the Gold Coast:

Bam Bam Bakehouse | Mermaid Beach

Directly off the Gold Coast Highway in Mermaid Beach is Bam Bam Bakehouse, a much-loved and highly frequented favourite among locals and day-trippers alike. A major drawcard for many is the cafe’s glass cabinet stocked full of freshly made, ever-changing sweet and savoury baked goods - make sure you arrive sooner rather than later to avoid disappointment, especially if you’re looking to get your hands on the crowd favourite salted caramel eclair.

Beyond an incredibly tempting selection of artisan pastries, the cafe offers a range of well-priced, delicious, all-day dishes. The ‘Bam Bam Benny’ is definitely one of the standout dishes on the menu - a classic eggs benedict, but served in one of the cafe’s heavenly croissants, which take three days to make! So, though you’re likely going to wait for a table, particularly on the weekend, and securing a nearby car park can be a challenge, it will be well worth the wait.

View Bam Bam Bakehouse’s menu.

2519 Gold Coast Hwy, Mermaid Beach QLD 4218

Open 7 Days 7.00am - 3.00pm

WHAT WAS ORDERED:

BACON & EGG ROLL Streaky bacon, fried egg, rocket, cheese, shoestring potatoes and sriracha mayo, warm milk bun.

BAM BAM BENNY Two poached eggs, ham off the bone, tarragon, hollandaise, toasted Bam Bam croissant.

SALTED CARAMEL ECLAIR Crispy choux pastry, vanilla creme pat, topped with salted-caramel ganache + crunchy salted-caramel balls.

LEMON MERINGUE PIE IN A JAR

TOMMY’S ITALIAN | currumbin

An 120-seat trattoria opposite Currumbin Beach, Tommy’s Italian offers simple, but delicious Italian fare served alongside incredible ocean views. Spread over two levels, the best seats in the house are undoubtedly located upstairs on the mezzanine, allowing open-air alfresco dining with the best view of the beach - make sure to book in advance, there’s only three tables available! Plus, the beachfront restaurant serves breakfast favourites in the morning and features a dedicated takeaway window for all your grab-and-go needs.

View Tommy’s Italian menu.

4818 Pacific Parade, Currumbin QLD 4223

Open 7 Days 6.00am - 10.00pm (Monday & Tuesday open till 2.00pm)

WHAT WAS ORDERED:

FOCACCIA DELLA NONNA

BURRATA

LP’S HOT SALAMI

KING PRAWN FETTUCCINE with garlic, chilli.

DUCK RAGU PAPPARDELLE with red wine, parsley, parmigiano.

Ladybird Restaurant & Bar | Southport

Situated on the waterfront overlooking the marina, Ladybird Restaurant & Bar is a prime spot to wine and dine whilst watching the sunset. Connected to the ultra-luxurious Palazzo Versace hotel in the Marina Mirage precinct, this premier restaurant offers a wide selection of shareable dishes inspired by the vibrant flavours of the Mediterranean and Southeast Asia, all with a refined twist.

For accommodation nearby read about my stay at Palazzo Versace

View Ladybirds’s menu.

94 Seaworld Dr, Main Beach QLD 4217

Open 7 Days 11.30am - 8.30pm (Saturday & Sunday open till 9pm)

WHAT WAS ORDERED:

SCALLOPS Seared scallops, crispy pork belly, infused sea lettuce, miso mayo, yuzu glaze, puffed rice crisp.

CRISPY PRAWNS Crunchy prawns, paprika salt, lemon pepper, chilli, garlic aioli.

BAO BUNS Tempura Moreton Bay bugs, pickled radish, sriracha mayo, charcoal bun.

SALMON Miso glazed sous vide fillet, char finished, Japanese slaw, sesame ponzu beurre blanc.

PORK Teeth sticking pork belly, spiced pumpkin puree, caramelised lime, papaya slaw.

STRAWBERRY DAIQUIRI White rum, strawberry liqueur, lime juice, strawberries.

LAS PALMAS BAR & RESTAURANT | PALM BEACH

From Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Cuba and beyond, Latin American cuisine is incredibly diverse and is rarely seen on menus in Australia, making Las Palmas Bar & Restaurant a unique find. Overlooking beautiful Palm Beach, Las Palmas is open and airy and features a menu especially designed to be shared with friends and family, giving everyone the chance to try a wide variety of dishes.

View Las Palamas menu.

1097 Gold Coast Hwy, Palm Beach QLD 4221

Open 4 Days Thursday - Sunday Midday - Midnight (Thursday & Friday opens at 4.00pm)

WHAT WAS ORDERED:

POLLO FRITO Fried chicken, bao buns, corriander, mojo crillo, huacatay dressing.

PAPA RELLENA Potato puree, slow cooked beef, homemade sweet chilli mayonaise.

HOT CHOCOLATE

THE MILKMAN’S DAUGHTER | Mermaid Beach

A cosy, intimate hidden gem tucked away down Alfred Street, just off the Gold Coast Highway and a few hundred metres from the beach, The Milkman’s Daughter was founded on the philosophy of eating and living consciously - think slow eating, mindful meals, wellness, and relaxation. With the owners believing food plays a key role in good health, each of the dishes on the cafe’s seasonal menu has been hand-selected to offer customers delicious vegetarian, wholesome, and honest food.

The presentation of the food has too clearly been thoughtfully considered, with the dishes all bursting with colour and served in a beautifully rustic way. The cafe itself is also a visual treat, with the cafe incased in a white aesthetic with lush green plant accents, featuring two iconic white igloo style seating areas, an open high up window seat for solo diners and street-front outdoor seating.

View The Milkman’s Daughter’s menu.

43 Alfred St, Mermaid Beach QLD 4218

Open 7 Days 7.30am - 1.00pm (Saturday & Sunday open till 2.00pm)

WHAT WAS ORDERED:

LEMON RICOTTA PANCAKES Vegan pancakes, lemon ricotta, house vanilla turmeric custard, walnuts, passionfruit reduction, berries, pistachios, lemon zest, edible flowers.

COLD PRESSED GREEN Apple, celery, cucumber, kale, lime, ginger.

HOT CHOCOLATE

MISS MEE | NOBBY BEACH

Miss Mee is an expansive Southeast Asian inspired restaurant and bar in Nobby Beach, owned and operated by the founders of Justin Lane in Burleigh Heads. Notably, Miss Mee occupies the same space which used to be home to much-loved Greek restaurant, Hellenika, which closed after ten years of successful operation at the tail-end of 2019. To ensure Miss Mee possessed a distinctive feel and edge to it, the whole space was extensively renovated and completely reimagined, cultivating in a huge open-plan rooftop bar and neon-lit and stylish ground-floor dining area. With three fully-equipped bars, private dining rooms, and private booth seating available, whether you’re looking for an upbeat party vibe or a more intimate dining experience, Miss Mee can cater to your needs. In terms of food, Miss Mee’s menu is described as, authentic yet modest, and with dishes divided into ‘small’ and ‘big’ is very much designed for sharing.

View Miss Mee’s food menu and drinks menu.

2235 Gold Coast Hwy, Nobby Beach QLD 4218

Open 5 Days Wednesday - Sunday Midday - Midnight (Wednesday & Thursday open 5.00pm-10.00pm)

WHAT WAS ORDERED:

NASI GORENG Indo fried rice, onion, minced chicken recap manis and fried egg.

SALT & PEPPER SQUID

SATAY CHICKEN SKEWERS with peanut sauce.

BAO Panko crusted chicken.

SMOKING SINGAPORE SLING Lapsung Souchon Washed Bombay Sapphire, Cherry Heering, Dom Benedictine, lime, pineapple and pomegranate.

Mr. | NOBBY BEACH

Mr. is a sleek modern Australian restaurant and bar with pink cherry blossoms and a killer cocktail list. If you’re looking for a place to sip on fancy, Instagram-worthy cocktails, then Mr. is hands down one of the best places to visit on he coast, with a vast selection of quirky, one-of-a-kind creations available. If you’re struggling to decide, the signature Assiette of Teeny Tinys - a platter of three mini cocktails - might very well be the solution. Beyond drinks, Mr.’s progressive share-style food menu, split into sections based on size - smaller plates, a little bigger, and larger plates - is also rather impressive. Depending on the occasion, you can choose to sit alfresco (although there is no real view to speak of), or inside in the intimate 30-seat dining room where a mushroom-hued banquette-style couch lines the perimeter and stools at the bar scream cocktails.

View Mr.’s menu.

28 Chairlift Ave, Nobby Beach QLD 4218

Open 5 Days Wednesday - Sunday Midday - Midnight (Wednesday & Thursday open 5.00pm -11.00pm)

WHAT WAS ORDERED:

WATERMELON MARTINI

BROOKIES BRYON DRY GIN

custard canteen | palm beach

Custard Canteen, nestled at the front of the Gold Coast Recreation Centre at Tallebudgera Creek, is founded by the talented team behind the much-loved, iconic Bam Bam Bakehouse. Where Bam Bam Bakehouse’s specialty is the croissant, at Custard Canteen it is all about Portuguese custard tarts. Laminating fresh puff pastry daily and pulling these buttery, crisp flaky cocoons with a belly full of warm sweet yolk custard fresh out of the oven every 30 minutes, so always fresh and warm, are truly heavenly. Beyond melt-in-the-mouth Portuguese custard tarts, Custard Canteen offers a concise all-day menu - similar to that of Bam Bam Bakehouse - featuring an array of reasonably priced dishes, such as the Butter Boy Benny, Prawn Po Boy, and Reef Burger.

View Custard Canteen’s menu.

1525 Gold Coast Hwy, Palm Beach QLD 4221

Open 7 Days 6.30am - 3.00pm 

WHAT WAS ORDERED:

BUTTER BOY BENNY Two poached eggs, toasted Bam Bam croissant, hollandaise and bacon.

OWEN’S FRESHLY SQUEEZED OJ

PORTUGUESE CUSTARD TART

BLUEBERRY & LEMON CURD MUFFIN

Cafe D’bar | Coolangatta

Right on the border of Queensland and New South Wales, Cafe D’bar is another must-visit for all self-confessed foodies. Cafe D’bar prides itself on sourcing the very freshest of ingredients, and all locally too, from the Gold Coast Hinterland down to the Northern Rivers of New South Wales and Byron Shire. If you can, head upstairs for a more intimate dining experience and to enjoy unobstructed ocean views.

For accommodation nearby read about my stay at Reflections Coolangatta Beach

View Cafe Dbar’s menu.

275 Boundary St, Coolangatta QLD 4225

Open 7 Days 6.30am - 4.00pm 

WHAT WAS ORDERED:

EGGS BENEDICT Poached eggs, wilted spinach, hollandaise, and micro herbs served on fresh toasted sourdough with Bangalow bacon.

FREE RANGE EGGS Bangalow bacon rashers, grilled tomato, rustic potato and tomato relish on fresh toasted sourdough.

SUMMER DAZE Pineapple, watermelon, mango, and passionfruit.

just over the border.

CUBBY BAKEHOUSE | CHINDERAH

Yet another creation from the talented duo behind Bam Bam Bakehouse (and Paddock Bakery and Custard Canteen), is Cubby Bakehouse, located on the Tweed River in Chinderah, New South Wales - so not in the Gold Coast, but just a stone's throw away (approx. 15 minutes from Coolangatta). So, whilst Bam Bam Bakehouse is all about the croissant, Custard Canteen, the Portuguese custard tart, Cubby Bakehouse’s specialty is homemade French baguettes. Learning first-hand from a master baker in Paris, Cubby Bakehouse boasts to offer the best baguettes this side of Paris, as they are all baked in small batches all day long using only the best French flour to ensure customers only receive the freshest, best quality product, straight out of the oven - no baguette sits on the shelf longer than two hours, just like in France!

Like all their other already-mentioned Gold Coast establishments, Cubby Bakehouse is founded on the ethos of ‘simple-food-done-well’, and thus offers a similarly concise menu featuring an array of crowd-pleasing dishes, as well as a selection of drool-worthy, decadent baked goods.

View Cubby Bakehouse’s menu here.

162 Chinderah Bay Dr, Chinderah NSW 2487

Open 7 Days 5.30am - 2.00pm 

WHAT WAS ORDERED:

BAGUETTE SAMBOS FRENCH STYLE Ham, cultured butter, and Monte Nardi from Nimbin Valley Cheese.

BAGUETTE SAMBOS FRENCH STYLE Caprese - cultured butter, stretched curd, fresh basil, and blush tomatoes.

HUSK DISTILLERs | tumbulgum

Paddock to bottle; that is the philosophy at Husk Distillers, Australia’s first and only paddock to bottle rum distillery, situated at Tumbulgum, New South Wales, approximately 20 minutes south of the Queensland-New South Wales border. The philosophy is based on the fact all Husk rum is produced using sugar cane grown 100% on the Husk farm. Beyond rum, Husk Distillers also produces gin, namely Ink Gin and the recently launched, Ink Sloe & Berry Gin, created after a voyage of botanical discovery, and making it a world first that turned the most traditional spirit upside down.

Following the completion of a new distillery, after two and a half years of construction, and which opened in 2019, Husk Distillers now invites the public to come and visit its cellar door and cafe for a tour and tastings, or simply for a drink and a bite to eat with friends.

View Husk Distillers’ food menu and cellar door menu.

1152 Dulguigan Rd, North Tumbulgum NSW 249

Open 5 Days Wednesday - Sunday 11.00am - 5.00pm 