The recap: the best new Gold Coast restaurants, bars and cafes that opened in December
The Gold Coast has certainly turned it up in December, with several exciting new spots bringing a little extra thrill to the year’s end – and there’s still more to come! From a sleek Spanish eatery and a new Asian-style cafe from the Lucky Bao crew to Elk Espresso’s seaside sibling Sunnyboy, here’s a handy list of the best new Gold Coast restaurants and cafes to check out over your summer break.
Sunnyboy Espresso, Mermaid Beach
Andrew Whiting, the owner of wildly popular Elk Espresso in Broadbeach, gave us all a very welcome Christmas treat with the opening of his next venue, Sunnyboy Espresso. Taking over the former Cafe on Hedges site, the sunny seaside cafe delivers the same flair and charm as its older sibling Elk – but with its own ‘sunny’ personality. The menu takes diners from breakfast and brunch through to lunch with elevated classics and eye-catching new dishes – all served up just footsteps from the beach. Sunnyboy’s debut breakfast dishes include stracciatella on toast with heirloom tomatoes, toasted hazelnuts, smoky honey and crispy chilli oil, and the already-firm-favourite Sticky Pork Hoagie loaded with crispy roasted pork belly, miso butter, sesame fried eggs and plum sauce. Sunnyboy has beans by Parallel Roasters pouring, and serves smoothies, cold-pressed juices, and a series of cocktails like limoncello spritzes and yuzu-coconut palomas.
El Portón, Benowa
Located at Benowa Gardens in the Gold Coast’s central suburbs, El Portón brings the flavours of the Canary Islands to diners with a menu inspired by traditional Spanish cuisine. El Portón is the handiwork of Maria Borona and chef Pachi Rodriguez, who also own Spanish restaurant Encasa in Sydney’s Lane Cove. The duo aims to share authentic, coastal-inspired Spanish dishes with fresh seafood and traditional staples on the menu. There’s everything from authentic paella loaded with prawns, calamari, mussels, and pipis, to smaller snacks like empanadillas, jamon croquetas and marinated white anchovies with guindillas and Bonillo crisps. There’s an extensive collection of all-Spanish wines and a fun series of cocktails to sip through, too. Salud!
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The Beach Hotel and Cora, Broadbeach
Taking over the sizeable spaces left by Miss Moneypenny’s and Fat Freddy’s, The Beach Hotel and Cora – the latest venues from Moreton Hospitality – arrived just in time for summer. The Beach Hotel opened first, transforming the Fat Freddy’s site into a bright and breezy venue with added alfresco seating, two bars and a menu of elevated pub fare. Here, diners can snack on buckets of fresh tiger prawns, tuck into bulbs of burrata and devour pizzas and steaks while soaking up the sunshine. Cora opened right next door in the Miss Moneypenny’s space in early December, with a menu designed to reimagine coastal Mediterranean cuisine. Fresh, local seafood takes centre stage at Cora, featuring plates like negroni sashimi, bay lobster bucatini and whole King George whiting with scallop mousse, black garlic and trout caviar.
Bobby Bang’s, The Oxley at Nobby Beach
Asian-style cafe Bobby Bang’s is the latest venture from the owners of Lucky Bao in Mermaid Beach, joining the likes of Buoy and Sunkist at The Oxley at Nobby Beach. With a distinct Asian lean, Bobby Bang’s serves up an all-day breakfast menu featuring dishes like breakfast ramen with crispy bacon and tamago, silky scrambled eggs with Japanese curry, and ceremonial-matcha smoothie bowls. Come lunchtime, Bobby Bang’s rolls out everything from pork katsu sandos, XO noodles with bay lobster, and rice bowls topped with glazed Korean fried chicken. There’s also a heap of iced matcha variations, coffee alternatives like miso-caramel lattes and house-made sodas. Bobby Bang’s is licensed, so you can sip organic wines, tap beer and cocktails while you snack.
Sunnyboy Images: Jade Quinlivan Photography
Cora and The Beach Hotel images: Lumea Photography