Crispy Italian Bar

While the term ‘bar’ in Australia tends to conjure images of the local watering hole slinging XXXX tins, in Italy, bars are places you can go at any time of the day or night and enjoy a coffee and a pastry, or a savoury bite that’s usually accompanied by an alcoholic beverage of some description. If that sounds like your ideal vibe, check out Crispy Italian Bar on the Lower Gold Coast Highway in Burleigh Heads. When it comes to the menu, the daytime offering includes 10 different paninis, ranging from the classic Panino Goloso (melted mozzarella, shaved leg ham, mushrooms, artichokes and Crispy sauce) to the De Roma (pancetta, carbonara cream, mozzarella, salami and herb mayonnaise). As the name suggests, the paninis are delightfully crisp on the outside and packed with oozy cheese and flavour on the inside. Wash it down with a Nutellino (Nutella, coffee shot and whipped cream) or a fresh juice. Then, as the day wears on, the menu flips to include a scattering of wood-fired pizzas. And no, before you ask, there’s no pineapple here. What you will find is a selection of locally sourced ingredients such as prosciutto, Calabrian chilli and salami. Accompanying the fare is a scattering of beers and wine alongside an Italian-focussed cocktail selection including all of the classics – Aperol Spritz, Limoncello spritz, tiramisu martini and a section for digestivos such as Amaretto and Frangelico.