First look – the Rick Shores team unveils new Latin American-inspired venues Norté and Sueño in Nobby Beach
The visionary team behind iconic Burleigh Heads restaurant Rick Shores will end the year with two incredible new Gold Coast venues – Norté and Sueño – which officially open in Nobby Beach on Sunday December 22. The striking Latin American-inspired dining destination crowns The Oxley precinct, with the tandem venues sprawling across two equally spectacular levels.
Having perfected pan-Asian fare at Burleigh’s Rick Shores and Brisbane’s Southside, and more recently conquering the flavours of 90s Hong Kong at underground Brisbane CBD hot spot Central, the celebrated restaurant group has now switched codes and ventured into new territory. Taking cues from the team’s globe-trotting travels, show-stopping dining room Norté and sun-soaked rooftop terrace Sueño focus on authentic Latin American fare.
As expected, they’ve gone all in to create an awe-inspiring two-level Latin American venue that’s unlike anything the Gold Coast has ever seen before. Brought to life by Jared Webb of J.AR OFFICE, the head-turning space draws design inspiration from the modernist post-war architecture of Mexico City, favouring sleek timber, textured render, striking staircases and heavy stone, softened by muted tones, warm furnishings and beams of natural light.
“At Rick Shores, we’re blessed with a million-dollar view. Whereas at Norté and Sueño, we wanted to capture first impressions and create that “wow” moment right from the start, when you first walk in,” said group manager, Michael Leopold.
That’s exactly what they’ve done. The first of many “wow” moments comes when you take your final steps up the impressive grand staircase to the foyer of Norté’s spectacular dining room. Here, guests are greeted to views of the open kitchen in full swing – the dancing flames, the grilling seafood, the chefs plating up – creating an air of anticipation of what’s to come. Around 110 seats sprawl the tiered dining room and tree-lined outdoor terrace areas, with a separate 40-seat private dining room – complete with its own wine fridge and bathroom – to open by mid-2025.
Head chef James Brady oversees the fire-powered kitchen that’s designed around a custom-made hearth, utilising clay pots that sit directly on coals to recreate the authentic flame-kissed flavours he lassoed from travels through the Roma Norte district of Mexico City, the depths of Buenos Aires, and cities across Peru and Brazil.
The menu at Norté oscillates from raw bites to snacks and share-style mains, effortlessly navigating diners through the most mouth-watering elements of Latin American cuisine. Top-tier seafood shines with raw starters like scallops with mango, bee pollen, chilli and grapefruit, leading to a series of snacks like the Mooloolaba spanner-crab churros with cucumber, apple and jalapeno, and an al pastor-style Moreton Bay bug taco with pineapple. The menu’s ‘masa’ section is dedicated to tortilla-based bites, including fish tacos with charcoal spring onion and a Tasmanian pepperberry emulsion, and beef tostadas with fermented chilli, smoked agretti and taki kombu.
Show-stopping slow-cooked beef short ribs with al pastor aji amarillo and pineapple headlines the mains at Norté, alongside large plates like charred half chicken with white-bean mole and pickled eggplant. From the sea, there are larger dishes like grilled coral trout with koji butter, guacachile and green pico de gallo, with a series of sides like smoked and pickled cactus with sunflower tarator and choy sum.
Agave-based cocktails take centre stage on Norté’s beverage menu, alongside a cellar list populated by a 150-bottle collection of Central and South American drops, curated by the group’s beverage director Peter Marchant.
A few strides up the eye-catching red spiral staircase lead to Norté’s vibrant sibling, Sueño – a sun-drenched rooftop dining space and bar with two separate umbrella-lined terraces, each treating snackers and sippers to impressive views across the seaside precinct. The 140-seat Sueño has its own rooftop kitchen, which fires up to serve a snacky menu led by fresh ceviche, grilled skewers and tortillas.
Subscribe for updates
While soaking up the sunshine and sea breeze, Sueño diners can enjoy the likes of Sydney rock oysters with aji, lime and cactus vinaigrette, and small plates like baby abalone with fermented habanero, bonito soy and pickled red onion. There are punchy ceviche creations like hiramasa kingfish with avocado, leche de tigre, chilli and kombu oil, as well as skewered charcoal chicken with buttermilk, habanero and spring onion. The rooftop menu rounds out with larger plates like Freemantle octopus with roasted bone marrow and guajillo, and barbecued-pork carnitas with Mexican onions and coriander.
The Sueño team will guide you through the extensive bar offering, which includes rare tequila and mezcal, and a list of sips that takes notes from the classic cocktails of the Americas.
Both Norté and Sueño officially open on Sunday December 22. For booking links and opening hours, head over to The Directory.
Image credit: Jade Quinlivan