Gold Coast Index

Long weekend at the Gold Coast



For our 1 year anniversary, Charlie sprung a surprise on me: 2 nights down at the coast. I say 'surprise' but this was slightly ruined by the fact that I'd been hinting for a good 2 months and so was expecting something along these lines.

Anyway, we had a great time. It's so good to just get away from your everyday routine of uni/work etc just for a change and a chance to let go.

As is usual with anywhere I go, food becomes a crucial factor. We had a fair amount of dining experiences on this holiday, probably more to come on future trips.


Index of Gold Coast restaurants:

Asian:

• Cha Cha
• Hazel Tea Shop

Australian:

• Food Fantasy
• Moo Moo Wine Bar and Grill
• Perle Dining

Desserts/Cafes:

• Absynthe Bakery
• Bahia
• Il Gelato
• Max Brenner

Indian:

• Oberoi's Taj

At some point during this dining spree, I came up with a theory about how the food industry at the Gold Coast must function differently to the Brisbane food industry. Brisbane still has a relatively small population and most are residents. For restaurants, cafes and eateries to survive, they've got to deliver because there's a limited market.

In a city like the Gold Coast with its thriving tourism population, it is more important to GRAB ATTENTION than to deliver. We saw so many restaurants with flashy flashy claims "best restaurant", "best whatever", "winner of whatever"... and they worked! I mean, we are only from 1 hr North of the coast so we had 'some' idea of where to go but not much. Overall, it was about what looked and sounded good. The same would go for international tourists. When you have no idea about where to go, you're open to claims and promises. If the restaurant fails to impress, it doesn't matter much to you or them because it wasn't likely that you'd return anyway.


In short, just be wary of what you read because I swear, every 2nd restaurant at the coast has been awarded for something or other. Do some research and rely more on other people's experience (ahem e.g. this blog) or word of mouth. In Brisbane, restaurants can't get away with hype alone because after a while, it'll wear dry. At the coast, you can find restaurants surviving on hype (sometimes, self-generated hype) and it's a shame to be let down.