The Paddock Bakery
The Paddock, tucked away on a backstreet of Burleigh, began with the painstaking renovation of an 80-year-old weatherboard beach cottage. Reborn with gardens, a vegetable and herb patch and a front lawn where diners sit on outdoor furniture under a tree, a white picket fence completes the look. Inside, surrounded by antique farm and bakery pieces, the wood-fired oven forms the blazing heart of the house. It’s on display, with the rest of the working bakery, behind floor-to-ceiling glass and, along with the garden, it’s an obvious embodiment of farm-to-table dining. The oven also is the key to The Paddock’s evolving menu. Using carefully sourced local produce, free-range eggs and house-made sauces, bread straight from the wood-fired oven forms the central core of the menu. The ever-popular Dippy Eggs (‘Egg and soldiers’ to me), served in an egg carton with sourdough toast soldiers and organic trimmings, dips right into the nostalgia bucket, taking us back to our childhood breakfast.

The Lamb Shop
Peter Gloftis’ The Lamb Shop oozes masculinity; a modern take on an old-fashioned butchery with a spit perched above glowing coals, and your meal being prepared by gorgeous men in leather butchers’ aprons. Peel away the mystique. How we love to watch men at work! It’s a workman’s meal: a modern take on traditional souvlaki, with no shortcuts taken. Choose your meat: shoulders of Junee lamb and Byron Bay pork are marinated for 24 hours, then slow-cooked over charcoal for 4 to 5 hours, basted constantly during cooking. Then the meat is packed into a soft pita with onion, parsley, tzatziki and, in a turn which would make the purists blush, hand-cut chips. Earthy and unfussy, it carries the legacy of coals and herbs that only slow cooking brings. The flavors play with my imagination as well. If only we could see where this aroma had wafted before through history, what stories would it bring?

The Fish House
With stunning views over the iconic Burleigh Beach and coastline beyond, The Fish House is Simon Gloftis’ specialty fish restaurant. Dining at The Fish House pays homage to the product, the freshest seafood, flown in from around Australia daily, prepared simply to celebrate the flavor of the fish. With knowledgeable, unobtrusive service, ambient relaxed surroundings and a vast fine wine collection from Australia and Europe, The Fish House provides an exceptional wining and dining experience recognized with a multitude of awards. Although a Chef’s selection is the best way to truly understand The Fish House, if you decide on one dish only, try the Patagonian Toothfish or the oven baked Petuna Ocean Trout from Macquarie Harbour, Tasmania.

Remedy
Remedy, the chic, soda fountain-style hot spot from former "Top Chef" contestant Danyele McPherson, tosses out plate after plate of Southern-style greatness you wish your mama made, from hushpuppies with spicy butter to deliciously killer chicken liver pate to seriously addictive pimiento cheese. But do not overlook the cheeseburger, which features Kobe beef and comes dressed with American cheese, house-made dill pickles, sweet onions, shredded lettuce, a thick slice of Texas tomato and creamy mustard on a deliciously toasted challah bun. Served with perfectly crisped fries, the only things that could possibly top this burger are the incredible pies and over-the-top sundaes Remedy turns out for dessert. But don't actually top the burger with a dessert. Go ahead and eat them separately.

Guglhupf
This European style cafe and bakery creates wonderful baked goods, salads, sandwiches and a perfect Sunday brunch. Their goal is to incorporate elements of the casual dining that takes place in Germany in a “Biergarten" setting by offering sharing plates and small plates to be enjoyed with a carefully chosen list of German wines and beers along with some samples from Austria and Alsace. Guglhupf Café is beautifully designed with attention to every detail, from art and lighting to the signature outdoor patio. Don't miss the House Smoked Salmon Plate with Capers and Homemade Rustic Bread.

Gocciolina
At this unassuming Italian restaurant, delicious food is cooked from scratch by a talented young chef. With a limited menu, diners chose from antipasto through dessert. The homemade pasta is cooked perfectly. The entrees are innovative with locally sourced meat and seafood. And the restaurant welcomes diners with its warm, homey atmosphere.

Room 81 - Broadbeach Restaurant Dining
In a venue that embodies Sofitel sophistication and elegant neutrality, the intent is clear: at Room 81, the theatrics come from the food. Chef de cuisine Sam Moore’s molecular gastronomy-based dishes are delicately exquisite and playful, pushing the boundaries of culinary art, touting his youthfulness like a colorful banner. Moore’s Valrhona Chocolate Sphere, inspired by avant-garde Chef Grant Achatz of Chicago’s Alinea restaurant, is a “must try” dessert. Diners play the part of audience and participant in Moore’s performance art. At the table, the Valrhona chocolate shell is first frozen with liquid nitrogen, an eerie mist cascading from the shell. Cracked, the shell reveals a pile of tonka bean ice cream, coffee cream, fresh raspberries, homemade honeycomb, caramel chocolate balls and chocolate cubes – a cacophony of flavors and textures on the palate. Climax and reveal - it’s a “Nessun Dorma” dish!

Mamasan Kitchen & Bar
Mamasan Kitchen & Bar is a sophisticated, upscale eatery in the Oracle precinct of Broadbeach. A reflection not only of the Gold Coast’s close ties with Asia but also of new life in a new land, traditional dishes are turned on their head and given new inspiration with unexpected twists of flavor. Our ‘go to’ dish at Mamasan is the Pork Bao: two gua bao nestled together on a platter, an upmarket version of Taiwan’s favorite street food. Head Chef Ray Choi cures local Bryon Bay pork with Sichuan salt for three hours before cooking it for ten hours in the sous vide. What a dish this is: a well-balanced little bundle of fresh and spicy, salty and sweet, with multiple textures of flavor-filled meat, pickled salad and hoisin enveloped in a perfectly pillow-like bun. Pick it up and get all over it! Gloriously messy, juices dribble down your wrist as you yield to the addiction of the dish colloquially known as ‘Tiger bites pig’!

Pasha's Turkish Restaurant
Pasha’s, Queensland’s oldest Middle Eastern restaurant, is owned and run by Ertan Mustafa, whose previous restaurant, Pasha’s in Newtown, Sydney, was the first Turkish restaurant in Australia. Ertan tells us that he grew up in Cyprus on a farm overlooking the beach, complete with livestock for dairy and meat, olive trees for oil, and a mill to make flour for family and guests. The Prawns with Lamb Cutlets at Pasha’s gives a great selection of succulent seafood and meat: oven-baked king prawns and lamb marinated and char-grilled to carry the smoky flavors of the open hearth. The meat is served simply with perfectly steamed veggies and pilaf cooked by traditional methods: washed, roasted with gluten-free noodles in olive oil before cooking in salted water. It’s easy to understand why most of Pasha’s business comes from repeat customers. Once you taste Ertan’s food, it’s difficult not to return.

Kiyomi Japanese
Kiyomi, in Jupiter’s Hotel, showcases Executive Chef Chase Kojima’s incredible talent. He brings world-class cuisine made from immaculately sourced produce, stunningly presented. While the chef is afforded rock star status by the hotel with a giant portrait gracing the lobby, it’s his umami-filled creations that are the real stars. Seared scampi, foie gras, apple and mizuna is one of Chase’s signature dishes. The presentation of the scampi shells on a bed of ice guarding their meat, poised beside them on leaves of bamboo, is elegant yet simple. Unexpected though the combination may be, the creaminess of the scampi is complemented by the richness of the foie gras, the crisp apple matchsticks adding a tart pique of interest and texture.