THE SLEEK SURFERS VENUE DISHING UP CLASSIC PUB GRUB

Gold Coast locals love The Local.

If you’ve ever ventured into Surfers Paradise (and we know you have), you will have probably sipped a brew at one of the beloved pub institutions. One particular favoured pub that is found within Chevron Renaissance, has been serving good times and great food to an overflow of revellers for many years. A sleek bar and eatery that locals have fallen in love with and if you haven’t dropped by yet, we’d like to introduce you to YOUR new local.

It’s called The Local and with a cosy, low-lit vibe, giant sport-watching screens and a menu packed with all your favourite pub grub, it’s the perfect spot for an after work sip or a laidback weekend session with the crew.

The entrance is marked by two archways tiled with tiny black circles and looking very fancy indeed. Inside, the bar is located right in the centre of the space, where it should be and it’s all exposed brick and glass shelves stacked with goodies, fairy lights string from the ceiling and a 360 degree view of the rest of the room.

It’s definitely got the feeling of a central buzz bar you might like to bunker down in for a good session, particularly because there are frosty beers aplenty and all of the delicious pub grub to accompany.

Starting with share plates of course because a sipping session simply wouldn’t be complete without share plates.

There are dishes like Bacon & Cheese Bread, Pulled Pork or Crispy Chicken Tacos and Potato Wedges. There are also Southern Fried Chicken Wings in chilli or BBQ sauce (YUM) which sounds like perfection if you ask us.

If you’re not into sharing food (same), there are mains along the lines of a Double Stacker Beef Burger, a Wagyu Beef and Ale Pie, 250g

Scotch Fillet, Full Rack of Pork Ribs slow cooked with hickory and brown sugar and of course more burgers, schnitzels, salads and sandwiches you can poke a stick at.

It’s the traditional pub style of eats you love but made a little bit fancier by Chef Justin Wise. So may we strongly suggest the Chicken Parma with shaved ham, tomato, basil, chips and salad, regularly described as Surfers’ best Parmy, you won’t go home unsatisfied.

If you’re a beer fan, you can get all the Irish faves you love plus the usual icy cold Aussie suspects.

For a true Aussie pub experience, there’s nowhere that does it better – not to mention Surfers’ Best Parmy!

The cocktail list is impressive with all the classic faves but we encourage you to try the creative Blue Moon Coconut Margarita, Key Lime Pie or the Lamington Espresso Martini featuring Wildflower lamington vodka, Mr Black coffee liqueur, cold drop espresso and sugar. Your obligatory Friday night Espresso Martini just got Aussie-fied. So it’s all the things you love about an Aussie pub, but a little bit fancier.

Words and images by Kirra Smith

Chevron Renaissance, 3240 Gold Coast Hwy, Surfers Paradise

Open daily 12pm until late thelocaltavern.com.au

Joanna Horton’s debut novel centres around the friendship between two women during their mid-twenties to their early thirties. The story begins with our main characters, Elisabeth and Mari, at Elisabeth’s graduation. The two quickly become acquainted with Jack, a seasoned history academic twenty years their senior. When his simultaneously self-assured and humble nature worms itself between the pair, their relationships become complex and act only to consume the trio. This novel expertly navigates the complex social expectations the two women hold and the narratives that consequently develop as their relationship becomes awash with a powerful interplay of shame, love, and control. Though Between You & Me is unmistakably Australian, brimming with references to Brisbane landmarks, the line our protagonist’s walk between fierce love and utter hatred is a universally understood emotional pendulum of the human experience. Reading this novel felt like trying to scratch an itch that refused to stay still, as though I was chasing the author through the pages. Between You & Me grabbed me and didn’t let go, and sometimes it felt as though it would draw blood…but in a delightful way. A fantastic debut! Bravo!

BOOK: Between You & Me by Joanna Horton RRP $34.99.

Available at Bookface, Pacific Fair. T: 07 5592 1700