BURLEIGH HEADS Eateries

BROOKE DARLING, EDITOR, URBAN LIST GOLD COAST KIRRA SMITH, CONTENT CREATOR, INSIDE GOLD COAST

Let’s start with the beach, which enjoys dual popularity with those who like to swim in her protected waters and those who love to surf around the headland. On a day when it might be a little choppy everywhere else along the Coast, you can bet your bottom dollar there’s a protected corner at Burleigh in which to dip. Even strict landlubbers will adore this destination for the Burleigh Heads National Park which wraps around the headline like a fashionable

head scarf, offering views of the ocean on the left and a number of walking trails and wildlife to experience. The Burleigh foreshore is home to towering fragrant pine trees characteristic of the coast and in this parkland there are plenty of places in which to picnic or barbecue. This is also an ideal spot for regular art and craft markets, where you haggle and forage along the foreshore with the ocean shouting encouragement in the background. Absolute oceanfront dining exists here where you’ll swear the fish on your plate has jumped straight out of the water, and there’s a burgeoning funky café culture in these parts. New designers are also starting to pepper the shopping areas and an amble along here won’t disappoint. Perhaps this coastal point’s comma should be an exclamation mark instead.

Commanding one of the most enviable, absolute beachfront locales in the country—comparable in stature to Bondi’s iconic Bondi Icebergs—Burleigh Pavilion has quickly established itself as THE place to see and be seen. Beachgoers are enticed in directly off the sand for wood-fired pizzas and frosty schooners of local craft beer served with uninterrupted coastal vistas. Though it’s Burleigh Pavilion’s signature restaurant, The Tropic, fronted by lauded Sydney chef Guillaume Zika, where things get seriously fancy. This 200-seat, full service restaurant has a patio to-die-for and on trend styling awash in blonde timbers, sage and blush pink accents and bathed in natural light. Book yourself a waterfront table at magic hour and watch the sunset over the hinterland as you devour kingfish tartare, grilled tiger prawns, wood-fired pig doughnut and washed down with copious glasses of chilled Savvy B, all while you cheers to life on the beautiful Gold Coast. Where 43 Goodwin Terrace, Burleigh Heads www.burleighpavilion.com

If there’s one dish that’s synonymous with outdoor dining on the Gold Coast, it’s Rick Shores’ famed Rick’s Fried Bug Roll. This restaurant’s busy kitchen has been known to pump out 1,500-plus addictive bug rolls each and every week. Come for a dining experience that’s refined but far from stuffy, reflecting the Coast’s laid-back and unpretentious outlook, and a contemporary Pan-Asian menu smattered with spiced mackerel, king prawn yellow curry and next-level desserts. One lazy long lunch on the outdoor terrace or ocean-side table at Rick Shores, and you’ll appreciate why a team of the country’s top food critics voted this venue as Queensland’s number one restaurant in 2017. Where 3/43 Goodwin Terrace, Burleigh Heads www.rickshores.com.au

Long before craft brewing was a scene on the Gold Coast, there was Burleigh Brewing. Quietly, expertly toiling away on the best damn craft beers this side of the border. Sure, they’re established and experienced but they’re never complacent — they’re eternally curious. They’re pioneers. Trailblazers. Beer artisans — bartisans, if you will. Their ethos is deliberately simple — balance, character and soul — it’s who they are and how they brew and it flows naturally in their craft beers and throughout their business. The only thing they love more than brewing the golden stuff, is sharing it with the extraordinary people that inspire it — the locals. They’re not just talking about Gold Coasters, they’re talking about the community of passionate folk all around Australia. They’re proud that their beers consistently earn Gold Medals at the World Beer Championships — 25 to be exact, that’s more than any other Australian brewer — but who’s counting? (They are, they have a spreadsheet). They’re grateful for a bunch of local recognition for their beers too! Join them at their Burleigh Taphouse in Burleigh Heads to see a full list of their world class beer and try them yourself! Where 2 Ern Harley Drive, Burleigh Heads www.burleighbrewing.com.au

It was Sydney’s loss and Gold Coast’s gain when celebrated young chef, Alex Munzo Labart, chose Burleigh Heads for his first solo venture—Restaurant Labart. With an impressive resume that lists Monopole and Cirrus among his most recent accomplishments, not surprisingly Alex’s dive into the flourishing regional dining setting has piqued the attention of key media and industry professionals across the country. Taking up residence in a quieter side street off the top end of James Street, dining at this intimate 60-seat bistro exceeds expectations. Anticipate effortlessly seamless service and contemporary share style snacks and dishes from mussel ceviche to veal tartare and local spanner crab with leek and a roasted crab broth. Here everything is on show. With an open kitchen and two Japanese barbecues taking centre stage, you can watch on as Alex and his team make magic with the freshest of locally sourced ingredients—all being seasonally selected to ensure an ever-rotating menu. One visit and you’ll understand why Labart has quickly solidified its place among one of the finest new restaurants in Queensland. Where 8 West Street, Burleigh Heads www.restaurantlabart.com

Dining in the great outdoors doesn’t always mean fancy menus and linen napkins, so do as the locals do on a sunshiny weekend and flock to the much-loved grassy knoll known as Burleigh Hill. A natural amphitheatre overlooking the legendary surf of Burleigh Point, bring your picnic blanket and show off your perfectly executed cheeseboard skills. Not that organised? Grab some takeout fish and chips from Burleigh Fishmongers on James Street, or order one of Justin Lane’s famous wood-fired sourdough pizzas. Where

Big love for this Burleigh beauty. Iku Yakitori Bar is a sensory experience unlike any other with both taste sensation-style eats, an interior that dreams are made of and the sweet smell of charcoal wafting through the air. The menu is made up of chicken skewers primarily and no part of the bird escapes uncooked (skin included) but oh wow, is it delicious. Tenderloin, seafood and veggies are also stuck on sticks and delightful things such as edamame dip and raw fish should not be left uneaten. Pull up a seat in a floating railway sleeper booth and watch the chefs work their magic. Where 1730 Gold Coast Hwy, Burleigh Heads. Or head in through the back on Justin Lane. www.ikuyakitoribar.com.au

The Fish House is famous for its breathtaking views of Burleigh Beach, elegant ambiance, quality service by being committed to quality and by being consistent in delivering a high standard of food, open lunch and dinner services to guide guests through the two-glass award winning wine list. The fish comes in daily at market price, the team of international chefs from all over the world at The Fish House use the cooking method that each particular whole fish is best suited to for optimal flavor and texture. For example, our famous Patagonian Toothfish from Heard Island, caramelized in a miso sauce with spring onion and our beautiful tropical Coral Trout from Cairns is stunningly steamed with ginger and shallots, and the popular John Dory from New South Wales is enhanced in a caramelized onion and white wine braise. This gives the guests a unique experience along with the chef’s creative exquisite recipes. Where 50 Goodwin Terrace, Burleigh Heads www.thefishhouse.com.au

Dark and bustling with Chinese lanterns strung overhead, Mr Hizola’s is a slice of Hong Kong in Burleigh’s busiest foodie strip. A modern take on Cantonese cuisine, come for the Mongolian clay pot beef or the signature Wagyu steak that sizzles and pops at your table on a hot stone. With a Yum Cha approach to lunchtime dining (small courses like dim sum generally served with hot tea) and dinners fuelled by creative cocktails, start your night here before heading out back to Mr Hizola’s sibling dive bar, Nightjar. Have a reputation for suffering from food envy? We recommend handing the reigns over to the chef when ordering the Emperor’s Feast banquet, where $50 per person will see a steady stream of six or seven options delivered to your table, personally curated to your tastes. Chopsticks at the ready!

Where: 1730 Gold Coast Hwy, Burleigh Heads www.mrhizolas.com.au

Originally published @destinationgoldcoast.com/restaurants and #WeAreGoldCoastBlog – the official blog of Destination Gold Coast. For more on what to see, where to eat and what to do on the Gold Coast visit www.destinationgoldcoast.com/blog