It’s a whole new era for Kirra – as the hotly anticipated Kirra Beach House, slinks into town bringing chic sips, cabana chills and rooftop revelling to the formerly not-much-happenining Marine Parade precinct, and totally transforming the southern social scene as we know it.

And let’s all just try to maintain an orderly fashion here.. thankfully, there’s plenty here to go round.

Like, 1200 whole sqm of it – the mammoth, terrace-studded stunner is fully prepared for the inevitable inundation as we all clamour to get a glimpse of the dreamy new venue, equipped with multiple indoor and alfresco areas, wine and cocktail bars (three, to be exact!) and high-end event spaces.

The kitchen, meanwhile, brings the likes of raw and cooked seafood platters, succulent steaks and signature burgers to Kirra’s picturesque beachfront – slinging perfectly crisped pizzas out of the Marina Forni pizza oven daily.

And did we mention the uninterrupted ocean views from every angle?

The new standard for a spectacular summer has well and truly been set here, guys.

Our jaws may be on the floor, but we’re not at all surprised – after all, the new concept was pioneered by local hospo trailblazer, Dave Galvin, an undertaking a mere four years in the making.

The SITE Hospitality owner/operator has been working tirelessly to deliver us not one, but two bar-raising venues this year alone – already blessing us with Broadbeach show-stopper, kost a few months back (and before that Mozza Mozza, Bird Royale and Crafty’s Sports Bar).

Somebody stop him (but don’t, actually, keep ’em coming Dave).

And frankly, we just have one question.. when doth the man sleep?

When it comes to new venues, often the phrase ‘game changing’ often gets bandied about rather liberally (guilty) – but Kirra Beach House is truly unlike anything we’ve seen this far south, the breathtaking venue putting the seaside village on the map as a destination for elevated dining and drinking.

And we do mean elevated in all senses of the word – the new venue sits atop it’s more casual counterpart, the newly unveiled and fresh-faced Kirra Beach Hotel one level below.

The new additions signify a whole new chapter for the suburb’s seaside promenade that comes courtesy of the KTQ Group’s multi-stage Kirra Point Project.

“The venue will have a beach club atmosphere about it, with great music, mesmerising panoramic views of Kirra, Mediterranean-style food using the incredible local produce we have on our doorstep, a world-class drinks list and, of course, great service” says Dave.

And really, did anyone expect anything less?

The kitchen of Kirra’s darling new destination is led by head chef Drew Wilson, curating a Mediterranean-style grazing menu that is both flavour-packed and true to the laidback, coastal location.

It features a contemporary mix of dishes such as Kingfish crudo with citrus vinaigrette, chive oil and floral salt… or perhaps the summery ‘burrata with yellow peach, aged balsamic and smoked salt’ to woo the cheese fans.

Bars Manager, Kaden Pool invites us to ‘dive in’ to a delectable menu of resort-style cocktails, the type that scratch that nostalgia itch in all the right places.

Such as ‘Bahamas’ Champagne Piña coladas and ‘Cancun’ spicy watermelon margaritas, made for summer sunsets and crafted to make you feel like you’re on holiday…

Wait, we’re pretty sure we might be. Or dreaming. Who could say for sure. We might need to get around a few spicy melon margs to determine, first.

Where: Level 1, 2 Marine Parade, Coolangatta
When: Sunday to Thursday 11am–late, Friday & Saturday: 11am–1am

Words by Kellie Leader.

Dave Galvin is the man behind some of the Gold Coast’s most beloved dining establishments, including kōst, Mozza Mozza, and Crafty’s. But that’s not all – his culinary empire is about to expand even further with a massive new development set to open in Kirra this November. Despite being possibly the busiest restaurateur on the Coast, he carved out some time to answer our questions about his new ventures and what he loves about the GC hospitality scene.

How long have you been a Gold Coast local?
On and off since 2010 while opening QT Gold Coast, and then I opened my first venue Crafty’s in 2018 so true local since then.

What do you love the most about the Gold Coast?
The lifestyle is amazing, laid back people, a stunning coastline and a climate that can’t be beaten!

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I love to have fun first and foremost, everything personally and professionally has to a whole heap of enjoyment involved in it. We have a new family, so I love spending as much time as I can with my little man as possible. On the professional front, hospitality is in my blood and I love delivering amazing hospitality and building great teams. Hospitality is a people game, and you can’t do it by yourself, so a positive culture and amazing leaders are super important to me.

You recently opened a new restaurant in Broadbeach. Congratulations! Tell us a little bit about kost.
kōst bar and grill is our latest venture at SITE Hospitality, and it is a coastally inspired, wood-fired grill and cocktail bar. It’s a stunning design, beautiful cocktail bar, private dining room and plenty of amazing outdoor seating. The food is world class, and the cocktails are next level. It has hit the mark from the start, and we are very busy with so much local love, and tourists alike.

You own and manage a lot of venues, so tell us, what’s the secret to running a good business?
It’s tough running multiple businesses, as you need to be in all of them equally, although when you open a new venue they are all-consuming. Our secret sauce is having really strong concepts, great brands and beautiful designs, and backed up by our people, and I’m lucky to have some great leaders in the business, that can keep the vision and culture aligned and on track, so the businesses can run successfully with new openings happening fairly regularly. Next year is a year I’m really looking forward to, and it’s all about stabilising our businesses and innovating at the same time.

What do you think about the hospitality scene on the Gold Coast
I think there is a lot of good, but not a lot of great hospitality on the Coast. There are some great operators doing some cool things, however there are a lot of old school operators comfortable doing what they have been doing for years. I see the Gold Coast as an exciting region for hospitality. in saying that, it can be fickle so you have to be good at what you do, and be consistent, as no one wants to waste their time or money on something average.

What do you love the most about running businesses on the Gold Coast?
The people, it’s a region where you can nurture passionate staff with minimal experience and build them up to deliver something special in each of our venues. I’ve also spent 20 years in Sydney, so having venues close by and minimal traffic is a huge bonus, and having a beach at every turn helps dealing with the pressures of business.

Do you have anything else exciting in the pipeline?
We have our biggest and most exciting project which just got announced last week, being Kirra Beach House at Kirra Point. It’s the Kirra Beach Hotel redevelopment which launches in November. Kirra Beach House will be a 1200sm beachside, hospitality and entertainment venue consisting of 3 cocktail bars, cabanas over the beach, sprawling terraces and a stunning large scale wedding and event venue in one. I’ve been working on the project with the KTQ group for the past five years, and I have never experienced such a commitment to design and delivery, and an amazing group of people as well. This is going to be a Gold Coast, if not South East Queensland destination hot spot!

What are your Gold Coast favourites:
Favourite café: Daark Espresso, Chirn Park
Favourite restaurant: Now it is kōst obviously
Favourite bar: Paloma Wine Bar, Burleigh
Favourite beach: Kirra Beach

How do you choose to spend your days off?
In the old days it was long lunches and rounds of golf, these days it’s more family time and champagne on the balcony.

Something grill-iant has been a ‘cookin in Broadbeach, with the eagerly anticipated arrival of kōst Bar & Grill set to swing open its swanky new digs this Saturday.

A brand new spot for sophisticated sips taking up residence in the Oracle Blvd precinct will lure us in with the hypnotising aroma of flame-grilled food and an equally enticing facade.

A contemporary bar & grill concept, boasting one of the city’s only charcoal wood-fire grills, this mammoth new space is set to redefine the way we meet and eat in Broadbeach.

Along with seafood towers, roving champagne and caviar trolleys, and a purpose-built dry aged cool room that can be seen (drooled over) from Oracle Boulevard, our wining and dining game is about to cop a serious upgrade.

A meticulous project three years in the making for hospitality honcho Dave Galvin, kōst is the ultimate culmination of 25 years of hospitality experience all poured into one shiny, sleek and sexy venue.

After already bringing us faves such as Crafty’s, Mozza Mozza and Bird Royale, Dave has really been playing the long game to ensure kōst is a show stopper in every sense of the word.

The brief was to deliver a coastal inspired, design led space with a sensory immersion through food, wine, cocktails and live fuel cooking methods — with the first two-metre Mibrasa charcoal grill and oven in Australia the venue’s crowning jewel.

Dave adds “I have always been a huge fan of charcoal and live fuel cooking and dining in a beautifully designed venue. These are just two of my passions that were part of the inspiration for creating Kōst. After an extensive search, we finally managed to find the perfect location where we could bring this concept to life.”

Seizing the opportunity to snap up three previous tenancies, kōst has amalgamated the sites into one sprawling super-venue.

The luxurious space boasts an impressive 130-seat restaurant, in addition to private dining room, bar dining and outdoor pavilion spaces.

Though the space is just as pretty as it is functional, with cascading greenery, marble surfaces, chic lighting and arches a-plenty.

Returning to Australia this year to oversee the culinary direction for kōst, Executive Chef Sebbie Keynon developed the entire menu, bringing inspiration from restaurants across the globe in Paris, London, Moscow and Jakarta.

The trademark theme of relaxed luxury is also carried through the menu, with top shelf produce elevated with a little help from the signature wood-fire treatment.

Treat yourself to everything from boujee ‘bar snacks’ like coal roasted potato, labne, smoked roe, through to the roll of the moment, bay lobster roll, gem lettuce, kōst signature sauce, and the premium Australian wood-fired lobster where 24 hours notice is required #worththewait.

There’s a full suite of premium seafood with options like the Raw Bar, and dishes such as kōst ceviche, citrus rressing and a prawn cocktail, kōst signature sauce revival, through to the seafood platter and seafood tower when it’s truly time to indulge.

Though, how coal-d you skip the kōst specialty ‘Over Embers’ offering, with a full selection of ocean, land and earth delights to spark a whole lot of culinary joy?

Even the drinks get the grill treatment, with a Mahalorita, 1800 coconut Tequila, Cointreau, charred pineapple, toasted coconut, lime, smoked salt we’d be tempted to walk over hot coals to get our hands on.

Though it might come at great kōst to our social budgets and waistlines — we’re tipping that pretty soon, reflecting on Broadbeach’s eats scene will be defined as a whole new era: before-kōst and after-kōst, with this impressive new venue set to steal the show.

Where: 3 Oracle Blvd, Broadbeach
When: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday 11:30 am–9 pm, Wednesday, Thursday 11:30 am–9:30 pm and Friday, Saturday 11:30 am–11 pm
Instagram: @kostbarandgrill_au
Website: kostbarandgrill.com.au

Words by Kellie Leader.
Images by Mathilde Bouby.