It’s the Gold Coast suburb with a unique feel; somewhere between a rural farm town and quaint historic village. And although Mudgeeraba seems forever away for some, especially from the hustle and bustle of the beachside ‘burbs, when it comes to it, this secluded corner of our city is much closer than you think.

Once you pull up and stick the handbrake on, the tree-lined streets and cruisy locals ensure welcoming laidback vibes are everywhere you look. Throw in some tasty eats, a bit of history and a few drinks and well, you’ve got yourself a winner.

We’ve studied Mudgeeraba closely to round up the eight things locals love about their locale. Because, quite frankly, we’re pretty sure you’re gonna love ‘em too.

Anekawa Japanese
We’ve said it once and we’ll say it till we’re blue in the face, Japanese cuisine is proof God loves us and wants us to be happy. Anekawa was created by Japanese chef Koki Anekawa (ex Rick Shores), who set out to marry traditional cooking techniques with ethically sourced local and Australian produce. The whole food and service of this place are utterly polished. Dishes include bonito-crusted bamboo shoots with lemon aspen and sansho salt, as well as pan-fried ocean trout with green-pepper kosho. The drinks list is a play by play of carefully considered whiskies and minimal intervention wines — pre-order your Uber home right away.
Where: Corner of Swan Lane & Railway Street, Mudgeeraba

Skirmish Gold Coast
What could be more fun than firing high-velocity balls of paint at your mates while they squeal and run away? Nothing at all is what. You can have exactly that good time in Mudgeeraba and seriously, what are you waiting for? Grab your ‘friends’ and go book right now. Pleasure and pain await.
Where: 42 John Rodgers Road, Mudgeeraba

The Oak Café
With some ultra-cool interior vibes, The Oak Café is cooking up all of the delicious, nutritious goods (including some EPIC cakes and cookies). Their approach is with a healthy spin, as you may have seen in our previous story, we ate one of the best breakfasts ever there, so we implore you not to miss this one. Great place to pit stop if you’re adventuring off into the hinterland also.
Where: 19 Robert Street, Mudgeeraba

The Wine Barrel
The name says it all really and as you well know, anything to do with wine and you’ve got our attention. Not only is there quite the selection of tasty tipples, but there are also many tapas dishes like Mexican style pulled pork spring rolls with jalapeno salsa and popcorn panna cotta for those with a sweet tooth. Yep. The high tables are old redundant wine barrels — so that’s fun!
Where: 59 Railway Street, Mudgeeraba

Earth and Skin
Stop by organic beauty spa, Earth & Skin and trust us, your body will thank you later. The spa is a delight, comprising itself of a stunning Queenslander-style cottage at the entrance to Mudgeeraba: let it be the first or last thing you do — but be sure you pay a visit! Offering a range of blissful and rounded treatments including organic facials, sugaring, eyebrow shaping, eco spray tans and a whole lot more.
Where: 2 Regency Place, Mudgeeraba

Woodchoppers Inn
If smoked meats are your thing, look no further than the Woodchoppers Inn. With a state-of-the-art meat smoker machine — which would impress NASA — they end up creating the most mouth-watering flavours in the form of tender and moreish meats. Think 12 hour cooked pulled pork burgers and ribs that’d make any vegan think twice.
Where: 64 Railway Street, Mudgeeraba

Bon appa’Tea
Formerly Tea Topia, this place is so beyond pretty you’ll be asking yourself why you’ve never been before. Found in another big old Queenslander under the mountain, Bon appa’Tea offers one of the most delightful High Teas you’ve ever seen, so good you might think you’re been whisked off to the jolly old England. Cast your eyes outside though, and all the surrounding beautiful sub-tropical greenery will no doubt bring you back to your senses
Where: 7 Johns Road, Mudgeeraba

The Barn
The Barn at Mudgeeraba is the casual yet rustic venue you just have to experience for yourself. Hidden away at the base of Springbrook National Park, you’ll come across the welcoming little barn at first and think you’ve taken a wrong turn. But you haven’t — this is it! An outdoor deck and beer garden sit right beside native bush meaning you can take in all that serenity, whilst enjoying some incredible paddock to plate inspired dishes with a peppering of Italian influence. Should you opt to bring the kids, don’t worry, there’s a baby animal pen with a brigade of friendly goats, ducks and chickens for them to make friends with.
Where: 5 Boomerang Road, Mudgeeraba

Words by Alex Mitcheson

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, Japanese dishes are an (absolutely delicious) art form and one that we are happy to indulge in every single day of our lives. Particularly when they are created by someone who has been perfecting said art form for many moons.

Which is exactly what is happening in Mudgeeraba of late due to the opening of Anekawa – an exceptional new Japanese eatery you are going to want to sample at the earliest available opportunity.

It’s an intimate space, perfectly fitted out with light wooden furniture, earthy textures, raw slabs of stone for tabletops and a light sprinkling of draped greenery. You’ll recognise the work of Owen Thompson who has designed and created interiors for the likes of Project Tokyo, Baked at Ancora and Double Barrel Kitchen (to name a few).

The bar is the feature of Anekawa, again made of a huge piece of stone with a few bottles stocked on the wall behind and piles of ceramics perfectly placed to create a cosy, homey vibe that we could absolutely never recreate at home. It’s perfection. As is everything about Anekawa honestly.

Owner and Chef Koki have gone above and beyond to develop a menu that’s quite unlike anything we’ve ever seen with unusual dishes and cooking techniques designed to get you to step outside of your comfort zone.

The focus is on local produce sourced from growers and suppliers with ethical practices and using organic ingredients as much as possible. Koki is very mindful of where everything is grown and how it’s harvested and the high quality produce is the driver behind a menu that changes often, depending on availability.

For example, at the moment there’s a dish involving a Long Spined Sea Urchin because it’s in season and Apellation Oysters are sourced from premium leases in areas where there are native wetlands and are not mass harvested. How good.

One of a couple of the staples on the menu is the Organic Gotofu with sesame soy and cherry granola, which is probably not a dish we’d usually try but was one of the most delicious combinations of flavours we’ve tasted. Absolutely next-level.

Rice Clay Pots are another staple and you can order those in combinations like beef, coddled egg & chives, snow peas & school prawns or sweet corn & butter.

Chargrilled Fish Heads with Umedare and Chives and Pan Fried Petuna Ocean Trout with green pepper kosho and chargrilled capsicum are dishes that are currently on the menu and ones you won’t want to miss out on.

Chef Koki uses cooking techniques unique to his birthplace of Saga in Japan and they’re not often used across the rest of the country, let alone here.

There’s also a tightly curated cocktail list and of course, sakes, whiskey’s and beers.

Exceptional, in a word. It’s been a minute since we’ve seen an addition to the Gold Coast dining scene as unique and exciting as Anekawa and we are quite thrilled about it. Go see and sample for yourself.

LOCATION: Cnr Swan Lane and Railway Street, Mudgeeraba
HOURS: 5.30pm until 9pm (last orders) Tuesday to Saturday

Words and photos by Kirra Smith

If there’s one place on the Gold Coast where you can shop till you drop, eat your body weight in quality nosh, do some srsly cool stuff, and wander amongst stunning natural parklands, it’s Robina.  There’s also a hospital, a train station and a sports stadium, one of which is exciting enough to make our list (hint; it’s not the hospital or the train station).

In honour of this central GC gem, we’ve compiled a list of 14 reasons why Robina peeps love their ‘burb, and why wider GC locals travel en masse to experience all it has to offer.

Pasta Emporium
With their Euro background and extensive experience in the food industry, mum and daughter duo Natalie and Sonia have created an artisan pasta boutique store like no other. Made with a high-quality durum wheat semolina (rich in fibre, protein, vitamin B and also digestion friendly), their fresh-as pasta can be paired with a selection of nasty-free slow cooked sauces. The.Best!
Where: Easy T Centre, 514 Christine Avenue, Robina

Palmer Golf Course
Carved out of 65 hectares of native woodlands with fairways lined by towering gum trees, this uniquely designed course is in the top 30 resort courses in the country #noice. A 6078-meter, 18-hole, Par 71 championship golf course (Aust Course Rating 72) designed by the Marsh / Watson team, its rolling fairways, manicured greens, towering eucalyptus and natural water course make it a local and visitor fave.
Where: Ron Penhaligon Way, Robina

Zone Bowling / Timezone
This dual-branded entertainment venue is an uber-exciting entertainment experience, combining Zone Bowling and Timezone in one renovated super space. Perfect for a birthday of any vintage and for corporate functions, you’ll find ten pin bowling, the latest arcade games, a laser tag arena with a ‘futurism/apocalyptic robots’ theme, and super fun spin zone bumper cars (coming later this year). Just yay!!!
Where: Robina Town Centre, 1 Robina Town Centre Drive, Robina

My French Pastries
A venue called My French Pastries needs no introduction but since it’s amongst the cream of the crop here on the GC, we’ll give them one anyway. Jen and Antonio Marchesi have created something really spesh with French pastries made from scratch. Think key lime Chantilly, lemon meringue, blueberry and chocolate tarts, and if you’re not salivating, you must be unwell. A special shout-out must go to the scrumptious savoury goodies, providing a well-rounded experience for your tastebuds.
Where: Robina Quays Shopping Centre, 5/361 Robina Parkway, Robina

Eddy + Wolff
The trendiest of the Robina bunch, Eddy + Wolff opened in early 2019 bringing exceptional, modern Asian eats to the people. It’s a sleek, 22-seat venue serving up ten-outta-ten eats, just like it’s northern brother from the same mother, Can Tho Kitchen at Runaway Bay. The menu features BBQ-style dishes, snacks, larger plates and sides, all of which are designed to share and hail from Thao and Vien’s home country of Vietnam, China, Japan and Korea to name a few. The drinks list is tight and perfectly curated to match the food with an unmissable lemon sake. An absolute fave.
Where: 44 Commerce Drive, Robina 

The Kitchens
Fact; foodie marketplace-style situations are one of life’s greatest gifts. The Kitchens is precisely that, with an array of exceptional venues all in the one beautifully appointed area. Think tasty teppanyaki, big ‘ole burgers, a vegan foodie venue and even a craft beer bar offering delicious eats to name a few. There is more choice here than you can poke a stick at and bonus; it’s attached to one of the region’s best shopping centres #UnicornsDoExist.
Where: Robina Town Centre, Robina Town Centre Drive, Robina 

El Camino Cantina
A good time Mexi-joint at Robina Town Centre, what’s not to love? Rocking one of the most colour-filled interiors you ever did see, a menu packed with family-friendly Mex-cellent eats, and frozen margaritas, it’s love at first sight/bite/sip. The legendary venue is one of seven Queensland restaurants, synonymous with funky neon signage, sweet sombreros, and an all-round winning ambience. Gather the crew and get on it.
Where: Robina Town Centre, Robina Town Centre Drive, Robina

CBUS Super Stadium
Home of our beloved Titans, CBUS Super Stadium is one of the best regional stadiums in Australia and it’s ours, all ours (insert wicked snigger). Not only do Gold Coasters spend their weekends cheering on the boys here, but we’ve also been lucky enough to watch A-league and international football games, the Nitro Circus, and the Rugby 7s as part of the Commonwealth Games. High five to CBUS for being our homegrown hub of sporting joy.
Where: Centreline Place, Robina

Robina Pavilion
A tried and tested (regularly. Very regularly….) favourite, Robina Pav features a sleek look’n’feel, dreamy deck overlooking the water, a specialised kids area, and plenty of good vibes. Boasting a menu packed with epic eats from woodfired pizzas to stacked burgers, it would be rude not to get involved with the impressive cocktail menu #IfWeMust. It’s the perfect spot for sun-soaked afternoon sessions with you posse.
Where: 229 Ron Penhaligon Way, Robina

Robina Parkway Dog Park
Obviously one for the locals with hairy mates but if you live further afield and have a furry friend in tow, we highly recommend. There are all kinds of fun things for your doggo to explore including tunnels and hurdles, and they’re bound to make a new buddy or two in the process. If you don’t have a pooch, get down there anyway and score free pats a-plenty #GoodForTheSoul.
Where: Lot 21, Robina Parkway, Robina

Parkway Coffee
Ahh Parkway Coffee how we love thee and your equally irresistible sibling Third Base in Palmy. Like its southern sister, this Robina crowd pleaser offers similar laidback community vibes, and also serves up the same level of tasty brunch eats. Their Reuban Toastie with beef pastrami, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, gherkins, and thousand island dressing on golden toasted sourdough is the perf example of Parkway’s culinary prowess. Pair your feed with some quality time in the garden…and day made.
Where: Robina Quays, 361 Robina Parkway, Robina

Cheltenham Park
If open spaces and oodles of greenery, in the middle of a city no less, is your thing (yes please), Cheltenham Park is the business. There are plenty of areas for the kids – human and fury – to run themselves ragged (#yeahmums!) bushwalking tracks, and big leafy trees to stretch out beneath with a picnic and your favourite people. Perfect for escaping the rat race without chewing through the petrol in search of a tree change.
Where: Cheltenham Drive, Robina 

The Sporting Globe
The spacious, sports-themed bar and restaurant made a big splash on Robina Town Centre when it first moved in and continues to do so in 2023. Within The Sporting Globe there are no less than 50 high definition screens including two 5m2 screens and a nine-screen video wall, so yeah nah, you’re not missing a single second of the action. They’re also serving up perfect sport-watching food, frosty bronsons galore, and an all-round cracking good atmosphere. It’s a sure thing.
Where: The Promenade, Robina Town Centre, Robina

Alpine Indoor Climbing
Robina’s state-of-the-art climbing centre is positively R.A.D if you’re somewhat of an adrenalin junkie, or someone looking for a new sporty-spice-esk challenge. Alpine Indoor Climbing is a favourite amongst both professional and beginner climbers (including those lacking in coordination, AKA us). There are varying levels of challenges and you can go across, straight up, or anyway you like really, and there are cushioned pads underneath should you lose your grip. Good times.
Where: 86 Robina Town Centre Drive, Robina

Words by Bianca Trathen.