Imagine a modern, lush, insta-worthy upmarket pub. Now add in a blend of classic and refined lunch and dinner options, late night drinks, and a breakfast menu (say what? A pub that serves the most important meal of the day? Well I never…).

And while you’re at it, throw in a killer beer garden because it’s the GC, and who even are you if you don’t have one of these?!

Well friends, we just described your new favourite eats and watering hole, Local, sitting pretty in our capital of cool, Burleigh Heads.

Founders Wesley Heincke, Steve Heincke and Sasha Mielczarek have transformed the ex-Harry’s Steak & Bistro site into a showstopping chameleon.

Nailing a coastal industrial chic aesthetic, mark our words; Local is here to stay.

With an inside/outside area spanning 350sqm, there’s plenty of real estate to cop a feed from early AM to evening and we love that for us.

When you first step inside, you’re greeted by lush greenery overhead, and equally lush green velvet booths seating up to 10 people, large-group-friendly bar tables, and a long bar set against the wall. Stacked with no less than 10 beer taps, it’s pitcher perfect.

Venture outside and you’ll find the secret sauce – Burleigh’s only beer garden! With contemporary timber panel detailing, more lush greenery, and a mix of industrial pendants and festoon lighting, we’ll be spending countless sun-drenched hours here enjoying (too) many summer bevvies.

Seating up to 70 people, there’s four large picnic tables and three booths, making it a great spot for larger groups. The only thing that could make this place better is a tinnie bar and colour us happy, there’s one of those too! Stocked with not only a huge range of craft beer but seltzers and the like too, our Local fangirling just levelled up a notch.

Head Chefs Jack Horder and Jimin Lee certainly know their way around a modern pub grub menu, with both casual and more fancy fare.

Let’s start with breakfast because this seems logical, and we’re zeroing in on the Cured Salmon with beetroot cured salmon, pickled cucumber, eschalots, wasabi mayo, and dill on sourdough.

Never one to say no to a morning cocktail, the Berocc Obama not only pleases our punny side, but also our palette with Smirnoff vodka, Berocca, kombucha, and lemonade.

Now let’s talk PM, and the lunch and dinner menu is everything we’d hoped for.

For those traditional pub food lovers, you can’t go past the Chicken Schnitzel, featuring a house-made schnitzel served with a leaf salad, shoestring fries, and your choice of diane, mushroom, or pepper sauce.

Feeling a bit highbrow? Then it’s gotta be the Duck, with pan fried duck breast, roast pumpkin purée, confit grapes, toasted hazelnuts, wild rocket, watercress, and a light jus.

And for dessert, tuck into a Chocolate Fudge Brownie with vanilla bean ice cream.

To accompany your delicious pub grub, you need a Local Anaesthetic and no, we are not carting you off to Pindara but referring to Local’s signature cocktail. It’s a take on an old fave, the Long Island Ice Tea, with vodka, gin, rum, triple sec, Chambord, lemon, lime and lemonade. Pair it with a little something to share and as if we can ever knock back a Lobster Roll. With tempura battered lobster, lobster mayo, apple, lettuce, togarashi, watercress and chipotle aioli served in a soft bun, you’d be cray-zy to say no.

So the message here is clear. Whether you’re young or old, feeling a chill breakfast, hearty feed, or late night bev, your new local is Local.

Where: 1744 Gold Coast Highway, Burleigh Heads
When: 6.30am – late, Monday – Sunday

Words by Bianca Trathen.

Restaurants specialising in share food have never been more popular. Pan-Asian cuisine has never been more desired, and destination Burleigh continues its #trending status. So, what happens when a sharesies style noshery unifying the best eats from our fave north-western neighbours opens in the GC’s golden child suburb? Kin Pan-Asian Kitchen and Bar, that’s what.

Calling the old Iku digs home, Kin’s epic reno, super cool eclectic vibes, and insanely good menu are set to ignite the local eats scene. Opening to rave reviews, we expected nothing less from this newcomer. With the intention to create an environment reflecting the catchy name, job well done as a visit to Kin will feel like you’re popping into a family member’s place. A very trendy family member, with some srsly gnarly kitchen skills.

Owners Sara-Jane Hawkins and Darren Schulze engaged Owen Thompson to help them deliver a space with cool kid vibes for days, which nailed the ‘fancy but casual’ brief. The mixed bag of custom-made furniture, dimly lit booths with maximum cosy factor, funky Japanese laneways, and a boho beach vibe create a moody ambience and awesome atmospheric buzz. Throw in a dark colour palette, plenty of texture and a silky-smooth blend of jazz, new and old school funk, groove and soul, and tell us you’ve had a better all-rounder dining experience (you haven’t).

You can eat parallel to the bar, admiring your surrounds, taking in the crowd, and watching the folk behind the bar work their mixology magic. Or instead slide into one of those inviting booths for a more intimate and snug meal or drinks sesh. Speaking of, Head Chef Sean John Barogo has developed an extensive menu which is all that and a bag of baos. It includes said baos, gyoza, small plates, set menus, raw bar items, tempura, robata, yakitori, sushi, desserts and more.

Let’s start with the signature dishes for obvious reasons, like the Black Miso Cod marinated for 72 hours in caramelised miso, served with pickled vegetables, miso jelly and crushed nuts. Or, perhaps the Whole Baby Barramundi is more your cup of sake, deep fried and served with a delicious tangy tamarind sauce and Japanese slaw.

Refresh yourself with the signature Golden Child cocktail with umeshu, Midori, sake, lemon juice, simple syrup, egg white, green tea, bay leaves, liquid nitrogen and apple and cheers to good health coz an apple a day….

The desserts are all kinds of yum but we’re choosing from their Liquid Dessert menu and absolutely no-one is surprised to hear this.

The Fortune Cookie Shot has our name written all over it with vanilla vodka, amaretto, Irish creme liquor and of course, a lucky fortune cookie.

Also well worth noting is the soon-to-be launched Supper Club, serving up late night bites from 9.30pm-11pm on Friday and Saturday nights and hallelujah coz we’re so sick of late night Maccas runs to satisfy our second-wind hunger pangs.

Finally, if you need an uber cool space for your location shoots, product launches, music video clips, or intimate celebrations, Kin has got your covered with space for seated groups of 36 in the private dining room, or up to 80 if you’d like the entire restaurant.

So friends, get f#$kin pumped for this joint, and to finally be able to trade out greasy late night fast-food fests, for a top notch feed.

Where: 1730 Gold Coast Highway, Burleigh Heads
When: 4.30pm – Midnight, Monday – Sunday

Words by Bianca Trathen
Images by Brittany Kreskas