Hummus where the heart is.
Hummus where the heart is.
New things are happening on the Gold Coast friends and that means our beloved dining scene is coming back to life. Which brings us (and no doubt you) much happiness.
One such new thing is the addition of a Greek eatery to Palmy’s favourite multi-cuisine venue The Collective, which is great for many reasons – first and foremost that we love Greek food and also that we can eat it there, on the rooftop overlooking Palmy and accompanied by bulk cocktails.
Not to mention that we obviously cannot travel for the foreseeable future so a little sojourn of sorts to the majestic Meditteranean is exactly what we need. And exactly what we’re going to get when Mazi opens on Friday June 12th.
Meaning ‘together’, Mazi is the perfect fit for The Collective’s group of eateries, all of which come together to create a space that has community at its’ heart.
Start your night with something delectable from the Meze menu like the Saganaki with honey soaked raisin, Olive oil grilled octopus skewers or Sage & garlic charcoal baked half shell scallops. Drool-worthy, we know.
Executive chef Jake Furst has created traditional Greek food with a fun, modern twist and with the introduction of a new charcoal grill, the signature meats will be hard to pass up.
The large shared plates offer you Slow Cooked Lamb Gyros, Half Marinated Chicken or a Chargrilled 1.4kg Cape Grim Tomahawk (designed to be shared between four friends) and they’re all of the highest quality and accompanied by seasonal ingredients to produce the finest meze around.
For dessert, there’s sweet traditional Greek donuts (Loukoumades) made fresh daily in flavours like Honey Pistachio, Lemon Curd or Nutella. Obviously, you’ll need to try them all.
The new space is decked out in the prettiest of peaches and is the first new venue to be introduced to The Collective in three years.
Cause for celebration if you ask us!
Head down to Palm Beach to check it out, as well as a few of those rooftop cocktails we mentioned.
Happy days Gold Coasters.
LOCATION: The Collective Palm Beach, 1128 Gold Coast Hwy
HOURS: Monday to Friday 5pm to 8.30 pm, Saturday and Sunday 11.30am until 8.30pm
The Collective in Palm Beach only opened Boxing Day but already it has become a firm favourite on the Gold Coast social scene.
Now the venue has launched a build your own banquet menu to showcase the best from each restaurant and allow you more time to chat.
The new menu, incorporating food from all five of the exceptional restaurants, is jam packed with the best options from each because sometimes it’s just to hard to choose.
Luckily, with the introduction of the banquet menu, you can try a variety of small to large dishes and desserts for $40, $55 or $70 per person.
Small plates range from Pork Belly Nuggets to Hoison Duck Bao while medium plates include Singapore Chilli Crab, Tacos and Chorizo Balls to name a few.
Moving on to large plates (because, why not) choose from Gourmet Pizzas, Pan Seared Snapper Fillet and Souvlakis among many other options.
Once you’re done with all that, it’s dessert time – Nutella Pannacotta perhaps?
Available to groups of four people or more, the banquet is the perfect way to enjoy a variety of dishes and make sure you don’t miss a minute of catching up with your mates.
HOURS: 7am to 12am daily
LOCATION: 1128 Gold Coast Highway, Palm Beach
Words and photos by Kirra Smith
It’s party time for Palm Beach as of right now thanks to the good folks at The Collective and our (sometimes) pal tequila.
The southern favourites have brought their A-game with a whimsical, resort-style pop-up bar unlike anything you’ve ever seen before, featuring non other than Patrón, in many a tasty tipple for your winter sipping pleasure.
The Collective will not only be partnering with the brand that makes you feel all fancy whenever you order it, they’ll also be teaming up with cocktail mix makers by newbies Mr Consistent (anyone know where we can find ourselves one of those btw), who are serving up the goods.
You may also sample interesting sips such as the Festival Chica with Patrón Silver Tequila, fresh kumquats (a word we’ve never typed but are now in love with, may be using more often), fig liqueur, verjuice and Mezcal or the Gottalottamoxie with Patrón Silver Tequila, fresh raspberries, lillet rose, parfait amour, lemon lime and lavender agave.
So tasty, so many tequila cocktails in your future. Prep yourself.
We suggest finding a cosy corner on the luxe white lounges or enjoy pride of place at the custom Patrón Bar – Rihanna style – the perfect place for pre or post dinner drinks. Particularly overlooking Palmy as the sun sets on a weekday afternoon, just quietly.
Of course you can (and should) order any number of delicious eats from The Collective’s five kitchens to enjoy at the Patrón Pop-Up Bar while you knock back cocktails including a Winter Warmer range available from Monday to Wednesday.
Featuring Umami Hot Pots (Monday), Calavera Paella (Tuesday) and The Kitchen’s $10 steak night (Wednesday), there are SO MANY yummy dishes to choose from and, if you’ve had enough tequila (usually find that out the next day), wash your dinner down with a Mulled Wine or three to close out the evening.
How good.
In case all that goodness isn’t enough, there’s live music on Friday and Saturday nights from 4pm to 10pm.
It’s a Palm Beach party and you’re all invited.
Catch you there no doubt.
LOCATION: The Collective Palm Beach, 1128 Gold Coast Hwy, Palm Beach
HOURS: Daily from 5pm until 27th September 2019
Who loves a dirty martini? Ummm, we do! And we love any excuse to drink one… enter: International Gin Day. June 14 is basically our second birthday – okay, technically it’s gin’s, but we’re claiming it.
Luckily for us, the Gold Coast is shaking (and stirring) things up with a bunch of bars serving epic gin creations using top-shelf local spirits.
So in honour of the juniper juice we all know and love, here are the best spots to get your gin fix this Gin Day – or, let’s be honest, any day ending in “y”.
Happy sipping, gin lovers.
Bringing a splash of Polish tradition to the Gold Coast, Panezski Artisan Distillery is a family-run gem crafting premium small-batch vodka and gin with heart, heritage and a whole lot of flavour. While vodka might traditionally be a northern hemisphere affair, Panezski is proving that Aussie soil can produce spirits with just as much soul. From their meticulous distilling process to their beautiful bottling, it’s clear this crew doesn’t cut corners. Drop in for a taste of Europe, GC-style.
Our pick: Northside Rickey – Panezski Gin, lime juice, simple syrup, mint leaves and dry ginger ale. Cool, crisp and straight-up refreshing.
Where: Unit 2/2 Sierra Place, Upper Coomera
Tucked away in an industrial shed near Harbour Town, this gin haven is serving up serious style (think festoon lights, a swoon-worthy pink vee-jay counter, and shiny copper stills that deserve their own Instagram account). Their gin spirits are stellar, and they taste even sweeter in the form of their cocktails.
Our pick: The Mango Weis Bar cocktail with mango gin, mango nectar, lemon juice, vanilla sugar and aquafaba does it for us!
Where: 211 Brisbane Rd, Biggera Waters
If there’s one place that knows its way around a gin cocktail, it’s the OG of Gold Coast distilling – Granddad Jack’s. They’ve seriously upped the ante with their bold new cocktail menu inspired by the Seven Man-Made Wonders of the World. Each drink is a flavour-packed tribute to an architectural icon – think a dry martini-style nod to the Great Wall of China with bold mandarin and umami notes, or a silky, spiced number inspired by the Taj Mahal. There’s even a foamy, tart twist on Chicha Morada repping Machu Picchu. Honestly, it’s a round-the-world trip without leaving Miami (and without needing a passport – bonus!).
Our pick: The Seymour Street, made with their house Greenhouse Gin, fresh lime juice and a dash of eucalyptus. It’s like sipping on an Aussie summer in a glass.
Where: 45 Lemana Lane, Miami
Far more than your standard distillery, Familiar Spirits focuses on crafting tailor-made spirits for cocktails, ensuring each drink is as smooth as a well-aged whiskey. Now we’re talking! Their signature cocktail menu rotates with the seasons, so there’s always something new to try.
Our pick: The Not So Familiar Negroni, with Macadamia Fat Washed Pudding Gin, Lemon Myrtle Campari and Rosso Vermouth is calling our name.
Where: 1/9 Calabro Way, Burleigh Heads
Meet the small-batch distillery that packs a big punch! Found on Scottsdale Drive in Varsity Lakes, Wildflower Distillery crafts exceptional and award-winning gin that can be deemed as ‘Burleigh in a bottle’. Crafted with locally grown botanicals, including cardamom, lemon myrtle and coriander, plus a little drop of honey from the owner’s very own Burleigh backyard, you can now understand why. It’s a very easy drinking drop, a little bit floral and paired perfectly with either tonic, solo over ice (tried and tested) or in their famous ‘Basil Fawlty’ cocktail- delish!
Our pick: The Basil Fawlty cocktail is worth the trip alone
Where: 2/486 Scottsdale Drive, Varsity Lakes
If you’re chasing sleek, sophisticated and seriously sippable, Burly Gin in Currumbin is your go-to. This dreamy gin bar is packed with artisan bottles so pretty, you’ll be turning them into vases when they’re empty (because why not have flowers and gin on display?). The team behind Burly serves up their entire gin range in a lineup of dazzling cocktails, each one more Insta-worthy than the last. The space itself is chic, the vibes are chilled, and the drinks? Let’s just say you’ll want to try the entire menu twice.
Our pick: Italiano Spritz – Citrus Burly Gin, Sanbitter, Grapefruit, Rosemary Shrub & Prosecco. Bellissimo!
Where: 60 Currumbin Creek Road, Currumbin
Bringing a taste of Italy with a distinctly Aussie twist, Loborn Distillery is shaking (and stirring) up Tamborine Mountain’s sip scene in the most delicious way. Tucked among the leafy charm of Main Street, this boutique distillery is the perfect pit stop for a tasting or a cheeky cocktail session. Whether you’re vibing an Aperol Spritz in the sunshine or settling in for something stronger, Loborn delivers the goods with style, flavour, and plenty of mountain magic.
Our pick: The Classic G&T – Loborn Original Gin, Indian tonic water and an orange twist. Simple. Timeless. Perfect.
Where: Shop 4, 46-48 Main Street, Mt Tamborine
Home of the iconic colour-changing Ink Gin, Husk Farm Distillery is the ultimate gin-lover’s day trip destination. Set on a stunning working farm in North Tumbulgum, this spot is part cellar door, part bar, part café – and 100% worth the drive. While they’re also the brains behind Husk Virgin Cane Rum and Spiced Bam Bam, today we’re here for the gin (obviously). Expect garden-fresh vibes, paddock-to-glass pours, and cocktails that are as pretty as they are delicious.
Our pick: Ink Sloe Fizz – Ink Sloe & Berry Gin, lemon, soda. Light, bright, and berry delicious.
Where: Dulguigan Rd, North Tumbulgum
Words by Chelsea Ipsen
