The Gold Coast foodie scene has been a place of profound change and transitions in recent years. We may be bias, but we think our café culture is very much in line — if not surpassing — our southern neighbours.

And with it, we have variety: from gorgeous beachside espresso drop-ins to laid-back chic industrial spaces which effortlessly ooze coolness. We reckon anyone from the big cities that have visited in recent times has likely left feeling a tad jealous — so they should, right?!

The northern end of the Gold Coast has been no exception to this building momentum of late, with venues regularly setting the bar high with only the best coffee and premium café dishes. So, when it’s time to break the fast, and you find yourself at the northern end of town, we’ve kindly compiled a rundown of the best places, where we implore you to make that happen. Enjoy!

Funnybone Coffee
From the owner of cult coffee stop, Good Day Coffee in Tugun comes this reasonably new addition to the Helensvale circuit. Aesthetically from the outside, this open café space screams minimalistic eye-catching vibes that will make leaving this spot rather tricky, especially when the staples are yummy Acai Bowls, Coconut Porridge and Eggs Benedict of both the regular and vegan variety.
Where: 2 Laurel Drive, Helensvale 

Daark Espresso
The ever-admired Chirn Park (just north of Southport) is a little hive of foodie goodness that the northern side of the Coast was certainly due. Daark Espresso sets the bar high, from its uber-friendly staff to its sumptuous breakfast menu littered with favourites like the dessert-for-breakfast Panna Cotta boasting peach, mango, & coconut with a crunchy granola & seasonal fruits. Ohh and make sure not to make plans for the rest of the day because their lunch menu will make you want to stay!
Where: 2/41 Musgrave Avenue, Labrador

WavyBone
Chirn Park has gone and done it again with a café that looks like it has just waved goodbye and walked itself out of a Melbourne laneway; it hasn’t though, it’s just the ultra-vibrant WavyBone, of course! The Wavy B & E Roll is a winner and goes down a treat with a perfectly poured Blackboard Coffee, one of the Gold Coast’s original coffee roasteries. Throw into this mix a turntable forever pumping out sweet rhythms and a chance to grab yourself some dashing WavyBone branded apparel: we think you’ve likely found your next favourite breakfast hangout.
Where: 1/36 Musgrave Avenue, Southport

Anchor Bouy Café & Bar
The aptly named Anchor Bouy is where you are guaranteed some finely poured Elixir coffee and a great breakfast menu, all whilst you stare lovingly at the array of boats in the marina and wish to yourself you lived at Sanctuary Cove. One dish you MUST try is the Breakfast Bruschetta. It’s to die for with your choice of bacon or house smoked salmon, avocado, cherry tomatoes, poached eggs all served on top of lightly toasted sourdough and drizzled with hollandaise.
Where: The Marine Village, Masthead Way, Hope Island

Substance Espresso
Can we just say, how good is a seasonal menu? It keeps things interesting and fresh in our eyes! And with that in mind, the team at Substance Espresso has their menu hinge on seasonality, with specials aplenty and the added acceptance that dessert for breakfast is a bonafide thing. Oh and to top it all off, the barista’s there accept nothing but consistently good coffee, which means the first drop of golden liquid is as good as the last. We’ll meet you there!
Where: Shop 2/10/12 Lae Drive, Runaway Bay

Bear Boy Espresso
Coffee is well and truly the ultimate focus at Bear Boy Espresso. Speciality blends coming from Market Lane in Melbourne are regularly featured with the added addition of pour-over and batch brew as well as your standard espresso-style coffees. Caffeine aside, the venue is a feast for the eyes and somehow more reminiscent of Northern Europe than Queensland. The menu brags some usual flavoursome suspects as well as a dedicated section to the little ones. We can’t go past their self-proclaimed ‘OG’ the Big Bear Benny. A crispy potato waffle, two poached pggs, house hollandaise with sautéed greens and your choice of garlic thyme mushroom, smoked bacon, pulled pork, or smoked salmon. The options are endless!
Where:  Shop 66/502 Hope Island Road, Helensvale

Cross + Feather
Situated on one of the forever-bustling little streets of Paradise Point, Cross + Feather dishes up all your favourites with quirky little spins. And because breakfast is for champions, the team at Cross + Feather generously serve it all day. We cannot recommend enough the Crossed Avo which includes fresh avocado, heritage tomatoes, Persian fetta, purple basil salsa verde, native dukkah, smoked green tea salt on a sprouted wheat sourdough. YUM!
Where: 2 Grice Avenue, Paradise Point

Words by Alex Mitcheson.

Exciting news Coomera clan, your brand new Westfield is well underway and we’ve got the scoop as to exactly what you can expect come October.

As you’d know, Westfield’s are like the King’s Landing of shopping centres; the biggest and the best filled with surprises at every turn and the occasional traitor (come Boxing Day sales).

Westfield Coomera is no exception. It’s set to become one of the Gold Coast’s dining, lifestyle and entertainment destinations of choice and northerners, you should definitely be excited.

Let’s start with the eats, because that’s a good time for everyone. The cuisine selection will tantalise all tastebuds with a range spanning the entire globe. Tapworks Bar and Grill will keep things close to home with a huge selection of craft beer and all your favourite pub-style meals while Kamikaze Teppanyaki & Bar will bring the good times and the tasty eats with a modern take on traditional teriyaki.

Beach House Bar and Grill is a double storey venue offering the very best in modern Australian and coastal dining and Nahm Thai Restaurant will offer a contemporary take on traditional Thai dishes. Burger lovers are covered by much-loved Betty’s Burgers who also bring tasty thickshakes and their signature desserts to the mix and this is only a tiny selection of the eateries Westfield Coomera has on offer.

There’ll also be homemade dumplings, Mexican street food, a rib house and a venue specifically for sweet, delicious crepes. How good!

Not only food though (obviously) the centre boasts some fun lifestyle features like iPlay Adventure featuring Clip N Climb, high-ropes course, roller-skating, laser tag and arcade games to blow off some energy after all that eating.

Plus, a place called The Park Coomera is a putt putt meets beer garden style situation with a full bar and pizzeria, bowling lane, live music stage and life-sized board games and that is the greatest addition to a shopping centre in the history of Queensland.

In all, the new space will be home to over 140 specialty stores plus plenty of outdoor areas for bulk relaxing and a market-inspired fresh food destination.

Sounds pretty good to us. Stay tuned for further information and an exact opening date.

Credit cards at the ready.

LOCATION: Foxwell Rd, Coomera

Words by Kirra Smith

Picture the scene: it’s your team’s game night, and you and your crew are more than keen to catch the action in a location with full coverage, the coldest of beers, and a sprinkling of outstanding food options. Anything less would be a colossal failure, right? Seeking down such establishments that are solely devoted to delivering these things is not always the most straightforward task. But at the same time, neither is it impossible! Luckily for you, we’ve done our homework and compiled a list of the best sports bars on the Gold Coast to enjoy the action while adequately showing your support for your team. Shouting at screens may or may not be included.

The Star Sports Bar
Many would say this place is in pole position as the Gold Coast’s premier sports bar venue, and we think that’s rightly deserved. If the 23 large screens, private (pre-bookable) booths and a gigantic 10.5-metre screen aren’t impressive enough, you should be swayed by the coldest beer around and a multitude of nearby food outlets for you to fuel up pre-game or celebrate your team’s victory.
Where: The Star Gold Coast, Main Gaming Floor, 1 Casino Drive, Broadbeach

Crafty’s Sports Bar
Aptly positioned at the northern Gold Coast’s prime shopping outlet Harbour Town, Crafty’s gives you the option of mixing shopping with seeing whatever sporting event you might be into. Or, if it’s better suited, the chance for you or your partner to do so whilst the other takes their time with over 200 stores. Make plans to grab some essentials and then settle in with some fantastic food and craft beers. Score!
Where: Harbour Town Eats – 147/189 Brisbane Road, Biggera Waters

The Sporting Globe Bar and Grill
Part of a sizeable chain of sporting bars across the country, these guys certainly know how to look after sporting fans. Apart from expansive coverage of all the action, there are food specials every day of the week, and if you’re seeing the Gold Coast Titans game at the Cbus Stadium, come in beforehand for a drink, and these guys will even take you there and back. How good is that?
Where: Robina Town Centre, 19 Robina Town Centre Drive, Robina

Burleigh Town Hotel
This one is a real showstopper, boasting a zhuzhed up modern bistro and the sports bar to end all sports bars. The newly renovated Burleigh Town Hotel is the ideal destination to catch all of the sports action. Featuring a state-of-the-art 11-metre mega screen… It’s the biggest pub screen in the southern hemisphere and if you think that’s impressive, have a go of the suspended cylinder screen promising perfect viewing from every vantage point #jawdrop.
Where: Tsipura Drive, Burleigh Heads

The Avenue
This hotspot is more renowned as the place you head to take the night up a gear with vibrant music, entertainment, and drinks specials. And that’s a fair comment. However, should you want a great place to catch the next big fight with eating options and the ever so easy decision of sticking around and partying till the small hours, it’s a slam dunk!
Where: 3-15 Orchid Avenue, Surfers Paradise

Coolangatta Hotel
On the southern end of the Coast, The Coolangatta Hotel is the prime location to catch any sporting activities and be assured of a buoyant and passionate atmosphere. Pair it with a splash and lounge on one of Coolangatta’s famous golden beaches, and then be sure to stick around for the post-game live music, and you are onto a hole in one.
Where: Marine Parade, Coolangatta

Fat Freddy’s
How does an American-style sports bar with a Gold Coast twist sound? Too good to be true, right? Wrong. Because you need to look no further than Fat Freddy’s on Broadbeach’s Surf Parade. Grab a highchair at the bar and enjoy unhampered views of seven screens overhead as bartenders look after you with libations galore and a polished bar snacks menu which should make getting up to leave your seat an arduous feat if you ask us!
Where: 50 Surf Parade, Broadbeach

Ashmore Tavern
If you’ve driven past the good ‘ole Ashmore Tavern recently, you’ll have noticed it’s looking anything but ‘ole these days. Undergoing an extreme makeover, we’re not just talking a lick of paint and a few trusty Kmart prints, but an epic $5 million reno sporting some serious a la mode flex. There are sleek new indoor and outdoor dining spaces and a large sports bar with an adjoining balcony. With big screens showing sports daily you’ll never miss a moment of the biggest sporting events at the Sports Bar.
Where: 161 Cotlew Street, Ashmore

Words by Alex Mitcheson & Belinda Symons.