In case those gloriously clear blue skies daily didn’t already give you the heads up (or, a calendar for that matter) it’s officially time to throw those cardi’s and jumpers over our old faithful summer wardrobe because winter is upon us. Well, as close as we get to ‘winter’ here on the GC, anyway.

By no means does that mean you have to hibernate though. We would actually argue this is the superior time of the year to be getting out and about without our old foe humidity ruining our hair and the all round comfort levels.

As luck would have it, our friends at The Star have been cooking up a veritable feast of options to keep our spirits high (choose to take that literally or figuratively). They’re stoking up the fire pits to keep us warm and toasty on the outside, and the seasonal winter menu will act as a cosy hug for your insides. Oh, and a few lashings of whiskey (the OG #winterwarmer) certainly never hurt either.

Winter at Garden Kitchen & Bar
Once it officially cools down enough to bust out the heaters and fire pits to keep us cosy, Garden Kitchen & Bar has got that same chilled out, camping under the stars feel with zero of the fuss or leaky tents (we’d say BYO marshmallows but we’ve taken a peek at the winter menu and can safely say that won’t be necessary).

When it comes to the winter menu specials, the phrase ‘winter warmers’ springs to mind but it feels like a huge understatement as far as we’re concerned. For $65, feast upon three expertly paired courses starting with the Parsnip and leek soup with flaked salmon (and of course toasted sourdough, obvs) Because we’ve officially filed ‘serving soup without crusty bread’ under ‘things that feel like they should be illegal but aren’t’. And the sound of the slow-cooked beef cheeks with fried garlic chats, broccolini, roasted baby carrots and red wine jus alone have us ready to hop The G mid-sentence #berightover. And to finish, it’s everyone’s fave pud Sticky date pudding, pineapple, caramel and vanilla ice cream (sorry Christmas pud, but caramel wins every time).

Now if the thought of that doesn’t already have you done like a dinner, the hearty (and boozy) seasonal specials will be hard to go past. Choose from likes of the Lamb chops with a CC whiskey gravy or perhaps Baked oysters with smoked CC whisky butter and bacon for the sea-foodies. But really, we camembert the thought of missing out on the Baked Brie with CC whiskey honey and toasted pecans with warm toast.

And because who doesn’t love kicking back and soaking up those open air alfresco vibes on a crisp winters evening, there’s also DJ’s every Friday and Saturday night on The Lawn. Drop it like it’s… a lovely 12°C GC evening (doesn’t quite have the same ring to it tho).

Gifts from The Garden
The Garden really is the gift that just keeps giving this winter. And it’s good news if you’re overdue to get the crew together (or just feeling really really hungry #jks #technically).

Receive a bottle of 750ml Whispering Angel Rosé when you order 4 or more main meals, or upgrade to the 1.5L bottle of Magnum Whispering Angel Rosé when you order 8 or more. Word to the wise? The wine may be dry, but an offer this sweet needs to be booked in advance.

What’s on
You didn’t think The Star would be leaving us marooned when it comes to winter sports, did you?

This Origin season, they’re hosting all three nail-biting QLD v NSW clashes from two of their incredible venues, choose to watch the game under the stars on The Lawn at Garden Kitchen & Bar, or get the stadium experience in the Sports Bar live, large & loud. Because we all know the electric atmosphere is as integral to the Origin experience as the ice cold beers and ribbing of our mates that insist on sporting a blue jersey #booooo.

Here’s a tip for the die-hard footy fans among us: make sure your Origin night’s a winner by pre-booking a bougie booth package at either venue to secure the best seats in the house, with some unbeatable food and bev inclusions to boot.

Kick off game night with MC’s to bring the hype, giveaways and footy themed fare. Catch the Qld Burger throughout June, with fried chicken burger, sriracha mayo, coleslaw, pineapple with XXXX. Because when it comes to pineapple on burgs – and pizza – you can either be #teampineapple, or wrong.

If it’s the biff you wanna bring back, come watch Tim Tszyu Fight live on the big screens in the Sports Bar on the 18th June.

Ahhh, it sure is a hard life as a sports fan. Anyone else suddenly thirsty?

When: Various activations happening all winter long
Where: The Star Gold Coast, Casino Drive, Broadbeach

Words by Kellie Leader.

STORY SPONSORED BY THE STAR GOLD COAST

The Star practises the responsible service of alcohol. Guests must be aged 18 years or over to enter the casino. BET WITH YOUR HEAD, NOT OVER IT.