Elk Espresso’s seaside sibling Sunnyboy opens in Mermaid Beach.
Elk Espresso’s seaside sibling Sunnyboy opens in Mermaid Beach.
Mermaid Beach has gotten a lot more colourful with the vibey addition of Sunnyboy to its culinary ranks. The newbie is the work of one of the Gold Coast’s most beloved creators in the foodie space, Andrew Whiting and it is exactly as delightful as you’d expect. And then some.
Found on the corner of Hedges Ave and Montana Ave where Café on Hedges once lived, Sunnyboy is marked by yellow striped umbrellas, splashes of colour and plenty of smiling faces enjoying glimpses of the ocean and tucking into some of the very best eats you’ll find on the Coast.
Sunnyboy is the sibling of Broady’s Elk Espresso a Gold Coast institution since 2011, much-loved by absolutely everyone. Before Elk Andrew owned fine dining venue Sparrow and Nobby Beach and his first venture Vintage Espresso was the favourite of Mermaid Beach locals from its very first day. In what he calls a full circle moment, Sunnyboy opening in Mermaid Beach has brought the Vintage coffee loving community back together to delight in a new, neighbourhood-centric space.
The idea behind Sunnyboy was to remind people of an era gone by in Mermaid Beach, long summers spent by the ocean without a care in the world. It’s a little bit retro with white Besser blocks and of course, the colour palette is a nod to the Sunnyboy ice blocks that we once couldn’t get enough of on a hot day.
In keeping with Elk, Sparrow and Vintage, the menu is filled with seasonal dishes that are both a feast for the eyes and the tastebuds. There’s Summer Fruit French Toast made with a crispy cornflake brioche and topped with plum compote, fresh peaches, cherries, honeyed macadamias, rock salt caramel gelato and coconut mousse. Yep.
Faves like Avo Toast and Stracciatella Toast grace the menu and then there are special dishes like a Sticky Pork Hoagie with plum sauce, roasted pork belly, miso butter, sesame fried eggs, rocket and fried shallots.
For lunch there are colour-filled salads, an array of exceptional burgers and an Open Steak Sandwich with rare eye fillet, horseradish, aioli, rocket, fried shallots, cured egg yolk, Chimichurri and herbs on toasted sourdough and you’ve never tasted anything like it in your life.
To drink there are all the kinds of coffee (made with Sunnyboy beans of course), tea, smoothies, pressed juices, milkshakes and booze of course. You may also sip on a Mimosa, Spritz or a Paloma (an elite selection) and for $49pp you can enjoy your choice of meal plus bottomless Mimosas for an hour, which is so great.
So obviously Sunnyboy is the new love of all our lives and perfectly timed to make the upcoming Gold Coast summer even more enjoyable. Cheers to that.
Where: 168 Hedges Ave, Mermaid Beach
When: 7am until 2pm daily