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Chirn Park welcomes an ink-credible new bar

We’ve got an inkling you’re gonna love Walk-ins Welcome.

Walk-ins Welcome, Chirn Park (Image: © 2023 Inside Gold Coast)
Walk-ins Welcome, Chirn Park (Image: © 2023 Inside Gold Coast)

Living on the GC can be verrry thirsty work, we’re blaming both the unrelenting humidity and the allure of the very fine array of establishments we’re spoilt with (and definitely not our distinct lack of willpower). And for Northern GC locals, they’ll be frothing having a cool new spot to catch up for a cold one, with Walk-ins Welcome bar officially opening its doors in Chirn Park.

Walk-ins Welcome, Chirn Park (Image: © 2023 Inside Gold Coast)
Chilli Cherry Pow, Walk-ins Welcome, Chirn Park (Image: © 2023 Inside Gold Coast)

For the last few years, whenever it was fresh new ink we were craving, Sean Henry and his tattoo studio Darkhorse Initiative has had us covered. Like many, a certain pandemic circa ’19 brought the tattoo industry to a grinding halt, with the forced hiatus ink-spiring Sean to branch out and channel his creative energy into new endeavours.

For Sean, a somewhat unexpected side quest into the hospitality scene was spurred by identifying a big ol’ bar shaped hole in an area with a lot of potential. And following the blow that was losing our beloved Tonic on Chirn in the same strip earlier this year, no doubt Southport and surrounds will welcome the arrival of a cool new watering hole with open arms.

Walk-ins Welcome, Chirn Park (Image: © 2023 Inside Gold Coast)
Walk-ins Welcome, Chirn Park (Image: © 2023 Inside Gold Coast)

As you’d imagine with an adjoining tattoo studio next door, the Walk-ins Welcome atmosphere is primed for plenty of bants and all round good times. Pouring his heart and soul into the fit-out, it was all hands on deck for Sean and his crew to bring the new site to life.

Walk-ins Welcome, Chirn Park (Image: © 2023 Inside Gold Coast)
Walk-ins Welcome, Chirn Park (Image: © 2023 Inside Gold Coast)

Unsurprisingly, the bar has been heavily inspired by Sean’s love of ink, borrowing from various tattoo styles to result in a space that’s a funky, creative melting pot with plenty of nostalgic nods. The corridor linking the two spaces is lined with retro flash art, while the inclusion of a classic Space Invaders arcade machine, pop culture collectibles and decorations ensure the vibe is fun and welcoming.

Walk-ins Welcome, Chirn Park (Image: © 2023 Inside Gold Coast)
Sherman Klump and White Oat Lady, Walk-ins Welcome, Chirn Park (Image: © 2023 Inside Gold Coast)

Equally as welcoming is the drinks offering, with some enticing signature cocktails looking (and tasting every) bit the part. With a focus on sourcing locally made liquor, the bar boasts a selection of tapped beer is from small craft breweries right here on the Gold Coast, complimented by a canned selection from QLD, Victoria and NSW.

Walk-ins Welcome, Chirn Park (Image: © 2023 Inside Gold Coast)
Sean Henry, Walk-ins Welcome, Chirn Park (Image: © 2023 Inside Gold Coast)

The spirits are also mostly sourced from local distilleries on the Gold Coast, so y’know, we’ll just be over here doing our bit to support the local economy one drink at a time. Which won’t be difficult, since the cocktail menu is the kind that makes us want to work our way through, top to bottom.

Walk-ins Welcome, Chirn Park (Image: © 2023 Inside Gold Coast)
Chilli Cherry Pow and White Oat Lady cocktails, Walk-ins Welcome, Chirn Park (Image: © 2023 Inside Gold Coast)

Since we well and truly learned that lesson in our 20s, there will, unfortunately, be some difficult decisions to be made here. With our thirst for spicy cocktails showing no signs of being quenched anytime soon, starting with the Chilli Cherry Pow, made with Wildflower Gin, Luxardo Cherry Liqueur, Lemon Juice, Rose Lemonade is a non-negotiable.

Walk-ins Welcome, Chirn Park (Image: © 2023 Inside Gold Coast)
Walk-ins Welcome, Chirn Park (Image: © 2023 Inside Gold Coast)

And while we could happily sip the day away on any of the bevy’s gracing the Walk-ins Welcome cocktail list, the White Oat Lady, made with White Oat Mango Gin, Triple Sec, Lemon Juice, Egg white would abso-fruit-ly be the perfect finish to our day/night/anytime.

Where: 3a/37 Musgrave Avenue, Southport
When: Wednesday to Saturday 3pm-10pm, Sunday 3pm-9pm

Words by Kellie Leader.
Images by Mathilde Bouby.

Walk-ins Welcome, Chirn Park (Image: © 2023 Inside Gold Coast)
Exterior of Walk-ins Welcome, Chirn Park (Image: © 2023 Inside Gold Coast)

10 reasons locals love Chirn Park

Smashed Avo from Daark Espresso (image supplied)
Smashed Avo from Daark Espresso (image supplied)

Ahhh Chirn Park, you’re the northern GC’s answer to Burleigh…minus the traffic and with an intimate village vibe. Embracing its increasingly trendy rep, Chirn Park is welcoming more and more cool/interesting/unique businesses to this once underrated neck of the woods.

Being the fans that we are, here are 10 reasons why locals…and not so local locals….are flocking to Chirn Park en masse!

Cheesecake at Basque, Chirn Park (Image: © 2024 Inside Gold Coast)
Cheesecake at Basque, Chirn Park (Image: © 2024 Inside Gold Coast)

Basque
As it stands, the humble cheesecake is a universally beloved sweet treat that few desserts can rival. And when it comes to rivalries, few can contend Basque’s heavenly cheesecakes. We’re fast approaching two years since this artisan bakehouse arrived in the north city burb, yet they’ve become a fast fixture on dessert plates of locals and passerbyers alike. They do many great things, but pairing cheesecake with champagne may just be their finest idea. Once savoured, you’ll forever be at the mercy of their scrumptious slices. You’ve been warned.
Where: 33b Musgrave Avenue, Southport

Walk Ins Welcome
This double-establishment beauty may just be the coolest hangout on the Gold Coast for tattoo fiends and ink dabblers alike. It’s a bar, adjoined to a tattoo studio by a flash art-lined corridor. The fit-out is like a retro time capsule with pinball machines, classic arcade games and walls filled with artwork and tattoo flash; a collection of the founder and his team’s work over the years. They have a cocktail menu that makes you want to work from top to bottom, coupled with Connect 4 and Jenga available for some light-hearted fun. The allure of yet another tattoo begins to brew once again…
Where: 3/37 Musgrave Avenue, Southport

Walk-ins Welcome, Chirn Park (Image: © 2023 Inside Gold Coast)
Chilli Cherry Pow and White Oat Lady cocktails, Walk-ins Welcome, Chirn Park (Image: © 2023 Inside Gold Coast)

Quan 55
‘Quan’ is Vietnamese for bar, so no prizes for guessing what this Chirn Park fave serves! Host and owner Wynn serves up the same food as she does at home, even using her mother-in-law’s treasured 20-year-old crock pot! Now that’s authenticity personified! It boasts fabulous food and cocktails and ambience galore, thanks to the awesome interior and never-ending rotation of bums on seats.
Where: 4/55 Brooke Avenue, Southport

Cruize Espresso
It was love at first sight when we spotted the adorable logo alone. With a beautiful soft colour palette, swoon-worthy serve-wear, phenom wall art (Jai Vasicek, we see you…everywhere) and the instagrammable “I love you a latte” neon sign, the menu is as delicious as the fit-out. Think modern brekkie and lunch dishes beautifully presented with pretty-as-a-picture floral garnish, epic coffee, and the friendliest service in the land.
Where: Shop 6/37 Musgrave Ave, Labrador

Cruize Espresso, Chirn Park (Image: © 2022 Inside Gold Coast)
Cruize Espresso, Chirn Park (Image: © 2022 Inside Gold Coast)

Little Barista Espresso Bar
Looking for a consistently high-quality caffeine hit, all day breakfast or lunch? Call off the search coz Little Barista delivers all of the above. Perched in arguably the most prominent corner position in Chirn Park, this rustic coastal gem is always buzzing. You can smell the glorious aroma of award-winning brews as you walk up the street, and don’t forget to bring Fido as pooches are welcomed with open arms.
Where: 3/39 Musgrave Ave, Labrador

ATTO
Serving up serious Seoul food (pun intended), ATTO is one of Gold Coast’s newest Korean Cuisine machines. They too have decided to call Chirn Park home…to all y’all Northern residents, we’re starting to get a little envious of you now. At ATTO, you’ll find authentic and elevated East Asian eats and stone cold Sapporo on tap- a fine duo indeed. Sink your teeth into their charcoal grilled free range pork jowl with enoki mushroom, garlic, chives, hot english mustard and soy jus or the crispy eggplant made with sweet n sour doenjang sauce, grapefruit, and sesame seeds….just some recs.
Where: Shop1/55 Brooke Ave, Southport

ATTO Korean Cuisine, Chirn Park (Image: © 2024 Inside Gold Coast)
ATTO Korean Cuisine, Chirn Park (Image: © 2024 Inside Gold Coast)

5B2F Bakehouse
If you’re mad for a bakery, and seriously who isn’t, step this way and tell us you’ve had better! When it’s brought to you by the renowned pastry chef extraordinaire, Moonsun Yoo, you know you’re in for a real treat– classic French pastries and artisan sourdough for days. One look in the cabinet filled with THE most spectacularly crafted baked goodies and you’re sold. Consider us buttered up.
Where: 55 Brooke Ave, Southport

Daark Espresso
It’s known for its exceptional coffee, and as a go-to for the professional brunching set (aka, well worth the queue) is Daark Espresso. The nosh is truly next level, from the Salmon and Feta Croquettes to the Southern Chicken Fried Waffles and everything in between; bagels, crumpets, acai bowls, you name it. Pull up a pew inside this rustic gem, or opt for a table outside on the wraparound balcony. Add a super buzzy vibe and friendly staff and you can why it’s a Chirn Park institution.
Where: 2/41 Musgrave Ave, Labrador

Ground N Sound, Chirn Park (image supplied)
Ground N Sound, Chirn Park (image supplied)

Ground & Sound
Perched at the end of a street-art adorned alley, lies this offbeat café-come-bar, a cosy space combining two of life’s greatest pleasures: music and coffee. By day, they serve up specialty single origin PNG caffeine. By night, a mix of entertainment including local live acts, stand up comedy, music trivia nights, and open mic action for your Sunday sesh pleasure. What a vibe!
Where: 6/23 Musgrave Ave, Chirn Park

Moss n Stone
Moss n Stone offers the freshest and most on-trend blooms, arriving in-store daily. Delivering to all areas of the Gold and Tweed Coast, there are flowers and foliage for all occasions and persuasions.  Also stocking an exquisite range of giftware, babywear and homewares, it’s your one stop shop for all things lovely, with a hint of uniqueness.
Where: Unit 4/41 Musgrave Ave, Chirn Park

Words by Chelsea Ipsen

Moss & Stone, bouquet of flowers (image supplied)
Moss & Stone (image supplied)

It’s game, set, match at Burleigh’s newest cocktail bar

Malibu Racquet Club, Bureigh Heads (image supplied)
Malibu Racquet Club, Bureigh Heads (image supplied)

Psst, there’s a new A-lister in town and she has it all. Class, it-girl feels, exclusivity, phenom eats, fancy sips, and…cacti #PricklesOurFancy. Plus, her home is in the hottest or coolest suburb in town, and isn’t it funny how these mean the complete opposite yet are both accurate #SameSameBut…Same. Roll out the red emerald green carpet friends for Burleigh’s The Malibu Racquet Club. Opening this Friday 23rd December and set to offer something extra special to the GC bar and restaurant landscape, all we can say is merry Christmas to US!

Malibu Racquet Club, Bureigh Heads (image supplied)
Malibu Racquet Club, Bureigh Heads (image supplied)

Perfect for a sunset sip, pre-dinner drink and/or sophisticated meal, guests can sit outside and enjoy the beautiful southern GC breezes, park inside at a table or private booth, or simply pull up a pew at the bar. As for looks, if you’re picturing mid-century Southern Cali inspired goodness, go straight to the top of the class coz the cacti might be prickly, but this is one smooth operator.

Malibu Racquet Club, Bureigh Heads (image supplied)
Malibu Racquet Club, Bureigh Heads (image supplied)

The Gold Coast Highway location was naturally chosen for optimal foot traffic factor, and we dare you to stroll past and not take a peek inside. The external façade of this former tattoo parlour is now a striking combo of off-white and emerald green, with gotta-have arch windows and arch doorway. The ceiling and all internal and external walls are Venetian Plaster, creating a depth of texture that screams luxe. The bar tops are pink crystal quartz – imported from Italy – and we suddenly feel mildly guilty using them as a resting place for our (empty) cocktail glasses.

Malibu Racquet Club, Bureigh Heads (image supplied)
Malibu Racquet Club, Bureigh Heads (image supplied)

The soft hue of said bar is stylishly offset by the glorious dark green mosaic floor, complimented by linen booth seating. We srly didn’t think our longing for linen could endure so long, but here we are staring down the barrel of another year and still crushing hard on this timeless textile. The theme and commitment to quality accents keeps on keeping on, right through to the red tyrolean bathrooms with custom-made hand basins.

Malibu Racquet Club, Bureigh Heads (image supplied)
Malibu Racquet Club, Bureigh Heads (image supplied)

The Modern Australian menu is an extension of the refined fit out, blending contemporary highlights with a serious nod to tradition. Each carefully curated dish emphasises quality and simplicity, none more so than the venue’s signature dish. The Whiskey Cured Salmon and Club Pickles served on crisp sourdough finished with dill crème fraiche & Siberian caviar is the stuff dreams are made of, best enjoyed with a Clase Azul Margarita. At $65 a pop, they certainly aren’t for the purse proud, but if you’re a margi fan (US!), you’ll happily part with next Saturday night’s dinner budget.

Malibu Racquet Club, Bureigh Heads (image supplied)
Malibu Racquet Club, Bureigh Heads (image supplied)

A unique selling point at The Malibu Racquet Club is the option to level up and become a member. This unlocks a whole new world of possibilities, including an exclusive membership menu with bottles ranging from $1,000 to an eye-watering $10,000. If you’ve been looking for somewhere to offload your ‘loose change’, this is it, and they’ll even look after your bottle (/small car/overseas holiday/private school fees/kid’s braces/…) for three months. You’ll be privy to special members’ events, plus score a VIP key ring and OHMYGOD, suddenly we’re 19 again with our Shooters, The Drink, Melba’s etc keyrings feeling important AF!

You’ve worked hard so these holidays, treat yourself at The Malibu Racquet Club and soak up the ultimate cocktail bar experience.

Where: 1740 Gold Coast Highway, Burleigh Heads
When: 3pm – late Monday to Thursday & 1pm – late Friday to Sunday

Words by Bianca Trathen.

Malibu Racquet Club, Bureigh Heads (image supplied)
Malibu Racquet Club, Bureigh Heads (image supplied)
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