Jafa Restaurant & Bar
Honestly, is there anything better in life than pizza and wine? This dreamy combination forms the core of the coast’s newest dining space, Jafa Restaurant & Bar, which is currently underway on Ferry Road (in the same complex as Blendlove). Jafa is the brainchild of ex-Nobu chef Michael Hopkinson and his wife Rebecca, who recently returned to the coast after five years in Singapore where Michael was working in the kitchen of the iconic Marina Bay Sands. Michael, who originally cut his teeth at the Michelin-starred Pur’ by Jean-Francois Rouquette, has created a menu of pizza, share plates and salads, which will be served alongside an impressive cellar list of mainly small-batch wines. The casual wine bar and eatery is due to open around the end of March – we’ll have all the delicious details for you then!
The Crafty Cow
Those with an appreciation for slow-cooked meats and craft beer will want to follow their noses south to Casuarina when The Crafty Cow opens its doors this month. The finishing touches are currently being put on the impressive new smokehouse and craft beer bar – think lots of recycled bricks, copper and natural timber. As for the food, we’re told to expect juicy slow-cooked meats from the custom-built woodfired smoker (served Thursday to Sunday) alongside a day-to-day menu of share plates and delicious burgers, plus plenty of craft beer. The Crafty Cow is due to open mid-to-late March – we’ll have all the juicy, succulent, mouth-watering details for you then.
Topgolf
Australia’s first-ever Topgolf facility is coming to the Gold Coast! Works on the state-of-the-art golfing facility, located in between Australian Outback Spectacular and Warner Bros. Movie World in Oxenford, are well underway with the innovative multi-level precinct due to open in mid-2018. For those a little green to the concept, Topgolf is an entertainment venue where you can go (with all of your crew) and play fun point-scoring golf games while enjoying an indulgent bar menu and top-notch drinks. From the comfort of your own private climate-controlled hitting bay, you’ll whack micro-chipped golf balls, which will track your shot and award points – yep, prepare yourself for a bit of healthy competition! While this may sound very high-tech, Topgolf isn’t just for aspiring golf pros in collared shirts – we’re told amateurs and non-golfers will have an absolute, um, ball … plus, when there’s a high-end bar, wide-screen TVs, entertainment and delicious food involved, there’s always fun to be had. Safe to say we’re pretty excited for this one. We’ll swing you all of the details later this year – stay tuned!
Gotham Grill and Rooftop Bar
Here’s the latest on Daniel Ridgeway’s exciting new Runaway Bay venue – Gotham Grill and Rooftop Bar will be officially opening to the public on Saturday March 17 (at 5:00 pm to be exact). The landmark three-storey Gotham building will feature an intimate 60-seat dining space known as Gotham Grill, which is themed off a classic high-end New York steak house. Then, there’s the Gotham Rooftop Bar, where you’ll find high-end cocktails and a refined bar menu with everything from pizzas to lobster rolls. The fit-out is going to be pretty darn impressive – think 1920s art-deco styling, with red-velvet carpet, rich wooden panelling, geometric feature lights and a grand winding staircase. Given Daniel Ridgeway’s track record on the Gold Coast with venues Little Truffle, BiN72, BiN232, Bin 12, Rivea Italian and more recently Brisbane’s BiN931, you can safely expect Gotham to be nothing short of spectacular. We’ll have all the details for you next week – keep your eyes on The Weekend Edition.
Jaffles HQ
A dedicated jaffle bar is coming to the Gold Coast! Works are underway on Jaffles HQ, which occupies a quaint space inside The Strand at Coolangatta. Jaffles HQ comes to us from The Bhudda Group, which recently opened mouth-watering eatery Charr’d, located on the esplanade at The Strand. As the name suggests, we can expect a delicious spread of cheesy jaffles – and some with a bit of a tasty twist – alongside a menu of sweet and savoury crepes, decadent milkshakes, cakes and old-time favourites. We’re pretty delighted to see the humble toasted jaffle shine bright here. Jaffles HQ is due to open in late March.
