Father’s Day Dining
Not entirely sure how to show your appreciation this Father’s Day? Aim straight for his stomach! The Star Gold Coast has a raft of special Father’s Day dining options so you can feast your way into ‘favourite child’ position. Nab a table for lunch at Garden Kitchen & Bar and tuck into mouth-watering rotisserie porchetta with duck-fat roasted potatoes and salted crackling (with a free beer!), or knock his socks off with a perfectly cooked 500-gram grass-fed scotch fillet and ice-cold Italian lager over lunch or dinner at Cucina Vivo. Let him feast like the king he is with a plentiful spread of food from around the world (and a complimentary tap beer) at Harvest Buffet, or up the ante and treat him like a rockstar with a three-course Father’s Day lunch at Nineteen at The Star – think Patagonian toothfish, rare slow-roast prime rib and prawn cocktail Americane followed by a decadent coconut and dark chocolate pavlova. You can flip the script over at QT Gold Coast and take dad for a special Father’s Day edition of Man Tea – like high tea, but bloke-friendly, where the dainty sandwiches and early grey are subbed out for Glenmorangie-smoked brisket sliders, Moreton Bay bug rolls and nips of whisky, before finishing off with a smoking chocolate, whisky and bacon-filled dessert cigar. If he’s a true-blue meat eater, then take him up to Bazaar at QT for the Father’s Day GRILLFEST brunch to indulge his carnivorous side. Restaurant Labart in Burleigh has a special Father’s Day set menu on offer (think spice-crusted roast chicken and kipfler potatoes with onion and buttermilk dressing) if you’re keen for a relaxing lunch with top-notch sips. You can soak up the sunshine at Burleigh Pavilion with a free beer or wine for dad with every main meal, head south to Tasca in Cooly (you’ll also for a free beer for dad!), or grab the wet wipes and head to BSKT for its special Father’s Day beef ribs with a schooner of Stone & Wood Pacific ale. A complimentary dessert of Italy’s famous cream puffs, which are a traditional Italian Father’s Day treat, will be served to dads who dine with their families at Fellini on September 1, while just next door at Palazzo Versace there’s a Father’s Day Gentleman’s High Tea. You can also take your dad sky-high for the Father’s Day Lad’s High Tea at Skypoint at the Q1 and enjoy pork belly bites, Nutella doughnuts and more with a glass of beer and live entertainment. Or, if he’s more of an all-he-can-eat kinda guy, take him for a buffet breakfast and beer at Southport Sharks, or shout him a lunch feast with golf-course views at Kalinda Restaurant at RACV Royal Pines (followed by nine holes!).
Father’s Day Events
There are a bunch of Father’s Day events happening across all corners of the coast – so grab dad and head out and about for a day of fun! If he’s into shiny things, take him along to the Father’s Day Classic Car Show, which is being held over Saturday and Sunday at Carrara Markets. There’s also the Nobby Beach SLSC Sundayz Session happening on Father’s Day afternoon with food trucks, pop-up bars, live music from Casey Barnes and plenty of cold beers. If he’s a fan of Fleetwood Mac, Bob Marley, AC/DC, The Angels and Skyhooks, then take him with the Father’s Day Living in the 70s rock show at Coolangatta Hotel on Sunday night. Keen for a roadtrip? Head up to O’Reilly’s at Canungra for the day and enjoy live music and pristine vineyard views – you can plonk on the grass with a gourmet picnic basket with drinks or treat him to an indulgent lunch in the historic homestead Vintage Restaurant. Don’t forget that you can also soak up the carnival atmosphere at the Gold Coast Show weekend (this year it’s at the Broadwater Parklands!). Father’s Day also falls on the day of The Village Markets, so you can kick off the day with street eats, live music and a spot of shopping in the sunshine.
Last-minute Father’s Day gifts
Please don’t get him socks and/or jocks. Is he into wine? Go to Good Pair Days online and order a special Father’s Day gift box of quality drops paired with colourful socks! You can also get him his own personalised block of chocolate from Chocolab, or stock him up on cold-brew coffee from Mana Cold Brew. If his liquor cabinet is in need of an overhaul, add a local craft gin to the mix, or better yet – grab him a subscription to Craft Cartel so he never (ever) runs out of beer. Speaking of booze, the Crafted Beer & Cider Festival is happening on the coast on September 7 – why not grab him a ticket to that? You could also fill his fridge with a steady stream of delicious condiments from Condimental or grab him a bottle of locally made whisky from Granddad Jack’s (or book in for a distillery tour!). If he’s an experience-seeker, you can book spots on the Father’s Day Sunset Cruise, which leaves out of Main Beach on Sunday September 1. If he’s in desperate need of some new threads, keep it local with a suburb tee from The Undercurrent or head into Alfred’s Apartment in Mermaid for guaranteed last-minute-gift goodness. Surfing dads will appreciate a locally made board sling from Classic Margarita, or if he’s the adventurous type, peruse new arrivals at Home Camp for a left-of-centre Father’s Day gift.
