Paradise Centre launches a fab new mag!
Paradise Centre launches a fab new mag!
Magazines. We love them any which way, every day and twice on Sundays. The accessibility of an online mag means our favourite read is only a click away. And don’t even get us started on hard copies, coz we all still have an embarrassingly large pile of vintage Dolly magazines stashed away somewhere.
Well, we have some most excellent news for all mag enthusiasts / proud Gold Coasters – regardless of whether you’re Team Online or still partial to the tangible experience. No, this isn’t some shameless self-promotion (wink wink), but a legit shout-out to our good friends at the new-you-beaut Paradise Centre. Just when you think they can’t knock our socks off again after last year’s sleek $40 million redevelopment, the serial sockknockers have come out slinging again. This time, it’s with their very own signature magazine, aptly named Paradise Magazine. In fact, Volume 1, AW edition has just launched and to quote Paris Hilton circa 2005, “that’s hot”.
Catering to the mouse pushers, phone addicts and traditionalists, the free Paradise Magazine is available both online and in hard copy form. With quality content for days, take a deep dive into its luxurious pages for fabulous features on the Paradise Centre’s food, fashion and fun. Oh and PS – you might just spot one of your friends within its pages…or perhaps even yourself…and LBH, that never gets old #AutographsLater.
Getting into the nitty-gritty, precisely what exactly can we expect from the very first edition and get comfy (with a coffee or cocktail in hand) coz it’s.a.lot. We’re talking a round-up of who’s who in the Paradise Centre’s beachfront bites scene, like the fresh and homely Italiano goodness of Enzo’s Cucina, big energy flavours of Tex-Mex fave El Camino Cantina, bangin burgers and #GoodVibrations of Wahlburgers, and Thai with an exhilarating modern twist at Nahm Talay Thai to name a few.
Maybe some insight into the top spots for cocktails is more your jam (doughnut shot), and with a line-up of stunning watering holes overlooking the big blue, there’s plenty to read about here. To give you a taste…or a sip…say cheers to a French Martini at La Playa, enjoy a Margarita Tasting Paddle at El Camino Cantina, or sample one of TGI Fridays’ 30+ types of cocktails and srsly, you had us at 30.
Or, perhaps you’re looking for intel on family fun options? Save yourself the googling because Paradise Magazine has you and your mini-me’s covered. Unpacking everything from Timezone and MANIAX Axe Throwing to Go Ride a Wave for the more outdoorsy types, it’s your entertainment-information-one-stop-shop, and try saying that after a Vodka Pink Lotus at Nahm Talay Thai.
Faaarshion fans (not a typo) can lust over the 90s vibing winter looks from the centre’s retail hard hitters like Vans, Rip Curl and Surf Dive N Ski. Those keen on filling their calendars can check the chocca-block ‘What’s On’ guide, with deets on everything from August’s epic three-day must-see Pacific Airshow, three-day music, arts, entertainment and skateboarding festival SPRINGTIME, right through to the AFL/NRL grand final weekend and GC 600 celebrations.
This is just the tip of the palm frond though so whether you’re a local or visitor, do yourself a favour and get your free copy of the beautiful Paradise Magazine from Paradise Centre, or online at www.paradisecentre.net.au.
Also, don’t forget to follow their FB and Insta.
Where: Hard copy – Paradise Centre, 2 Cavill Avenue, Surfers Paradise. Online.
When: Volume 1, AW edition out now.
Words by Bianca Trathen.
STORY SPONSORED BY PARADISE CENTRE
Taking kids out for a feed on the glitter strip has never been so easy!
Loading the kidlets into the car in search of a decent feed can be a wildly unpredictable sport. And by unpredictable, we mean slightly traumatic. But fear not — these Surfers Paradise restaurants are tried, tested, and given the ultimate seal of approval by many-a-small human (and therefore, relieved parents).
From the glitter strip classics to crowd-pleasing favourites, this is your go-to guide for taking the rug rats out to eat for a tanty/whinge-free meal. Bless their cotton socks…
A feast with a side of thrilling theatrics?! Count us in! If the kiddos (or you) haven’t yet experienced the fire and energy of teppan dining, this is your cue. From family-friendly to elevated eats, Misono serves up fresh Japanese fare that’s as delicious as it is fun. Think Australian Wagyu, chicken, scallops, bug meat and more, expertly cooked over flame, with fresh sashimi and sushi on hand to balance things out. Even better, there are dedicated kids’ teppanyaki banquets, making it an easy win for families. The venue is bright and open, the staff are welcoming, and bringing the whole crew along is refreshingly fuss-free.
Where: JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa, 158 Ferny Avenue, Surfers Paradise
If you’ve got little ones with big appetites, Wahlburgers is a win. Famous for its juicy, no-nonsense burgers and crispy fries, Wahlburgers almost guarantees a breezy family dinner out- like seriously, what kid is complaining about burgers for dinner?! Everything on the menu is totally kid-approved, with classics like cheeseburgers, chicken tenders, and mac & cheese. Don’t forget the shakes — another sure-fire hit.
Where: 2 Cavill Ave, Shop EP008/9 Paradise Centre, Surfers Paradise
A classic family favourite, TGI Fridays has something for everyone. From baby back ribs and burgers to chicken fingers and loaded fries, the menu satisfies every craving. Kids can enjoy their own smaller portions of mac and cheese, cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets, and more. They’re also open for breakfast, with options like avo smash, eggs on toast, pancakes. Casual and fun!
Where: Paradise Centre, Shop E10/10A/2 Cavill Ave, Surfers Paradise and Shop 1005B/19 Robina Town Centre Dr, Robina
If it’s a family fiesta you’re craving, look no further than El Camino Cantina. Their shareable tacos, quesadillas, and nachos are perfect for little hands, and the colourful, lively atmosphere will be an adventure in itself for the kids. Head on down for Taco Tuesdays – 3 tacos of your choice plus an icy-cold drink, at only $35pp – or Wing Wednesdays – 1kg of saucy chicken wings for just $20, plus a chance to win a prize! How spec-taco-ular!
Where: Paradise Centre, 2 Cavill Ave, Surfers Paradise
Milky Lane is the ultimate kid magnet thanks to its retro milkbar-inspired fitout (perfect for Insta snaps) and epic menu. Think decadent burgers, loaded fries, and over-the-top milkshakes that even adults will envy. The kids’ menu is equally impressive and the desserts…well, you can’t go past them. Decadent, daring and downright delicious.
Where: 1/38 Cavill Ave, Surfers Paradise
Vapiano is perfect for families who love freshly made pasta, pizza, and risotto. I bet you can’t name a single person who doesn’t adore one or more of those things. And at Vapiano, they serve it hearty, yet elevated with everything from burrata and prosciutto with focaccia and roast pumpkin and quinoa salad to creamy carbonara and mini Hawaiian pizza. In other words, there’s something for every member of the family. Pop in any day of the week between 4-6pm for sips from $6 and snacks from $5. Hell yeah!
Where: Soul Boardwalk, T208 Cavill Ave, Surfers Paradise and Shop R006/103 Foxwell Rd, Coomera
As relaxed as the name suggests, and situated in the sunny Surfers Paradise, Longboards is perfect for families and any occasion. You will be hard-pressed to find a menu as loaded as Longboards, covering snacks, loaded fries, normal fries, mains, salads, wings, burgers, and sweets. The kids’ menu includes fun eats like mini sliders and chicken bites. But warning! They’ll be tempted by your popcorn chicken and cheesy garlic bread (assuming you would order such deliciousness), and will resort to stealing given the right opportunity!
Where: Q1 Resort & Spa, Corner of Hamilton avenue &, Northcliffe Terrace, Surfers Paradise
Nothing beats a surf club for that casual, welcoming family vibe, and BMD Northcliffe Surf Club is a real Gold Coast gem! They’ve got stunning ocean views alongside a menu of seafood, burgers, gourmet salads, pasta, and grilled classics for adults, and fish, burgers, pizzas, or nuggets with chips for kids. They’re also open for breakfast, serving favourites the kids will love.
Where: 51 Garfield Terrace, Surfers Paradise
La Playa is your little slice of Mediterranean paradise on the Gold Coast, serving vibrant eats by the beach. We’re talking chargrilled favs, exotic salads, pastas and skewers. The kids have it equally as good with chicken skewers with butter rice, chicken bites with fries, pizza, and spaghetti bowl. What’s more, kiddos eat free (yes, FREE) every day from 5pm to 6pm with a purchase of any main meal.
Where: Paradise Centre, 2 Cavill Ave, Surfers Paradise
Hog’s Breath is a family favourite for hearty meals that everyone will love. Think prime ribs, steaks, burgers, and chicken schnitzels — proper crowd-pleasers for hungry adults. Kids are well looked after too, with options like crumbled calamari, chicken quesadillas, mac and cheese, sirloin steak and more. Every kids’ meal is served with a choice of curly fries, kids’ salad or vegetables, plus tomato sauce, a free drink and a free ice cream — now that’s a big win. And there’s more! Sweet tooths can add strawberry jelly for $1, or upgrade to a kids’ banana split for $3.50. Okay, now we’re just jealous…
Where: Soul Boardwalk, Building T2/9 Cavill Ave, Surfers Paradise
After a day of balls-to-the-wall adventure inside the infamous Hijinx Hotel challenge rooms, one’s appetite must be nothing short of ferocious. Enter, Hijinx Hotel’s straightforward yet incredibly delicious lineup of burgers, pizzas, and snacks to save the day. There’s plenty of plant-based options too, so no tummy is left growling!
Where: 40 Ferny Avenue, Surfers Paradise
Why fly to the States when you can get the Yankees right here on the Gold Coast?! Let your kids get a taste (literally) of the USA: from American nachos and loaded fries to ribs and wings. While there’s no kids’ menu specifically, one meal can be made to share, or choose one of their epic American Platters for the whole family to enjoy! Go get your Yankees on!
Where: 4 Orchid Ave, Surfers Paradise
For something a little different (and seriously delicious), Shiraz Persian brings bold Persian and Middle Eastern flavours to a relaxed, family-friendly setting. The menu is extensive, spanning generous banquets, salads, soups, seafood, slow-cooked dishes, kabobs, plus plenty of vegan and vegetarian options. New to Persian cuisine? Expect fragrant rice, succulent grilled meats, warm breads with dips, and colourful sautéed vegetables. It might sound slightly outside classic kid territory, but trust us — one bite in and even the fussiest eaters are converted.
Where: 2893 Gold Coast Hwy, Surfers Paradise
And if all else fails, there’s the trusty buffet, the ultimate choose-your-own-adventure dining destination with something for everyone, and then some. You literally cannot go wrong. Check out our buffet list here.
Words by Chelsea Ipsen
So many oceanside eats to try. So little time….
Unless you’ve been living under a rock of late, you’ve heard the epic new Paradise Centre reboot is almost complete.
A place us 80s and 90s kids will forever hold close to our hearts, it’s embarked on an exciting new journey with an eye-catching $40 million redevelopment.
This show-stopping makeover includes a stunning beachfront dining precinct so impressive, it deserves a sand-ing ovation!
To be ‘pacific’, here are 6 eats spots officially open for business, serving up a melting pot of delicious cuisine with a side of cray-sea good views.
Enzo’s Cucina
You cannoli imagine how excited we were to hear that authentic, affordable and friendly Italian cuisine noshery Enzo’s Cucina has opened its doors! The Paradise Centre’s installment of Enzo’s is as pasta-tively delicious as its New South Wales based cuzzies, and a hit with whole fam bam. Its trademark relaxed and inviting ambience makes it perfect for celebrations and everyday dining, or takeaway to enjoy at home. Bellissima.
Our pick: Gnocchi Beef Cheek
Hero Sushi
Sushi is eternally our hero dish, and no-one does it justice like Hero Sushi. Whether you’re headed to the counter to grab a quick takeaway feed or have time to pull up a pew at the infamous train, the sushi is made fresh daily and tastes shrimply amazing. ‘Roll’ing out the A to Z of sushi and Japanese bites, you can even build-your-own rolls, nigiri, inari and more with classic flavours and Aussie fusion faves.
Our pick: Grilled Salmon Nigiri
El Camino Cantina
Offering $2 Taco Tuesday and 10c Wing Wednesday and more, holy guacamole, imagine how many of their famous margis we can sink with our leftover change! This neon-lit dazzler combines Tex-Mex flair and urban edge with the likes of recycled brick walls, breeze blocks, and Mexican tiles, and is the only El Camino in Oz to do breakfast – mex-cellent! No juan can resist its sombrero-filled party vibes, guaranteed to guac your world.
Our pick: The Signature Rita’s (Margaritas), served frozen or on the rocks
La Playa
Open for dining All.Day.Long, La Playa serves up summer vacay vibes with its cool coastal breezes, fresh Modern Australian / Mediterranean menu, and levelled-up post-sunset party atmosphere. Brought to us by the same crew behind the Brickworks’ people pleaser Pearl & Ash, you know you’re in for a treat with Melbourne-esk barista-made coffee, quality food, and the obligatory beachside beverages of choice; cocktails!
Our pick: Freshly Shucked Oysters
Nahm Talay Thai
Open from 7am until midnight, Nahm Talay Thai is already wooing the masses with its flavour-packed Thai and Asian dishes, loaded with high-end WOW-worthy details #GetItOnTheGram! We’re even talking liquid nitrogen in some dishes, as well as bubble smoke on cocktails! With a beachfront balcony (Christmas party alert), plus booth and couch seating inside, the luxurious accents and modern beach aesthetic perfectly complement the multi-million-dollar views.
Our pick: Lamb Shank Massaman Curry
Gelato Messina
With 40 flavours to choose from, we can already feel our waistline expanding but #WorthIt! This joint has a cult following and thank you Paradise Centre for bringing it to our ‘hood! All made with fresh cow’s milk from the Messina Farm in Victoria, they even press their own mint leaves and make their own candied lemons #skillz. Also on the menu are gelato cakes, milk shakes and thick shakes, and they’re all ‘dairy’ delish.
Our pick: Salted Caramel with White Chocolate Chips
Watch this space for more amazing bites venues opening soon, namely international supernovas Wahlburgers and TGIF Fridays. Pair them with the recently launched retail stores and entertainment options and it’s official; the Paradise Centre is our new (old) favourite.
Where: 2 Cavill Ave, Surfers Paradise
When: Now open. Each outlet’s hours of operation can be found here.
Words by Bianca Trathen.
STORY SPONSORED BY PARADISE CENTRE
Shiba Wings brings the future of fast food to the Paradise Centre
Crypto and chook wings. Possibly not a union you were expecting to read about, but the concept gives us genius vibes. Get ready to say “shut up and take my crypto” as Shiba Wings is now trading.
Serving more delicious, classic American-style fare than you can poke a cyber stick at, it’s the very first and only diner in Australia to accept cryptocurrency as payment.
I mean, it’s ‘virtually’ as ground-breaking as using Eftpos to finance your feed circa 1984 and is set to revolutionise the Surfers Paradise eats scene.
So why was the glitter strip chosen for the Shiba Wings flagship store? It’s the Vegas of Australia of course and a natural fit for such an innovative concept.
And for those of you not across the whole crypto caper, Shiba Inu token is a decentralized cryptocurrency and we have no idea what this actually means but, cool.
It’s named after a Japanese breed of dog, which is featured in the diner’s logo and throughout the interior design of the kinda wall-street-on-steroids style space.
As you might envisage, the crypto theming features lots of screens, colour, eye-catching lighting effects and most notably, the epic roof-mounted circular screen.
What can one expect from the menu here, and the answer is our fave fare from the US of A. Think a variety of unique and tasty wings, burgers, and other quintessentially American-style dishes, all made with fresh and high-quality ingredients.
Our ‘investment’ of choice is their signature chicken wings, washed down with one of their super fun slushies. Also worthy of noting is the Shiba crew’s commitment to sustainability and use of local and organic produce #bravo.
The actual dining experience is interactive and engaging, with a focus on customer service and hospitality. Not just ‘transactional’, it’s a place to enjoy a unique and memorable meal in a fun and casual atmosphere. And of course the option to pay with crypto is hella cool, and this is the moment we google how to start trading in digital currency.
Even cooler, Shiba also offers a range of branded merchandise, crypto coin merchandise, community-inspired art merchandise, and the ability to trade and purchase cryptocurrency at their in-store crypto ATM. Yep, we said crypto ATM and whilst this feels like something out of a sci-fi future flick, it’s an actual thing.
Committed to expanding the brand across Australia, keep your eyes peeled for more Shiba Wing trailblazing goodness and remember – it all started here in our famous 4217 post’code’. And no, there’s absolutely zero risk of that pun breaking the internet Kimmy-K style but hey, it was worth a cr(h)ack.
Where: Paradise Centre, Cavill Avenue, Surfers Paradise
When: 10am – 12am, Monday to Sunday
Words by Bianca Trathen.
