Unwrap joy with a feast fit for Santa himself.
Unwrap joy with a feast fit for Santa himself.
Christmas on the Gold Coast is creeping up on us at alarming speed, and if you’re anything like us, the thought of tackling a big festive feast after a morning of opening presents and popping bubbly sounds downright exhausting.
Luckily, there are plenty of local spots ready to handle the heavy lifting for you. Hang up the apron, ditch the dishes, and let the pros serve up a day of delicious indulgence with no cleanup required. Here’s your guide (north to south) to the best Christmas Day feasts on the Gold Coast. Word to the three wise men – these tickets are flying faster than Santa’s sleigh, so grab yours before they’re gone!
A tried and tested festive contender for your consideration – round up your kin and revel in the Chrissy Day array at RACV Royal Pines, for an indulgent spread hosted within the impeccable surrounds of the Royal Benowa Ballroom.
Kicking off from 12:00 pm, this year’s proceedings include a 3-hour beverage package along with all the traditional festive fare – delight in fresh Australian seafood, carved meats, and a selection of hot dishes, salads and desserts. Tickets start from $51 for children aged 2-4 (ages 0-2 free) up to $328.45 per adult. Click here for all the details.
Where: Ross St, Benowa
SOLD OUT
Families looking to converge for some magical (and mouthwatering) Christmas mems, look no further than the luxe QT Ballroom.
Bubbles pouring, spirits soaring, this year’s feast is pure festive indulgence. Start with a Christmas cocktail on arrival, then dive into a glittering seafood spread of Crystal Bay prawns, Moreton Bay bugs, oysters, crab and more. Follow with the classics – roast turkey, smoked leg ham and Cape Grim sirloin – before finishing with brandy pudding, 24-month soaked mince pies and a flowing chocolate fountain.
Three hours of free-flowing drinks, live music, entertainment, gingerbread decorating and even a visit from Santa keep the merriment in full swing.
Tickets from $89pp for kids up to $320 for adults + BF. Get all the details here.
Where: QT Gold Coast Ballroom, 7 Staghorn Ave, Surfers Paradise
We need not spend days toiling away in the kitchen, offload the preparations (read: stress) and let the voco pros handle your Chrissy day proceedings. Indulge in a banquet of iconic Christmas Day fare, such as fresh seafood, summer salads, succulent roast carvery, a variety of hot and cold dishes – complete with a mouthwatering dessert bar and a three-hour beverage package for your feasting pleasure. Plus, face painting and a sneaky cameo from the big man in red, for some extra special Christmas magic for the kiddos.
This little Chrissy extravaganza will set you back $299 per person, with children from $89 (ages 0-4 free). and simultaneously deliver max satisfaction and zero stress in the process. Get all the details here.
Where: 31 Hamilton Avenue, Surfers Paradise
Assemble your nearest and dearest for a delicious ripper of a Christmas celebration at the Sofitel Gold Coast Broadbeach. This year, the Grand Ballroom is serving up a feast to remember – ocean-fresh seafood, pistachio-stuffed turkey, slow-roasted pork, a Parmesan wheel pasta station, and decadent desserts to finish.
Kick things off with a sparkling welcome drink, then enjoy three hours of premium wines, champagne and Byron Bay Lager, all while live music and festive fun keep the mood merry.
These tickets are limited so jump on now and book and then all you have to do come Christmas is sit back, relax and let lunch be served. Go here for all the delicious details.
Where: 81 Surf Parade, Broadbeach
Words by Belinda Symons
A very Sofitel Christmas, indeed.
If there’s one day of the year that calls for decadence, sparkle, and zero washing up, it’s Christmas Day. The Sofitel Gold Coast Broadbeach is delivering all that and more with a Christmas lunch that’s bound to be talked about long after the tinsel’s packed away. Think ocean-fresh seafood, free-flowing champagne and an indulgent spread that puts even the finest home-cooked roast to shame.
From the moment you step into the glittering Grand Ballroom, you’ll be wrapped in festive luxury. Enjoy a complimentary sparkling welcome drink and live music entertainment, followed by a three-hour premium beverage package complete with Pommery Brut Royal Champagne, Rockbare Click 99 Pinot Gris and Chardonnay, Maison Saint AIX Rosé, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, plus Byron Bay Lager and a rather dreamy Apple Crumble mocktail for those skipping the bubbles.
Then, the feast begins. Kick things off with the freshly baked gourmet boulangerie and a lavish selection of antipasto, marinated vegetables, olives, and cured meats. For salad lovers, there’s a rainbow of options: roasted pumpkin and beetroot salad with goat cheese and aged balsamic, a Christmas caprese starring heirloom tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella, and the always-iconic Caesar salad with crispy bacon and shaved Grana Padano. Add in summer stracciatella with citrus, pistachio and fennel, plus a Kipfler potato and pancetta salad that’s hearty, yet fresh and impossible to resist.
The hot dishes are hero, though. There’s Coral Coast barramundi with sauce vierge and hollandaise, twice-cooked lamb shoulder paired with spiced couscous and mint jelly, and a festive pistachio and cranberry stuffed turkey breast dressed in sage and cranberry jus. If that doesn’t tempt you, the slow-roasted pork belly with sweet chilli caramel, lemongrass and lime surely will. For the vegetarians, potato gnocchi tossed in Mediterranean vegetables and green herbs delivers all the comfort of Christmas, minus the meat.
And because Sofitel never does things by halves, there’s a live cooking station where traditional honey-roasted ham and house-made pasta spun inside a giant Parmesan wheel take centre stage. The aroma alone is enough to make spirits bright.
We can all agree that no Christmas feast is complete without a nod to the sea, and with Sofitel’s spread, we can safely tick that box. There’ll be Whitsunday tiger prawns, freshly shucked Pacific oysters, Moreton Bay bugs, and sashimi, all served with the right essential trimmings – cocktail sauce, red onion mignonette, wasabi, and soy sauce. It’s the kind of platter that makes an Aussie Christmas feel right.
And just when you think you couldn’t fit another bite, out comes dessert. From Christmas pudding with brandy sauce and chocolate Drambuie fruit cakes to a selection of ice-creams, seasonal fruits and Australian cheeses with lavosh and dried fruit, it’s an all-out finale worthy of a standing ovation.
Why slave away in the kitchen when you can swap stress for sophistication, turkey basting for champagne toasting, and dirty dishes for ocean-fresh indulgence? Reserve your table now and celebrate Christmas Lunch in true Sofitel style. We’ve convinced you – now go on, book your table by clicking here, because the only thing you should be cooking up this Christmas is a good time.
Where: Grand Ballroom, Level 1, Sofitel Gold Coast Broadbeach
When: 12pm to 3pm on December 25, 2025
Words by Chelsea Ipsen
STORY SPONSORED BY SOFITEL GOLD COAST BROADBEACH
Culinary Stars invites you to experience cuisine from the world’s finest JW Marriott chefs.
If food is your love language, get ready to swipe right on every course! The JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa is turning the humble dinner into a four-night intergalactic flavour odyssey with the return of Culinary Stars – the resort’s annual showcase where international culinary heavyweights collide, collaborate, and conquer.
Running from November 10 to 13 at the award-winning Citrique Restaurant, this year’s theme is inspired by the earth’s natural rhythm. The menu is built around four key elements; Root, Leaf, Flower, and Fruit will deliver a sensory spectacle worthy of the stars.
In its fourth year, Culinary Stars is uniting JW Marriott’s finest chefs from across Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and Europe. Each night focuses on a different element, with six courses designed to honour nature’s own recipe for creation, from earthy beginnings to full-blown fruity finales. And of course, it’s all tied together by JW Marriott’s signature mix of sustainability, creativity, and pure indulgence.
Kicking off the culinary constellation on Monday, November 10, is Root – a night devoted to the foundations of flavour. Expect dishes that dig deep into earthy richness, like Red Prawn Lokma with black garlic and sweet potato, Poached Glacier Toothfish bathing in lemon myrtle beurre blanc and caviar, and a melt-in-your-mouth Pork Belly Nem that’ll make your tastebuds forget their manners. As for dessert, it’s a cheeky nod to JW Marriott’s origins with the JW Root Beer Dessert, a nostalgic, fizzy finale that’s a bubbly blast from the past with a five-star twist.
Tuesday’s Leaf dinner takes things up a (herbal) notch. Fresh, fragrant, and greener than your average wellness influencer’s smoothie, this night is all about renewal and vibrancy. Diners will be treated to the likes of Baby Lettuce with goat cheese and lavender, Pan-Roasted Snapper with celeriac and apple purée and char siu, and a shimmering Golden Leaf Dark Chocolate Delice so pretty you’ll be tempted to frame it before you fork it.
By Wednesday, things are in full bloom with Flower, a show-stopping ode to beauty and brilliance. Think Sea Bream Leche de Tigre Ceviche with passionfruit and nasturtium, Charred Wagyu with lobster and zucchini flower, and a Red Rose Hazelnut Mousse that practically flirts with you from the plate.
The grand finale lands on Thursday, November 13, with Fruit – the juiciest chapter of the series. Expect culinary fireworks from Newton’s Apple with scampi and citrus, Miso Black Cod with yuzu sake foam and the Mandarin Illusion, a Chocolate Mousse Cake that will convince you dessert is, in fact, an art form.
Guiding this gastronomic galaxy is JW Marriott Gold Coast’s own Executive Chef Paul Smart, a man who knows how to make a plate sing (and possibly perform interpretive dance). He’s joined by an all-star lineup including Wallace Mua from JW Marriott Auckland, Mehmet Faruk Yardimci from JW Marriott Istanbul Marmara Sea, and James Paul Lorenzo from JW Marriott Hanoi. In other words, a masterclass in global gastronomy, right here in our own backyard.
Citrique, JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa’s crown jewel of dining, is the perfect stage for this culinary showcase famous for its Modern Australian flair and luxurious seafood spreads. The restaurant’s culinary team is internationally renowned for combining premium local produce with inventive global influences, and when paired with JW Marriott’s signature JW Garden-grown ingredients, you just know this series is going to be next-level delicious.
And if the food alone doesn’t make you swoon, there’s always the wine. Each evening comes with the option to add a carefully curated wine pairing for $69 per person, because the only thing better than six courses is six courses with perfectly poured company.
Each night is priced from $129 to $159 per person (plus $69 for wine pairing) and also supports the Gold Coast Community Fund. Yes, this event provides indulgence with purpose – and it feels just as good as it tastes.
Plus, it’s a great excuse to book a little stay-cay and enjoy all the JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa has to offer! So, if you’re ready to trade your weeknight stir-fry for a six-course standing ovation, your table at Culinary Stars awaits!
Bookings are now open here.
Where: 158 Ferny Avenue, Surfers Paradise
When: Monday 10 – Thursday 13 October
Words by Bianca Trathen
STORY SPONSORED BY JW MARRIOTT GOLD COAST RESORT & SPA
