There are finally some first class, fun places to eat on the gold coast with kids.
The Gold Coast’s food scene has come a long way in recent years. Where you once struggled to find healthy places to eat, the streets are now filled with great restaurants and cafes making it a lot easier to eat on the Gold Coast with kids.
These are my top picks – with review from my kids as well.
Cucina Vivo
Jupiters Casino
The last place I expected to find some of the best restaurants on the Gold Coast was Jupiters Casino, but things are changing there, and changing fast. The whole food precinct there has stepped up a few notches in the past 12 months.
From a stunning garden style restaurant to a huge cafe and Japanese, we decided to try the Italian restaurant, Cucina Vivo and were amazed.
The fit-out is clean, and the restaurant spacious – and packed seemingly every night. There is a huge pizza oven, and kids are invited to wear aprons and make pizzas with the chefs who then slide them into a hot oven. It is quite a spectacle to watch.
The menu is fabulously Italian, and everything is fresh and clean. From a pasta selection to the pizzas and some great protein dishes including half a chicken char grilled and various fish dishes, you cannot go wrong.
I had the most gorgeous martini cocktail – heaven. A sensational place to dine where everyone is looked after.
Oh, and the Ferrari dessert has us all in awe. A smoking dry ice concoction was poured over a solid chocolate cake which then became molten and we all dived in to enjoy the most delicious chocolate flavours.
What my kids thought:
Stella: Cucina Vivo is an amazing restaurant for a family looking for a reasonably priced dinner. I would say that the desserts are the best things on the menu, from an amazing sorbet to a Ferrari dessert with liquid nitrogen! I am not much of a dessert person but even for me these desserts will blow your whole family away!
Mason: The Ferrari dessert was incredible.
Moo Moo’s
A Gold Coast Institution, Moo Moo’s has long been heralded as one of the Gold Coast’s best restaurants. Located in Broadbeach, with a striking fit-out that includes a mosaic filled circular bar spilling into the surrounding gardens, this is a statement restaurant.
The inside interiors away from the bar area are reflective of a respectable gentleman’s club, with huge, heavy leather chairs and a glass meat cabinet filled with chunks of beef.
The kids menu is one of the best I’ve seen with a soup entree, pork croquettes, and a burger claiming to be the best in broad beach, grilled fish, chicken and dry aged beef spaghetti.
The adults menu is on another level, with over 15 speciality steaks including various wagyu selections, dry aged black Angus options, pasture raised & grain fed.
Plus there’s seafood, pasta and a delectable selection of entrees. The menu is one os the biggest I’ve seen, with 15 side dishes to choose from ( luckily you can pick three for $23).
Obviously steaks are the speciality with everything from Wagyu to eye fillet grass fed and everything inbetween. The only negative is it is very easy to over-order, and it’s not a cheap night out, so take care.
What my kids thought:
Stella: Moo Moos is a great restaurant for a couple looking for a nice night out or for a family with kids. The best thing about Moo Moos is the kids menu.
Most of the kids menus that you see are a simple fish and chips, burger and a pasta but Moo Moos is a different story.
They have choices of entrees, main meals and desserts, a lot of thought has gone into this menu for sure – they have got soups (I had the artichoke), pork croquetes,fish, burgers and plenty more. The kids will have a lot to think about! ( It wont be easy )!!
Mason: I loved being able to run out to the garden outside.
The Fish House
It’s always a good sign when a restaurant prints the menu daily to accommodate the freshest ingredients.
But The Fish House is so much more than amazing food. The suburban style restaurant has huge windows overlooking the ocean at Broachbeach, black & white striped blinds and white tablecloths.
It’s low key, but super romantic. If you take a date here & don’t fall in love, it’s never going to happen.
For starters, there are gorgeous, plump freshly shucked oysters, stunning flash fried calamari, and huge fleshy king prawns in chilli & garlic. Bread comes with both churned butter and olive oil.
Cocktails to start are made with love – bespoke & delicious.
The mains vary daily – the Patagonia toothfish is the highlight. The pork belly of fish dishes, it is cooked in a unique way with soy to be served super sweet, but absolutely delicious.
The trout fillet was super fresh, fragrant & crusted in herbs & macadamia dust. The sides come with the mains – no additional charges which was so welcome – and so rare these days.
The food was stunningly clean but tasty. This is designer – but healthy – food at its best.
We also tried the taglioni with moreton bay bugs – gorgeous. A Chardonnay by the glass was stunning & matched the foods well.
The chocolate ganache dessert was amazing – rich, hot chocolate sauce oozed from the middle into sweet vanilla bean icecream.
A gorgeous place for two, but they do accommodate children.
What my kids thought:
Stella: The Fish house is a beautiful place for a healthy, fresh dinner or lunch. From the name you can tell that the main thing to eat is fish. The Fish House specialty is the tooth fish which is very yummy. And rare in the Gold Coast. Even for the fussiest eaters there has got to be something that you will like from king prawns to ocean trout and fresh veggies. They also have had a lot weddings, birthdays and anniversary’s there so if you want a nice small wedding with fresh food the The Fish House is a great option. From mouth watering fish to some nice desserts this restaurant for people of all ages. Enjoy!
Mason: I don’t like fish but still managed to eat the pasta here and had a great night out.
No Comments