Our picks for the best Gold Coast brunch

Sep 06, 2023, updated Oct 30, 2024

Brunch really is the meal to beat them all. Is it breakfast? Is it lunch? Is it the Goldilocks meal that perfectly aligns with the mid-morning rumbles of your tummy? Yes, to all three. A hearty and flavoursome Gold Coast brunch truly is the elixir of life, especially when there is the option to add a cheeky splash of booze. Whether it’s a Saturday morning mimosa to get the weekend started or a dusty Sunday’s bloody Mary to serve as the hair of the dog, nothing washes down your brunch of choice quite like a cocktail. In the spirit of mid-morning sipping and snacking, we’ve put together a handy list of spots to enjoy the best brunch on the Gold Coast.

Elk Espresso, Broadbeach: Elk always tops the list among locals when it comes to the Gold Coast brunch of choice, especially considering boozy brunches flow daily from 10:00 am. When it comes to food, Elk changes their menu with each season to ensure you’re always feasting your eyes and taste buds on the freshest produce. Whether you’re after something creative like peanut butter and jelly French toast or one of the classics (eggs on toast), you can guarantee everyone will be left satisfied with brunch at Elk.

Bam Bam Bakehouse, Mermaid Beach: Croissants and cocktails? Yes, way. Brunches at Bam Bam are a great idea any day of the week – get yourself a mimosa (or wine or beer if you’re that way inclined) while you work your way through some Bam Bam shrooms or the croissant French toast with chantilly cream.

Pasture & Co, Currumbin Valley: Fill your belly and warm your soul with Pasture & Co’s nature-inspired menu of brunch bliss. Whether you’re ogling some stacked ricotta pancakes or the zucchini and potato rosti with organic greens, the menu will have something to sate your cravings. If you’re keen on a tipple, may we recommend the espresso martini, pink punch or even the virgin pina colada?

Daark Espresso, Chirn Park: Daark is renowned for its coffee, but did you know they also offer a boozy brunch from 10:00 am? Munch on a benedict, smashed avo or sourdough toastie while sipping your way through a mimosa, Aperol spritz or an espresso martini.

Tarte Beach House, Currumbin: If it’s brunch you seek, Tarte Beach House delivers, beautifully. The impressive new venue is perched on the banks of Currumbin Creek and has immediately become one of the city’s favourite spots for coffee, baked goods and brunch. There’s a tightly curated clutch of bubbles, wines and cocktails to choose from. Bottoms up!

Butlers Tea Room + Noshery, Burleigh Heads: Butlers Tea Room + Noshery are sure to transport you to a brunch-filled wonderland. The food menu will bring a tear to your eye as you decide between brulee French toast, pan con tomate, and the heavenly green eggs. Just wait, though. As your eyes scan a little lower, you will quickly delight in the addition of margaritas, Long Island iced teas and bloody Marys.

Little Mermaid, Mermaid Beach: Armed with a dedicated brunch menu and a vibrant selection of cocktails, Little Mermaid ticks the boxes for a seaside brunch spot. Delight in a poke bowl, haloumi couscous salad or an acai bowl and pair it with your boozy beverage of choice like a berry bellini, mimosa or mermaid punch.

Hot Shott, Main Beach: From a build-your-own bagel board to sourdough crumpets, Hot Shott knows how to do brunch. It’s licensed from 10:00 am, so nab a spot on the footpath and sip a refreshing ‘mango Weiss Bar’ cocktail or opt for a frosé while you watch the world go by.

Hyde Paradiso, Surfers Paradise: Hyde Paradiso serves up the beachside brunch of your dreams every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. For $99, you can enjoy two hours of Chandon brut or Chandon rosé, two hours of a spritz of your choice, four Mediterranean-inspired tapas and some damn fine oceanfront views. If you’re not in the mood for Mediterranean, there are plenty of other mouth-water meals that are sure to tickle your fancy.

Subscribe for updates

Mr., Nobby Beach: If margs are your drink of choice, go ahead and book a bottomless long lunch at Mr. in Nobby Beach. For $99 per person, you can enjoy two glorious hours of margaritas in an array of fun flavours including chilli, watermelon, passion pineapple, mango and jalapeno, traditional and coconut, alongside some seriously mouth-watering nosh – think kingfish tostadas and bug rolls. Sign us up.

BSKT Cafe, Nobby Beach: Fancy a mid-morning Cocowhip espresso martini with your Navajo native breakfast or raspberry and rhubarb waffles? If you’re up for brunch by the ocean with the option to keep things healthy, BSKT is your go-to. The Nobby Beach health hub serves cocktails and more from 10:00 am, so gather the flock and settle in for diet-friendly eats.

Blackboard, Varsity Lakes: Tucked into Varsity Lakes is local gem, Blackboard, known for having a line of people cueing out the door on weekends. These patient patrons wait for good reason, as brunch at Blackboard brings the likes of shallot pancakes, Milo waffles and truffled scrambled eggs. While you can wash these down with a coffee or smoothie, parched brunch-goers can also treat themselves to a beer, wine or cocktail.

Palm Springs, Burleigh Heads: If you’re after an Insta-worthy setting for your next brunch soiree, then put Palm Springs at the top of your list. This Burleigh favourite gives off strong Cali-vibes, complete with authentic breakfast burritos, wholesome bowls, burgers and waffles. The all-white brunch haven also serves plenty of vegan options alongside a colourful cocktail menu (10:00 am chilli marg? Yes, please!) and all of your favourite beers, wines, seltzers and ciders.

Bazaar Marketplace, Surfers Paradise: This is where you’ll find the ultimate ‘Sunday brunch’ – it’s bottomless in terms of food and booze. Every Sunday, the Bazaar Brunch treats diners to an interactive market-style feast with fresh seafood, cronuts, indulgent desserts and gourmet pizzas. While chowing down, sip on a cocktail spritz or two by adding a beverage package to your meal. Tell us a better way to spend your Sunday? We’ll wait …

Nineteen at The Star, Broadbeach: The fine folks at Nineteen are serving up a five-star brunch fit for royalty, with a side of sparkling and cocktails, of course! Enjoy all of your favourite brunch meals with a decadent twist. Think crab omelettes, southern buttermilk biscuits, French toast topped with seasonal fruits and the ever-popular signature Nineteen breakfast.

The Winey Cow, Main Beach: What’s brunch without a beverage or two? You needn’t find out, because The Winey Cow in Main Beach has a seriously impressive selection ranging from mocktails and fresh juice to spritzes and cocktails such as chilli margaritas, espresso martinis and mimosas. For those in the mood for something a little stronger than coffee, there’s a boozy brunch option where you can enjoy a main meal and an hour’s worth of bottomless mimosas for $49.

The Island, Surfers Paradise: Join the Bottomless Brunch Club that soaks up last night’s bad decisions, brings you back to life and kick-starts your Sunday in the sun at The Island. Just $79 will get you a two-hour all-inclusive package boasting share-style snacks like mini waffles, mini bagels and breakfast tostadas and cocktail jugs of mimosas, bloody Marys and margarita spritzes. Count us in.

Double Barrel Kitchen & Bar, Benowa: There’s something about staring at water while you sip that just makes the whole experience more enjoyable. If you concur, pull up a seat at Double Barrel Kitchen & Bar in Benowa. A secret shared among those in the know, this bustling venue pumps out some seriously drool-inducing eats daily. Behind the bar you’ll find a selection of wines, beers on tap, spirits and cocktails.

Surfers Pavilion, Surfers Paradise: Surfers Pavilion is a picteresque setting to perch with a mimosa in hand, and that’s exactly what you can do at its Lunch Club, which runs every Sunday for two hours from 12:30 pm. There’s a $59 package with a selection of oysters and drinks like prosecco, bellinis and mimosas, or a $99 package with two courses and beverages. Plus, DJs will fill the air with beats from 1:00 pm.

Refinery Coffee, Currumbin: Bottomless brunch is our ideal way to kick off the weekend (or any day, really), so you could say we’re pretty excited to hear that Refinery Coffee is now hosting bottomless brunch seven days a week. From 10:00 am, diners can order their main of choice and pair their delicious dish with bottomless mimosas for 1.5 hours. The mimosas come in two flavours – classic and watermelon – and the cafe can arrange non-alcoholic mimosas for sober sippers.