The new Gold Coast restaurants, cafes and bars that landed in August

Nigiwai, Broadbeach
There’s nothing shy about Nigiwai. The spectacular new Japanese restaurant has landed at The Oasis in a flurry of glowing lanterns, dark timber, green velvet and intricate bonsai trees, backed by an equally ambitious menu that roams from pristine sashimi and playful sushi creations to premium wagyu, bubbling nabe hot pots, ramen and traditional clay-pot rice. Cocktails lean into yuzu and umeshu while Japanese whisky gets a solid showing behind the bar. The name loosely translates to vibrancy and liveliness, and with tables quickly disappearing beneath plates, it feels particularly apt.

ACE’S Coffee, Miami
Small menu, fat sandwiches, excellent coffee. That’s the refreshingly uncomplicated proposition behind ACE’S Coffee, the fire-engine-red newcomer tucked into Miami One Shopping Centre from Jesse and Lynsey, with Jesse previously behind Mermaid Beach favourite Skull & Bones Espresso Boutique. Burleigh Baker focaccia comes stuffed with combinations such as mortadella, whipped ricotta, pesto and hot honey, while Coffee Supreme takes care of caffeine alongside more playful specialty sips. It’s simple, satisfying and precisely the kind of neighbourhood joint you’ll find yourself returning to far more often than intended.

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Salty’s, Nobby Beach
Coffee in the morning, pizza for lunch, margaritas by sunset – Salty’s is making a compelling case for cancelling whatever else you had planned. The expansive new Nobby Beach arrival stretches across two adjoining tenancies with a cafe, restaurant, bar and huge rear deck, shifting seamlessly from Loma coffee and breakfast into burrata, crispy calamari, pizzas, schnitzels, steaks and cocktails as the day rolls on. It’s casual, breezy and built for the kind of afternoon that starts with ‘just one’ and ends several hours later.

Cooly Breeze, Coolangatta
We know, Cooly Breeze isn’t technically new, but after a transformation of this scale we’re bending the rules. The rooftop restaurant above Beachcomber International Resort has emerged from a sweeping renovation lighter, warmer and far more connected to its incredible ocean outlook, with an expanded balcony and uninterrupted views from around 80 percent of its seats. The food has levelled up alongside it, with charcoal-grilled tropical rock lobster, octopus with ’nduja and salsa verde, and MB7+ Wagyu joining long-time favourites. Throw in whales over lunch and front-row seats to sunset and consider this your reminder to reacquaint yourself.

Blend Greenness, Miami
Tiny in footprint, decidedly not in flavour, Blend Greenness has squeezed into the former Miami Hot Bread space with stacked Asian-inspired sandwiches, colourful riceberry bowls and a drinks menu determined to make your regular latte look terribly boring. Chicken katsu, Korean barbecue beef, panko prawn and roasted pork are among the fillings spilling from its sandos, while concoctions such as the coconut matcha cloud, orange-vanilla-foam matcha and Mont Blanc cold brew bring a little theatre to the caffeine department. Miami’s hole-in-the-wall game remains exceptionally strong.

Currumbin General, Currumbin
Some things just taste better after the beach – hot chips covered in salt, an icy milkshake, soft serve melting faster than you can eat it. Currumbin General has arrived metres from the sand to deliver all three, with The Salt Mill owners Sarah and Jonny Gillett taking over the longstanding neighbourhood general store and giving it a thoughtful new chapter. Newspapers, bread and milk remain, but now there are rustic pies, sausage rolls, house-made cakes, beach-bag-ready sandwiches and shelves loaded with excellent pantry staples. It’s nostalgic without feeling stuck in the past and already feels completely at home in Currumbin.

Honourable mentions
August also delivered a fresh chapter for Runaway Bay Tavern, which completed the second stage of its transformation with a new bistro, sprawling beer garden, playground and plenty of room for long lunches and Sunday sessions. And if you missed July’s arrivals, add Lune Croissanterie, Franc Jrs, Lim Nahm Thai, Kostel Milk Bar and Burrata Boy, to the ever-growing list of places demanding your attention.