If food is your significant other’s love language, then pencil in your next date night at The Star and get ready to score some serious brownie points. An epicentre of good vibes and drool-worthy eats, your options at the Broadbeach institution for an unforgettable dining experience are endless.
From Japanese fine dining and artfully curated cocktails to moreish bowls of pasta and decadent desserts, you’ll absolutely impress your honey with a dinner date here.
Not sure where to start? We’ve got a tasty list for any type of date night to fill up your calendar with.
Cucina Vivo
Romance your amore by taking their taste buds on a trip to the Amalfi Coast. Inspired by Italy’s famous cliff-top restaurants, Cucina Vivo celebrates traditional Italian eats within a seriously stunning setting.
The light-soaked space—centred around a two-metre-long wood-fired oven—unfurls onto an outdoor terrace overlooking the resort pool, complete with brightly striped umbrellas. It’s serving pure Euro summer vibes all year long. The award-winning eatery is all about embracing Italian culture—sharing delicious small plates, like puff bread and creamy stracciatella, with your love. Importing the highest quality flour directly from Italy means a slice of pie here is truly next level. Order the Diavola (Calabrese salami and fior de latte) and thank us later.
The rest of the menu is filled with local produce—dial up the romance with the Queensland Bay lobster smothered in garlic butter—or go Lady and Tramp with a bowl of their fresh pasta made daily. Top it all off with a cheeky Aperol Spritz or two and you’ve got an 11/10 date night.
Kiyomi
If you really want to impress your date, make a reservation at Kiyomi stat! Recently relaunched, the sleek space oozes romance with moody lighting, rich timber furnishings and granite—but that’s only the beginning of what makes this place a must-visit.
With not one, but two chef’s hats to its name, the fine dining venue seamlessly blends traditional Japanese cooking techniques with delicious modern innovation. Head chef Winson Law delivers a menu packed with gastronomic adventures that celebrate Australian produce.
Think Red Snapper sashimi and Kobujime Amaebi with pickle daikon and ginger lime dressing; Mooloolaba prawn toast with karashi miso, spanner crab and cabbage; plus, melt-in-your-mouth aged pork tomahawk with apple wasabi, pork jus and Okinawa black sugar. But it’s not just the food you’ll drool over—the tipples on offer are equally impressive with Japanese whiskies and sake on offer, plus cocktails inspired by the cuisine.
Pro tip: the Taiyou Rise (yuzu sake, pink grapefruit, lemongrass and elderflower) is a must-order.
Garden Kitchen & Bar
Sip cocktails under the stars and dine within a lush green oasis at Garden Kitchen & Bar. With an ethos of creating flavour bombs from seasonal, native ingredients you’ll absolutely impress your date with dinner here.
With an effortlessly luxe feel, this chic spot brings the outdoors in with cascading greenery throughout and floor-to-ceiling windows. Out the back, you’ll find a sprawling deck, tropical gardens, and a lush lawn—perfect for post-dinner kick-ons at the bar.
From the open kitchen expect a show, with the team of chefs (led by Ryan Locke) making magic, slinging plates of roasted Byron Bay mushrooms with a soy caramel; Airlie Beach tiger prawns with lemon myrtle and finger lime; and GrandChester eye fillet with brown butter potato puree and saltbush crisps. And you can’t dine at GBK without ordering six of their signature battered kilpatrick oysters.
If your lover has a sweet tooth, finish the meal on a high with one of their decadent desserts like the chocolate fondant with salted caramel sauce. Wash it all down with a round of espresso martinis (these guys shake up one of the best on the coast) and you’ll be planning a return date here before you’ve even asked for the bill.
Harvest
There are regular buffets, then there’s Harvest buffet. For a literal smorgasbord of incredible eats that span fresh seafood and melt-in-your-mouth meats to international eats, you and your date will roll out of here. For the foodies who want to sample a little bit (or a lot) of everything, book your next date night at Harvest.
Begin your culinary adventure at the seafood station where you’ll feast on Daintree barramundi, hot chilli crab, Sydney Rock Oysters, and Aussie prawns, before taking a trip around the world with pit stops in India, Vietnam, America, Italy and Spain. Think pork dumplings, massaman curry, authentic fried rice, Roman-inspired pizzas, freshly made pasta and southern fried chicken. In the carvery load up on whole roasted Australian beef sirloin with traditional trimmings and roast pork loin with crackling.
If you can squeeze it in (you must), fill your dessert plate with Australian cheeses, creme brulee, and baked cheesecake. Oh, and did we mention there’s not one but two chocolate fountains? With poolside views and indoor and outdoor spaces to dine, this spot is an ideally positioned spot for date night.
Uncle Su
Craving some Cantonese with your honey? Then slide into a plush red booth at Uncle Su. Beneath a canopy of Chinese lanterns, you can feast on a mouth-watering menu inspired by Executive Chef Song Yao Su’s cultural heritage and authentic family traditions.
Try your best not to drool when Uncle Su’s signature Peking Duck (marinated in Chef Song’s secret sauce for 24 hours) is expertly carved and served at your table. Or choose your own dinner with the restaurant’s large live seafood tank displaying locally sourced lobster and crab, Queensland groper, barramundi, abalone and coral trout.
Pick your desired cooking style—everything from Kowloon style, steamed, braised, baked or stir-fried—and add your sauce. Think pepper butter, XO, black bean and spicy garlic. Yum Cha fans will love the specialty Dim Sum menu brimming with tasty bites like beef short ribs, steamed BBQ pork buns, and a huge selection of steamed dumplings (the lobster and foie gras are truly little clouds of heaven) handmade to order daily.
Thirsty? There’s a dedicated tea connoisseur on hand to help you choose the perfect drop to accompany your meal. If you’re after something a little stiffer, there’s a robust cocktail and wine menu to work your way through.
Nineteen At The Star
For dinner with jaw-dropping views, snag you and your date a seat at Nineteen At The Star. Perched high above the Gold Coast’s glittering skyline, soak up the sunset from the sparkling coast out to the hinterland whilst dining in a seriously plush eatery.
In fact, the only thing better than this sleek spot’s incredible vistas is its indulgent menu. Treat your date to oysters with champagne mignonette, Beluga caviar, Yellowtail Kingfish crudo, Patagonian Toothfish with jamón consommé, whole Rock Lobster with garlic butter crumb, plus a selection of wagyu and Angus cuts.
And don’t sleep on the sides here—the Fifty-Fifty potato mash is unlike anything you’ve ever tasted before. Or, if you really want to impress your love, opt for the set menu, with duck gnocchi, grilled sirloin, and chocolate meringue pie with Pedro Ximenez ice cream.
Stave off the food coma with a post-dinner cocktail at the adjoining bar that opens out onto an infinity pool. It oozes romance.
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Image credit: Supplied.