Vegan

There’s no doubt about it—the Gold Coast in 2025 is a full-blown culinary paradise. But when it comes to choosing the perfect spot for a special night out, it can still feel a little overwhelming. That’s where we come in.

We’ve got you covered from north to south, with the best cafes on the Gold Coast to keep you caffeinated and re-fuelled. 

The food news has been coming in thick and fast on the Gold Coast, to make sure that you're on top of all the tasty things happening we've wrapped up everything that you need to know.

These openings on the Gold Coast are set to shake up a scene that’s already bursting at the seams with wining and dining goodness.

ANZAC Day is all about commemorating our diggers, past and present, but, it is also the crown jewel in a string of public holidays that simply can’t be wasted vegging out on the couch after the annual dawn service. 

To ensure you and your pooch have a ball sampling the Coast's finest fare, we've put together a list of the best dog-friendly cafes on the Gold Coast.

We’ve tasted our way through this seaside suburb to bring you the best restaurants in Coolangatta totally worth opening your wallet for. 

Catering for the clan on Christmas Day can really take the fun out of festive season. So why not hang up your novelty apron and leave it to the experts?

We love cake. We love thinking about cake, procuring cake, and obviously, eating cake; especially from the best cake shops on the Gold Coast.

The Gold Coast is a hub for tasty vegan eats, with vegan cafes, restaurants and bakeries popping up on the regular. 

Everyone loves a good sanga, but something magical happens when you slather the outside with butter and fry that bread to golden, crisp perfection.

If there’s one thing Gold Coasters are obsessed with it’s euphoric treats of the frozen variety. We’re talking ice cream and gelato—cold, sweet, delicious goodness. 

Stretching from Tweed through to Kyogle, the Northern Rivers' best restaurants range from family-owned hideaways to hatted establishments.

We're bringing you the best thing since sliced bread; 13 of the best bakeries on the Gold Coast to get your next fix.

When it comes to Mexican fare, Gold Coast has an insatiable appetite. Bowls of guacamole, burrito bowls, loaded nachos, plenty of queso, beans for days and lashings of sour cream—we want it all, and we want it all now. 

Bagels are the doughnut of the bread world: a little ring of all that is good and pure. We've found the best bagels on the Gold Coast for your next craving.

La Bella Cellar on Deodar Drive in Burleigh Heads recently got a stunning makeover and it’s been the talk of the town ever since.

When it comes to the beauty industry, sustainable and eco-conscious aren’t often the first words that come to mind, which is why we’re just a little bit obsessed with Anna Ross, the boss babe behind vegan and cruelty-free beauty brand Kester Black.

While it’s nice to shop up a storm in Sephora every now and then, for us, nothing beats our locally owned and operated beauty brands who are doing some seriously special things right here on our door step.

We all love a good pamper at the salon, it’s the ideal opportunity to sit back and relax and let the worries of the world wash over you. But you don’t want your hair and beauty regime to come at the expense of the environment. Did you know that the Australian hairdressing industry is responsible for sending more than 1-million kilograms of aluminium foil to landfill every year? Not to mention the nasty chemicals being washed down the drain and penetrating your skin during colour sessions and treatments.

Sea levels and temperatures aren’t the only things rising year-on-year. So too are a selection of the Gold Coast’s restaurants and cafes, rising to the occasion and doing their bit for the environment.

If you're looking for a reason to start shopping at bulk food stores, we have three for you. It's better for the planet, you can buy as little or much as you want and you know the produce is fresh. 

This weekend the crew at Gemelli are launching their Handmade Vegan Italian Nights, where you’ll get to devour a vegan-driven menu, packed with the most delicious Italian fare you can get your mouth around. 

I Like Ramen is back all your favourites, plus some delicious new offerings on their 100% plant-based ramen menu together with a Japanese whisky bar.

Gold Coast eateries are dishing the vegan love like never before, with Burleigh Pavilion next to announce a fabulous plant-based pop-up event. 

A few months back, an incredible farm cafe quietly opened with little fanfare and utmost modesty. It’s been flying under the radar except for those in the know. Until now. After a recent visit, we feel it’s our duty to spread the good word about our favourite new regional dining experience. 

If you’re on a plastic-free mission it can be a little disheartening when you arrive at the supermarket to find more than a third of the fresh produce suffocated in plastic. Had plans to make risotto and need one stick of celery? Too bad, you can only choose from a huge bunch (of which most will go to waste), half a bunch wrapped in cling-wrap or a few pre-chopped sticks in a sealed plastic bag.

First of all, forget everything you thought knew and had come to expect from a nail salon. Because Burleigh newbie, ERVA is the total opposite. The vegan and organic salon is welcome addition to the beauty scene in a time where we’re more conscious of what we’re putting in and on our bodies.

There are some incredible restaurants within a leisurely drive from the Gold Coast that should be on everyone’s weekend to-do list. 

Sure, we may complain about the frosty mornings, but really, we don’t have winter too bad in these parts, especially when the GC are putting on some seriously stellar events. And there is absolutely no way we are accepting an ‘it’s too cold’ excuse not to get in on food fests, fireworks competitions and Cooly Rocks On! Here are the best things to do on the Gold Coast this June.

We all (hopefully) understand the importance of being Green. It is 2019, after all. Living a sustainable and responsible life is no longer a choice, it’s the only option. From a local perspective, caring for the earth means caring for the Gold Coast’s stunning beaches, clean water, amazing hinterland and diverse wildlife. Enter Gold Coast Green Week, a ten-day festival of activities that celebrate our incredible local environment. This year’s line-up consists of over forty-five events hosted by a range of community organisations and businesses.

These days, it seems like we’re all becoming more aware of the impact we’re having on the environment. And we’re proud to say the Gold Coast is leading the way, with the arrival of Australia’s first plastic and waste free kitchen, Mother Nirvana. This unique venue is currently operating as a pop-up out of Mermaid Beach bakery Marie Anita’s by night. The plant-based eatery is producing gluten-free, organic eats like pizzas, salads and smoothies, with more items to be added to the menu in the coming weeks. 

Forget everything you thought you knew about American food, because Saint Helens is here to shake things up. Lead by head chef, co-owner and US-native Jess Hayes, the beachside restaurant offers an eclectic mix of American favourites with a fresh, refined twist. 

The best thing about vegan food is that it’s for everyone. Because, newsflash, you don’t actually have to be vegan to eat vegan, crazy we know. To meat eaters it was once thought that a secret society of basket weaving mountain monks held the keys to this mysterious meat-free lifestyle and if you didn’t have the right password (the password is “seeds” just so you know) then you weren’t allowed in. But never fear, it’s 2018 people and the Gold Coast is home to some top-notch vegan choices that not only bring joy to vego’s but delight to the rest of us trying to cut down on our meat intake. Rejoice!

When we broke the news last month that some of our favourite businesses were banding together to create a community café, you were understandably stoked. Well, the wait is nearly over, with Burleigh Co-Op opening its doors this Monday.

If you need further proof that the Gold Coast is going plant-based, then new Burleigh Heads eatery BKA Vegan is it. The restaurant and bar, which officially opens its doors tomorrow, is serving up refined vegan fare and it’s absolutely delicious.

You never realise how hard it is to buy for a vegan until you’re stuck doing it. Make things easy on yourself and treat your vegan friend to one of these treats.

Everybody loves a good gram! Are you in need some new hot pics to stare at? Want to vibe on a whole new colour co-ordination in your feed? Or learn a thing or two about make-up, style, life, interiors and be all around inspired? Turns out we’ve got a pretty damn talented bunch of social media kings and queens right here on the Coast. So, we’ve gathered up eight of our fave Gold Coast Instagrammers you’ll soon be giving two taps about.

Us Gold Coasters are notorious for welcoming new biz’s into our ‘hood. And how lucky are we to have been graced with such an eclectic array of eateries, sipping spots and boutique locales?  Our easy-going nature makes us the perfect place to open up new creative ventures, if we do say so ourselves.

In case you aren’t familiar with God’s greatest gift to man, it’s mac & cheese. In fact, you’ve probably heard your non-vegan mates carry on about it, usually when they’re about twelve Furphys deep and scrolling through UberEATS at a speed of seven venues a second. 

If you, like us, were broken-hearted when Doughnut Time shut up shop then boy do we have some lip-smackingly good news for you—they’re back baby and they’re moving into sought-after Burleigh Heads.

The Gold Coast is fast becoming a vegan hotspot with new plant-based eateries popping up left, right and centre and we’re all lovin’ it. And now it seems many GC restaurants have cottoned on to our green-loving ways and are ditching meat and opting to go plant-based–YAS! 

Yeah, they got you (all of you).

Sensitive skin sucks. Nothing’s worse than having a night on the town wearing a bomb make up look, only to wake up the next day with an itchy, rashy face. A lot of makeup on the shelves today make it seem like they’re going to your best option – they all read ‘hypoallergenic’ or ‘dermatologist tested’. 

https://www.theurbanlist.com/goldcoast/directory/mexicaliNobby’s Beach staple MexiCali has launched meat-less Mondays, embracing a totally vegan menu that will have you wondering whether you should become a fulltime convert.

It has never been easier to choose an exclusively plant-based lifestyle on the Gold Coast.

The wait is over! One of the most anticipated new openings of 2018 has been dangling like a carrot for months now, and today, we can finally share the juicy news. 

The Kitchen’s Elixiba is having a pay WHATEVER YOU WANT day tomorrow. That’s right, you’ve read correctly. Pick what you want and then pay what you want! 

With a fast growing vegan and vegetarian population on the Gold Coast, it only seems fitting that more local restaurants are starting to dedicate their kitchens to the meat-free movement—even if it’s just one night a week. 

News flash! Going vegan doesn’t offer immunity to the occasional craving of a sinful, sloppy burger. 

We’re literally weeks away from welcoming an upmarket, cruelty-free marketplace—the first of its kind in Australia no less!—and we’re seriously bursting with anticipation. 

This weekend, the Greenhouse dream comes full circle.