Revealed: Hidden gems top Gold Coast’s 100 most popular restaurants

Hidden gems top a list of the Gold Coast’s 100 most popular restaurants compiled after detailed analysis of customer reviews. SEE THE FULL LIST

Little-known hidden gems are among the Gold Coast’s most popular restaurants, topping a list of the highest-rated eateries in the city.

Gold Coast Bulletin analysis of customer reviews at popular online sites has shown a number of unheralded European and Asian restaurants rate higher among diners than celebrated fine-dining institutions.

While critically acclaimed restaurants like Little Truffle, Kiyomi and Etsu Izakaya still feature prominently, smaller suburban eateries with loyal local followings get the highest ratings.

Among them is a small Chinese restaurant in Miami that takes second spot, a family-run pizza, pasta and ribs place in Nerang that rated fifth most popular and a small Korean restaurant in Mudgeeraba that placed eighth and is described as having “five-star restaurant flavour and quality”.

Also hugely popular are Italian restaurants including Sogno Italiano in Mermaid Waters (third), Nonnamia Italian Food in Surfers Paradise (fourth) and Cara Mia Pizzeria in Labrador (sixth).

Price, service and presentation were all frequently lauded by customers as well as high food quality, helping many suburban restaurants to consistently high reviews on sites including Google, Facebook, TripAdvisor and Zomato.

Head Chef Marco Gozalves with his popular potato and parsley gnocchi and lamb rump dishes at Mozzafiato @ Elite restaurant in Carrara. Picture: Jerad Williams.

Topping our list is Mozzafiato at The Elite Hotel on Chisholm Rd in Carrara, which serves European-style cuisine crafted by head chef Marco Gozalves.

Diners have described his food as “unbelievably good”, “exquisite” and “out of this world”, with the restaurant called “one of the Gold Coast’s best kept secrets”.

Manager Kane Galvin said there was a key reason for its success – every dish served there is cooked personally by Mr Gozalves.

“We’re a very small team,” Mr Galvin said. “Marco is on his own in the kitchen. So all these reviews that we’ve got online, Marco’s literally cooked every single dish.”

The restaurant had tried to hire additional staff, but it was difficult to find anyone who could meet Mr Gozalves’s exacting standards.

“We don’t find the right person, the one who’s like, oh, I love to cook,” Mr Gozalves said. “You know, it’s not much passion.

“Basically I do all the prep, I do everything, so I don’t get angry at anyone.”

Rump of Lamb dish at Mozzafiato @ Elite restaurant in Carrara. Picture: Jerad Williams.

The Potato and parsley gnocchi dish at Mozzafiato @ Elite restaurant in Carrara. Picture: Jerad Williams.

Mr Gozalves, who is from Lima in Peru, said he learned his love of cooking from his grandmother.

His most popular dishes include potato and parsley gnocchi and lamb rump.

“We get a lot of regulars ordering the gnocchi,” Mr Galvin said. “Handmade gnocchi is a win as long as it’s done properly. Marco does very nice gnocchi, makes it every Tuesday.”

Mr Galvin said the restaurant got off to a rocky start when it opened just before Covid-19 caused chaos in the industry.

But the timing was perfect for Richmond footy players, who wound up having Mr Gonzales effectively becoming their personal chef.

“We hosted Richmond for four or five months while they were here in their bubble,” Mr Galvin said.

“They had breakfast, lunch and dinner here. The boys, they loved their time here, they would go out fishing and bring back what they caught and Marco would cook it up for them.”

Restaurant manager Kane Galvin holding the potato and parsley gnocchi dish at Mozzafiato @ Elite in Carrara. Picture: Jerad Williams.

Since then word about the restaurant, which opens from 5pm to 8.30pm Wednesday to Saturday, has spread quickly among locals.

Although they have never advertised, they are booked out every Saturday night.

Mr Galvin said they could handle at most 40 to 45 people each evening – and that’s the way they wanted to keep it.

“We want those 45 covers to have as long as they need at the table to order three courses, to enjoy a bottle of wine,” he said.

“There’s no point serving a hundred people if 50 of them leave with an average experience.

“... The other thing too, because we’re not such a massive venue, we don’t have to buy in bulk. And then you don’t have to store. So you can really kind of order especially for those four days.”

Adding to the restaurant’s appeal, its dishes are very competitively priced – a three-course set menu is just $60 – which Mr Galvin said was important for a local restaurant.

“You’ve got to have value,” he said. “They (customers) have got to feel like they’re being treated being able to come here, but not spend an arm and a leg.

“And still get a meal that’s as good if not better than what they get from driving out to Broadbeach and Surfers.

“So the $60 set menu is a hit. It’s $60 for three courses and you’re not restricted at all.

“That’s what our locals love.”

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Originally published as Revealed: Hidden gems top Gold Coast’s 100 most popular restaurants