Darren Emmett and family open Quay Carlo restaurant at Rainbow Beach

An exotic new restaurant overlooking the water at Rainbow Beach has reopened under new management with a menu as adventurous as its surrounds.

A new waterfront restaurant has welcomed patrons to watch the sunset over the water while munching on a menu packed with delicacies from across the globe.

Quay Carlo is inspired by cultures and features international dishes like a Caribbean crockpot along with crocodile tempura and classic comfort food.

Patrons can watch the sunset over the water and sip on a cold beverage while the Emmett family cooks up a storm in the kitchen.

Darren Emmett and his wife Clare moved to Australia with their two daughters 12 years ago and have run their fair share of restaurants and pubs in the past.

Georgia Emmett (left), Clare Emmett (middle), Darren Emmett (right) from Quay Carlo, Rainbow Beach.

He worked as a qualified chef in Paris and owned seven different pubs in England.

“We had a restaurant in Manly on the foreshore for four years and then we decided we would go and buy a fish farm in Childers and do something different,” Mr Emmett said.

The family moved away from fish farming to start their new venture which they describe as “quirky” and “fun”.

“We are doing lots of takeaways as we are opposite the caravan park but locals expect a bit more in terms of meals,” he said.

“We are going to change the menu really regularly so every month and we have daily specials as well.”

From the classic fish and chips to stone-baked pizzas, Mr Emmett said they were serving simple food with a bit of a twist.

“They tend to like our calamari, it’s a simple dish but you’ve gotta do the simple dishes well,” he said.

“We want to keep it interesting and not have a big bulky menu that you can’t keep on top of.”

With their parents in the kitchen, daughters Georgia and Phoebe are in charge of the waitressing at Quay Carlo, which is already proving popular.

“My daughters are fantastic, they work hard they run around, they smile, I’ve never seen them upset and we are very lucky to have them be a part of our team,” Mr Emmett said.

Mr Emmett saw the venue advertised three years ago but it wasn‘t until he went to see it in person that he couldn’t turn down the opportunity.

“I just couldn’t believe it was shut, I couldn't believe someone hadn’t come and got it by the scruff of the neck,” he said.

“Its just perfect for what we want to do.”

Mr Emmett said they will also be introducing a breakfast menu for the weekends.

“We’ve got some big plans for the place but it takes time,” he said.

“You can’t do these things half-heartedly, you've really got to throw yourself in to get it right.”

More exciting menu items and events are in the pipeline for the restaurant including cocktails, blue moon ice-cream where children can guess the flavour and themed nights such as Greek, Korean and Italian.