Polish Place: Tamborine Mountain restaurant to close in September 2023 after 40 years in business

The Polish Place is one of the Gold Coast Hinterland’s best-loved restaurants. Just days out from its closure, look back at the incredible true story of its triumphs and tragedies.

The Polish Place has long been one of the Gold Coast Hinterland’s best-loved landmarks.

The Tamborine Mountain venue, famous for its restaurant and cottages, will mark its 40th anniversary next weekend with a bittersweet occasion – its final day of business.

Its operators and owners, Phil and Ania Sowter announced this week they would shutter the restaurant on September 3, the 40th anniversary of its opening.

“We first opened 3rd September 1983 (and) it’s only befitting we celebrate 40 years to the day, and close at sunset on the 3rd September, 2023,” they said in a statement.

The Polish Place

“Our proudest achievement was the opportunity to grow our business and raise our family within (and) who knows what’s around the corner, but we want to thank you for your patronage, your stories and repeated visits.”

The anniversary will bring down the curtain on a journey which began in Adelaide in the 1980s.

Mrs Sowter was born in Poland and emigrated to Australia in 1973.

She married her husband in 1981 and they honeymooned at Tamborine where they fell in love with the location.

Ania Sowter, owner of the Polish Placein the mid-1990s.

The couple lived in South Australia but relocated to Tamborine Mountain in the early 1980s and opened a coffee shop in September 1983.

It soon expanded to become a Polish restaurant which was well known for its cuisine, particularly its roast duck.

The couple soon added a gallery and five self-contained cottages to the complex.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the Polish Place became established as a must-visit location for locals and tourists at Tamborine.

The Polish Place’s Ania and Phil Sowter.

A 1996 review described it as a “mini-Poland”.

“The Polish Place is renowned for attracting an audience for its impressive sunsets as well as its homemade cakes and coffee,” it read.

“Each afternoon, Polish-born Ania Sowter, owner of The Polish Place, leaves a tray of specially-prepared feed for the colourful birds, greeting her noisy feathered friends in her native tongue.

“Speak in English and there’s every chance the Australian birds will ignore you for a cry of “czesc” (hello).”

The famous Tamborine location was reduced to rubble in 2016. Picture Mike Batterham

Tragedy stuck on December 31, 2016 when fire engulfed the Polish Place, razing it to the ground.

“It happened very quickly,” Mrs Sowter told the Bulletin at the time.

“I was the first to smell the smoke. I rushed downstairs to have a look at what’s going on but realised smoke was coming out from the kitchen.

“I went upstairs, woke Phil up and woke Henry but I forgot to take my dog.

“We didn’t know where we were or what was happening to us.

“We were just watching our house burning. It was so hard. So painful.”

The couple’s beloved dachshund, Pinja, did not survive the blaze.

The Polish Ambassador to Australia, His Excellency Pawel Milewski, at the ruins of the Polish Place in early 2017. Picture Mike Batterham

A stone fireplace was the sole surviving piece of the complex.

The Sowters vowed to rebuild and received significant support from the nation’s Polish community, including a visit from that nation’s then-Ambassador Pawel Milewski

“I haven’t met any Poles living in Australia since I arrived four years ago who didn’t know about The Polish Place,” he said at the time

“I don’t want to talk about it in the past tense. We have to help them.

The old sign in front of the ruins left after a devastating fire at the Polish Place, at Mt Tamborine. Picture Glenn Hampson

“Phil and Ania are amazing,” Mr Milewski said.

“The fire was devastating information not only to me and the embassy but to all of the Polish community of 200,000 people in Australia.

The Polish Place was rebuilt and reopened in late 2019, immediately re-establishing itself as one of the region’s most popular locations.

‘Difficult decision’: Famous Coast restaurant to close its doors

The operators of one of the Gold Coast’s most famous restaurants have made the “difficult” decision to close on the same day it was to celebrate a major milestone.

Tamborine Mountain’s The Polish Place will shut on September 3, the 40th anniversary of its 1983 opening.

Long-time owners Ania and Phil Sowter said the decision was “difficult”.

“We first opened 3rd September 1983 (and) it’s only befitting we celebrate 40 years to the day, and close at sunset on the 3rd September, 2023,” they said in a statement.

The Polish Place

“Our family-owned business started as a coffee shop in 1983 and quickly expanded to a Polish restaurant, with five self-contained cottages and gallery.

“Over 40 years, we have met thousands of guests and employed at least 400 local staff.”

The Polish Place became one of the Gold Coast Hinterland’s best-known landmarks and celebrated for its cuisine, particularly its Polish roast duck.

It was devastated in the early hours of New Year’s Eve 2016 by a fire which engulfed the property and destroyed the wooden structures.

The Polish Place founders Ania and Phil Sowter.

A brick fireplace was all which survived the fire.

Australia’s Polish community, including Ambassador Pawel Milewski, threw their support behind the venue which was rebuilt.

Mr and Mrs Sowter rebuilt their much-loved venue, something they take great pride in.

“Everyone has a story about The Polish Place – whether they enjoyed a Polish meal and vodka, while taking in our views, sunsets and birdlife (and) more importantly, they experienced a little bit of Poland in Australia,” they said.

Owners Ania Sowter and Phil Sowter, in front of the ruins left after a devastating fire at the Polish Place, at Mt Tamborine on December 31, 2016. Picture Glenn Hampson

“Despite a fire destroying our restaurant and home in 2016, it was with the local community support we were able to rebuild, and reopen the restaurant.

“We have been humbled to receive many awards over the years, including “Best Specialty Restaurant” on the Gold Coast in 2020 and “Best European Restaurant” three years running by the Restaurant & Caterer’s Association.

“Our proudest achievement was the opportunity to grow our business and raise our family within (and) who knows what’s around the corner, but we want to thank you for your patronage, your stories and repeated visits.”

The Polish Place in the 1990s.