Gold Coast dining: The region’s best group dining restaurants

Gather the gang together, with Christmas party season coming we’ve found 13 of the best restaurants on the Gold Coast for enjoying a meal out with groups of friends.

Gather the squad, ’tis the season for celebrating together. Amber Macpherson has found 13 of the best group dining restaurants on the Gold Coast.

THE COLLECTIVE PALM BEACH

1128 Gold Coast Hwy, Palm Beach

The Collective Palm Beach has heaps of options for all kinds of eaters.

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Five restaurants under one roof means even the fussiest of eaters in your group are catered for.

The Collective at Palm Beach is a food market-style venue with kitchens serving up American, Italian, Mexican, Asian and modern Australian food.

“Having five restaurants allows for a unique experience, where everyone’s tastes and preferences are catered to,” The Collective director Jeremy Davidson says.

“Our choice and atmosphere makes The Collective a great place for groups. We and our team love to celebrate, so we make sure that every celebration and group experience is something special and memorable.”

Individuals can order from a restaurant and eat together, or pre-order options from the banquet menu for a more catered experience.

“Our banquet options give guests the ability to choose their menu and even how you would like it served,” Jeremy says.

“By pre-ordering through one of our banquet menus, it allows groups to sit back and relax, and focus on sharing time with friends and family instead of ordering or thinking of what you want, which in large group scenarios can be a time consuming and stressful process.

“Usually our banquet menus start from $45 per person for groups, however for Christmas parties we have midweek special menus starting from just $29 per person.”

The trendy dining co-operative knows cash is so last century, so bills can be split for large bookings.

“You have to (offer bill splitting) nowadays,” Jeremy says. “This is all part of making the experience easy for groups.”

The Collective can cater for “semi-private” groups of 20 to 80, or the whole two-level venue including the rooftop can be booked out for a fiesta of 400 people.

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GARDEN KITCHEN & BAR

The Star Gold Coast, Casino Drive, Broadbeach

Garden Kitchen and Bar. Picture: The Star

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Spacious, green and versatile, The Star Gold Coast’s Garden Kitchen & Bar makes a gorgeous setting for a get-together. Outside The Lawn is a sprawling alfresco area with tables, a deck and outdoor bar, best for casual nibbles and drinks. Large functions are reserved for the indoor dining areas, with the Conservatory room available for bookings of up to 60 people standing or 40 seated. A four-course banquet menu is available for groups of two or more for $65 per person, featuring house baked focaccia, lemon myrtle calamari, a fish or chicken main and a dessert. Garden Kitchen & Bar requires one bill per group, so get your guests’ bank details sorted before booking. Keep your eye out for the new menu ready to launch for the holiday season.

BASKK

52/58 Marine Parade, Coolangatta

Seafood plate at Baskk, Kirra

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Is your place too cramped to accommodate a gathering of your nearest and dearest? Beachside bistro Baskk is there when a barbecue in the park won’t cut it. With ocean breezes and coastal charm, there’s a number of areas available for booking throughout the comfortable restaurant. “From the seaside sunset deck at the front of the venue to the large dining hall to the intimate rum bar at the rear, all of the spaces are available for group bookings,” Baskk manager Brie Archdeacon says. Groups of more than 100 people can be looked after, with packages beginning at $39 per person for antipasto snacks to the Kings Table option with a seafood banquet, florals, champagne, three courses, dessert and champagne on arrival for $159 per person for a table of eight. Smaller tables can split the bill, and iPads on each table allow for quick ordering of drinks.

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HELLENIKA

2235 Gold Coast Hwy, Nobby Beach

Hellenika owner Simon Gloftis. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

If there’s a nation of people that know how to cater to groups (and have fun doing it) it’s the Greeks. Nobby Beach restaurant Hellenika reflects the welcoming atmosphere of a big family meal, with a menu already made for sharing. “Greek food is one of the original banquet dining styles,” owner Simon Gloftis says. “It’s all share food that comes in the middle of the table, it’s like we do banquets and groups anyway. It’s very easy for us.” Whole fish, large cuts of lamb, sizeable salads and small desserts are easy to divide on the Mediterranean menu. Hellenika has a banquet option for tables of two or up to hundreds of guests, starting at $68 per person. “We can do 150 (people) per level, and there’s two levels,” Simon says. Staff are happy to split bills for smaller tables within reason. “If there’s eight people with a few credit cards, that’s okay,” he says.

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Burleigh Pavilion

3a/43 Goodwin Tce, Burleigh Heads

At the northern end of Burleigh Pavilion sits a full-service restaurant, The Tropic.

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Once you’ve experienced Burleigh Pavilion you’ll be demanding sunsets over the beaches from now on at every social assembly. The venue overlooking the sandy Burleigh shoreline is home to restaurant The Tropic which can be booked for up to 40 people, while walk-in eatery and bar The Pavilion is first come, first served. “We have beautiful large expansive spaces with choice between lounge spaces or restaurant dining,” Burleigh Pavilion operations manager John Forest says. Group menus are available at The Tropic, with the most popular feasting menus including seven courses of Mediterranean-inspired share plates. “The dishes change seasonally, currently we have our signature wood-fired pig bun with preserved vegetables, kingfish tartare and a selection of mains and sides,” John says. The Pavilion is also offering a three-course group lunch option for the Christmas period for $55 per person.

VAPIANO

Soul Boardwalk, Cavill Ave, Surfers Paradise

Vapiano for Best of the Gold Coast - group bookings

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Splitting the bill has never been easier at Vapiano, with your purchases loaded onto your own personal chip card to be scanned and paid at the end. The Italian restaurant in Surfers Paradise has plenty of space to cater to groups of all sizes, with individual and function packages available. “We do food that is really good for sharing,” general manager Edgard Cruz says. “We do have a range of antipasto and pizza, but our pastas come in big bowls as well for sharing. The carbonara, for sure, is the most popular. We do have function packages, it’s a fixed price per person with either entree, main and dessert, or antipasto for people that want to just get together and drink.” Vapiano takes bookings for a minimum of 10 people and can host up to 150 people in a group function.

HIDEAWAY KITCHEN & BAR

2657 Gold Coast Hwy, Broadbeach

Hideaway Kitchen & Bar. Picture: Supplied/Destination Gold Coast

There’s no need for a passport when you take a quick trip through the Orient at Hideaway Kitchen & Bar. “Our group dining is for eight people on a banquet menu, we take you on a food journey around Asia,” Hideaway owner Scott Imlach says. “It’s $50 per person. We normally start with a sashimi, then we go through the dumplings and skewers, then baos, curries and fried rice. We can also do it to your dietary requirements, we make it very flexible.” Banquets are preferred for bookings of eight or more on Friday and Saturday nights, however during the week the staff are happy to accommodate individual orders for larger groups. Bills need to be split evenly for tables and Scott recommends paying for your drinks as you go. Hideaway is offering a special Christmas lunch from the 28th, with a selection of four different banquet options for $50 per person.

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JUSTIN LANE

1708–1710 Gold Coast Hwy, Burleigh Heads

Pizza, pizza, pizza, it’s a-lots, a-lots, a-fun.

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You can’t call yourself a Gold Coaster unless you’ve celebrated a birthday or milestone at Justin Lane. With a menu focused one of the world’s easiest meals to divide (pizza) as well as two levels with different sections, two bars and booth tables, there’s a reason the restaurant has become a meeting place for mates. “The dining style really lends itself to sharing,” Justin Lane general manager Brodie Millwood says. “Our ability to house pretty large groups makes it an easy place for groups to dine.” Bookings begin at two people up to 49, when your posse becomes a party. “50 people is when we switch it over to a private event,” Brodie says. “We have a banquet menu for $39 per person if we have groups of nine or more, which is a sort of all-you-can-eat style of serving — if you run out of food, just let the waiter know and they’ll bring out more.” The banquet menu can be tailored for gluten free or vegan diets, and the bill can be split up to four ways.

SANDBAR

52 Esplanade, Surfers Paradise

Sandbar Surfers Paradise waitress Chanelle Macbeth. Pics Tim Marsden

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Sandbar at Surfers Paradise is central, spacious and scenic with views of the glitter strip’s famous shoreline making for a relaxing setting. The venue is breezy and open plan, with lots of comfortable seating and standing areas flowing from indoor to out. Sandbar likes to “keep it simple” with its function options, with a choice of menu bites, grazing boards and drinks packages to cater for groups of 10 to 200. The restaurant has more than 100 beers on tap with the most popular picks our local lagers — Balter, Black Hops and Burleigh Brewing — as well as a healthy cocktail list. Individual meals can be paid for on larger tables, however functions require a 50 per cent deposit and the rest paid one week before the event. Sandbar is currently offering a Christmas party special: functions booked by the end of this month for dates until December 24 will receive 10 per cent off.

GREENDAYS

8/6 Ashmore Rd, Bundall

Greendays in Bundall is a tropical oasis in the suburbs.

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An oasis in the suburbs awaits at Bundall restaurant Greendays. Decked out with lush greenery and wicker furniture, the venue is a secret garden in a convenient part of the Gold Coast. While it’s open as a cafe during the day, after sunset Greendays transforms in to a function space with capacity to host 120 people seated or 200 standing. There’s plenty of packages to suit different events, from canapes to sit down meals, as well as a group lunch menu starting at $39 per person. Greendays is offering a Christmas lunch bundle with festive feasting options, including stuffed turkey breast, salmon or capsicum, shared salads and vegetables and sticky date pudding, poached pear or pavlovas for dessert.

MISS MONEYPENNY’S

50 Surf Pde, Broadbeach

Miss Moneypenny’s in Broadbeach. Picture Glenn Hampson

A private dining room with its own elevator is the kind of exclusivity on offer at Miss Moneypenny’s, Broadbeach’s new restaurant and bar. The venue’s Rimini Room was designed for secluded sipping and supping, safe from leering eyes and paparazzi — if that’s a risk for you or your guests. Catering for up to 75 people seated or 125 standing, the team will cater a banquet dining package to suit your high-class taste. For a more casual do, bookings of 11 or less are free to order from the a la carte menu for breakfast, lunch or dinner and sit in the spacious indoor or outdoor dining areas. Tables of 12 or more need to book a banquet option, starting at $69 per person for three-courses. There’s also breakfast, canape and drinks packages to appease most types of gatherings, and parties of up to 500 people can be catered for.

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BAZAAR MARKETPLACE

QT Gold Coast, 7 Staghorn Ave, Surfers Paradise

Bazaar at QT Hotel.

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Stacks of food, flowing drinks and a chocolate fountain? No-one will go hungry at QT Gold Coast’s Bazaar Marketplace buffet. With endless all-you-can eat options and a price per head payment system, Bazaar is practical and economical for feeding the gang. Tables can be booked online for one to nine guests, while groups of 10 or more need to call ahead to iron out details with a credit card on file. The breakfast buffet runs until 10.30am daily at $39.50 for adults and $15 for children, while pricing for dinner starts at $75 for adults. On Sundays Bazaar turns into a brunch buff’s dream, with a live crepe station, breakfast pizzas and chicken and waffles just some of the morning magic on offer for $59 per person. Bottomless mimosas can be added for $25.

LITTLE TRUFFLE

2444 Gold Coast Hwy, Mermaid Beach

Newly refurbished Little Truffle restaurant at Mermaid Beach.

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It’s a favourite for loved-up couples but Little Truffle has the goods for a great gathering, too. The Mermaid Beach restaurant houses multiple dining rooms ideal for intimate dinners, an executive lunch or a family meal. The private dining areas can seat up to 18 guests or the whole venue can be booked out for 90 people seated, or 125 standing, with crystal glassware and a personal sound system making for a distinct dining experience. Set menus are available for groups of five or more, starting at $70 per person for three courses. Function packages include a selection of Little Truffle’s signature fine dining dishes and can be upgraded with a list of local or internationally imported drops.