First look new $9.1m Burleigh Pavilion

WORK has begun to transform Burleigh’s iconic beachfront dining site into the most ambitious restaurant project in the Gold Coast’s history. Take a look at what the new $9.1 million Burleigh Pavilion will look like.

Initial artist's impression of new Burleigh Pavilion facade

WORK has begun to transform Burleigh’s iconic beachfront dining site into the most ambitious restaurant project in the Gold Coast’s history.

A $9.1 million injection will see Burleigh Pavilion cater for up to 600 diners across multiple zones on its second storey, with completion tipped for December.

Serviced by a central open kitchen that will bring a sense of culinary theatre to compete with that blue view, the yet-to-be-named restaurant will be helmed by revered Sydney chef Guillaume Zika and divided into casual and more formal dining.

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How the new pavilion will look.

Extending out to the ocean, the usable space has effectively been doubled with another 150 squares of alfresco dining.

Sydney outfit May Hotels is behind the project, but general manager Justin Tynan emphasised this would be a place for locals to enjoy.

The venue’s casual zone, on the southern side once home to Pointbreak Bar & Grill, will even include beach showers so guests can freshen up straight from the sand.

The existing site. Picture Glenn Hampson

“We’re 100 per cent accessible to the point we’re building an entrance off the beach,” Mr Tynan said.

“The whole idea is that you can get straight out of your wetsuit, put your board on the rack and have a beer in the corner bar.

“There’s definitely not going to be any big bouncers there saying you’ve got to wear a collared shirt. It’s a very accessible venue and price accessible too.

“You can enjoy the best location on the coast in your boardshorts for the cost of a beer or a burger.”

May Hospitality Groups Head Chef, Guillaume Zika, Group Marketing manager Hamish Jordan, and General manager, Justin Tynan, look over the site. Picture Glenn Hampson

Of the total project spend, $4 million will be devoted to building restoration and future-proofing to ensure it is around “for another century”.

“There’s about five iconic sites like this on the east coast of Australia and when we saw it five years ago we fell in love with it straight away, just for its location,” Mr Tynan said.

“Even the storms that crashed through it didn’t deter us — they deterred a lot of people, but not us.

“Now we’ve future-proofed it so if there is a storm coming we can pop all those windows out and let the sea in, then it’s an easy clean up before we reopen.”

Ex Tropical Cyclone Oswald whipped up huge and dangerous seas across the Gold Coast. The Burleigh Beach Pavilion was damaged in 2013. Pics Adam Head

Fine-dining fixture Oskars on Burleigh served its final lunch on March 5 when its lease was not renewed after a 39-year run on the Gold Coast.

Rick Shores, named Queensland’s No. 1 restaurant in the delicious. 100, has temporarily closed while construction is carried out.

Meesh’s was damaged by the cyclone in 2013. Pics Adam Head

It will reopen in August after a mini facelift that will include a permanent roof to replace the sails on the lower level, fresh furniture and updated menus.

Fans of fellow long-term tenant Nook needn’t go without their fix after the coffee staple relocated to a shipping container on the footpath.

“We’ve been here for 10 years and the locals were getting pretty concerned we were going to have to close,” co-owner Marcus Wilkins said.

“I had customers asking for my home address and we even had someone say they’d chain themselves to the building to keep us open, which is nice to hear.

Nook has been relocated to a shipping container while work is done. Picture Glenn Hampson

“I thought I was going to get a holiday (during construction) but this has worked out really well for us.

“There’s heaps of local interest in the project; everyone is excited.

“People were worried about the old plans for the rooftop bar, but I haven’t heard one bad thing about this because it’s something for us locals.

“We can’t wait to get back into the building and to be part of the new era.”

While May Hotels promises to keep Gold Coasters posted, there’s plenty to whet the appetite of diners in the meantime, with a flurry of interest in the beachside suburb.

Top Sydney chef Alex Munoz Labart is putting the finishing touches on his new venture on West Street, Restaurant Labart, before it opens on July 18.

“We could see the Gold Coast food scene developing with places such as the Fish House, Hellenika and Lupo and the time was right for us to relocate,” he said.

“The market in Sydney is very competitive and quite saturated. We’ve been planning this for quite some time and life is a lot better on the Coast.”