Gold Coast restaurants: 10 famous restaurants of the past we miss most

From Olivia’s Malt Shop to the Holy Mackerel, the Gold Coast has been home to some incredible restaurants over the years. These are 10 of the best we miss most. SEE THE FULL LIST

THE Gold Coast is today world famous for its vibrant night life and incredible variety of eateries.

From high-end dining to funky cafes, there are countless memorable restaurants with every imaginable cuisine catered for.

Some of the God Coast’s best-known dinner spots are now long gone but memories of their meals and the atmosphere remain strong.

This year we’ve already seen the closure of Fellini and Melbas, both institutions of the city’s night life while Cav’s closes next week.

Here are 10 Gold Coast venues we miss most.

THE BIRDWATCHER BAR AND PARADISE CENTRE INTERNATIONAL FOOD COURT.

Some of the experiences inside the Paradise Centre in the 1980s.

Originally part of the old Surfers Paradise Hotel, The Birdwatcher was an icon of Surfers Paradise in the 1950s and 1960s.

Jim Cavill’s old hotel was finally demolished at the beginning of the 1980s to make way for the Paradise Centre.

The Birdwatcher Bar, like the Surfers Paradise Beer Gaden, was rebuilt and became part of the new centre, which also had a famous food court.

OLIVIA’S MALT SHOP

Inside Olivia's Malt Shop

The Trickett Street 50s-style diner was famous for its soda fountain, waitresses who cruised between its booths on rollerskates and the large pink FJ Holden which was lodged in its roof.

Olivia's Malt Shop, Surfers Paradise, 1980s

By 1988 Olivia’s Malt Shop was long gone and replaced by the Trickett Street Brasserie

Following Olivia’s closure, the FJ Holden gained a second life as a landmark on the M1 at Reedy Creek where it can still be seen today.

MELBA’S ON THE PARK

Melba’s on the Park circa 1987.

Long before it became a beloved bar and nightspot, Melbas was well-known as a dining location.

Opening in 1981, it became a landmark in Surfers Paradise and famous for its cuisine.

By 1987 it marketed itself as having “a tropical garden atmosphere” and “one of the finest restaurants on the Gold Coast, with cane furniture and plenty of food.

BOGART’S

Bogart’s was a popular dining destination in the 1980s.

A Casablanca-themed restaurant and piano bar in Cavill Ave It’s pitch to diners “Experience our superb international cuisine whist dining in the intimate atmosphere of the Casablanca era”.

It was part of a wave of movie-themed restaurants in the 1980s and 1990s, with another later adopting a Dick Tracy inspired look, complete with a statue of the iconic Detective at the front door.

THE ORCHID ROOM

The Orchid Room

One of several famous dining spots in the old Chevron Hotel, it was considered one of the most luxurious dining destinations of the 1970s and 1980s. It closed when the Chevron Hotel was demolished.

THE HOLY MACKEREL

The Holy Mackerel.

A famous Labrador seafood restaurant run by Marlene Carter. It opened in 1974 and became one of the Gold Coast’s best-known eateries.

Menu favourites included snapper fillet and garlic prawns.

Mrs Carter eventually retired and was succeeded by her son Matthew.

It closed in April 2009 to make way for a new development.

DIAMOND LIL’S AT LONE STAR TAVERN

Diamond Lil’s

The Lone Star Tavern itself still exists at Mermaid Waters but is an entirely different venue now from its 1980s heyday.

Back then, it was well-known for its showroom dining area Diamond Lil’s, Rick’s Speakeasy, a supper club and piano bar, the Homestead Bar, beer garden and Lasers, its famous nightclub and discotheque.

THE SPORTSMAN’S CLUB, TERRANORA LAKESCOUNTRY CLUB

Terranora Lakes Country Club Resort in 1989.

A popular venue just over the border, Terranora Lakes Country Club thrived in the 1970s and 1980s with Queensland tourists crossing the border to enjoy everything from poker machines, lawn bowls, tennis, golf, cricket and clay target shooting.

After a day of sport, patrons would enjoy a break at the Sportsman’s Club, where they enjoyed seafood platters and cabaret nights.

But tourist numbers declined through the 1980s and early 1990s as poker machines became more plentiful north of the border.

Administrators were appointed in December 1995 and it closed, only for its shattered remains to become a frequent target for arsonists.

TIPPLER’S ISLAND RESORT

Tipplers in the 1980s.

A popular getaway on South Stradbroke Island.

A short boat trip allowed patrons to visit the destination, which boasted “superb meals, giant T-bones, a bistro, tropical salads, fisherman’s baskets and icy cold beer”.

There was significant outrage in the community when council bought the resort and shut it down in the late 2000s.

THE LOFT

The Loft, Chevron Island.

The Loft was one of the Gold Coast’s most popular eateries in the 1980s and 1990s.

The BYO destination won stacks of awards through its first decade of business and was well-known for its quality food.

The Loft continued to operate well into the 2010s but was far from the up-market restaurant of early days and finally closed.