Gold Coast dining Inside new Southport cafe and wine bar that replaced Spendelove

The Gold Coast’s newest cafe and wine bar serves up sophisticated food options and a special wine list for leisurely brunching. Check out what’s on the menu.

Pearl and Ash is a sleek, new cafe in Southport Brickworks. Picture: Jerad Williams

WHEN there’s a team of experts behind a new cafe, you can bet the product is going to be top-notch.

Southport’s new eatery Pearl & Ash is a sleek, sophisticated breakfast and lunch spot at the Ferry Rd Brickworks, taking over the space formerly occupied by Spendelove Bar and Bistro.

After a long career in hospitality, owner Matt Lucas had a vision of opening his own venue. He recognised the high-traffic Brickworks compound as a great location for a cafe, and then he called in the professionals to help him make it a reality.

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A roasted spiced cauliflower dish from Pearl & Ash. Picture: Jerad Williams

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“It was a good opportunity to get into a place that’s already established as opposed to something that’s brand new,” he says.

“The people and the foot traffic is all here.

“A number of people tendered to the site, I was lucky enough to win the tender.

“This popped up, we put forward the concept and theme of what we wanted to do, and it unfolded like that.

“Aaron from Space Cube did the concept design, they’ve done Mamasan, Loose Moose. The guy from Shopfit Co did all the fit out.

“The menu itself is modern Australian with a little bit of a Japanese twist to it. I did some of it myself with a good friend.”

The name Pearl & Ash lends itself to the cafe’s character — a pale pink colour scheme complements the minimalist industrial decor, and the mature menu pairs with a carefully curated Robert Oatley wine list.

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Pearl & Ash took over the space formerly occupied by Spendelove. Picture: Jerad Williams

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Eggs benedict isn’t simply built with poachies, spinach and ham — it comes with crab and avocado or pork belly and pancetta. The granola bowl features dragonfruit panna cotta, shaved coconut and berries. And for lunch, the wagyu steak burger or green lip mussels dishes are next level daytime delights.

“Pearl and ash was a compound they used back in the day to rise bread and cakes. I felt that resonated with what I wanted to do,” Matt says.

“The lighter colours, the pink facade is in line with pearl.

“We do breakfast and brunch. All the ingredients are free range and organic, working around that sustainable food category.

“There’s breakfast that runs all day, from 11 o’clock you’ve got the brunch option.”

Matt says the open viewing kitchen adds to the atmosphere of the restaurant but it isn’t just for the benefit of customers.

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Manager Bronwyn French holding a roasted spiced cauliflower dish. Picture: Jerad Williams

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“It’s the theatrical element, but it’s something for the chef to keep themselves occupied, something for them to look at instead of four walls all day,” he says.

While Pearl and Ash looks and tastes every part the whole package, Matt says the cafe and wine bar is eager to hear the community’s thoughts.

“We’ll be running with this menu for the first month, gauging what the clientele have to say and adding and minusing,” Matt says.

“Feedback is a gift, they say. And we’ve had some great feedback.”

Pearl and Ash Cafe and Wine Bar is open 8am to 6pm daily.