Luxury farm-stay Beechmont Estate restaurant, The Paddock, chefs Chris and Alex Norman reveal behind-the-scenes look

This show-stopping hinterland restaurant attracts plenty of well-heeled drop-ins, but its acclaimed chefs say long lunches or sunset dinner are on the menu for everybody. Take a look.

You’ll need a passcode to get behind the wrought-iron gates of the Gold Coast’s most exclusive restaurant … or you could always arrive by chopper.

The Paddock Restaurant is the piece de resistance of luxury farm-stay Beechmont Estate, but executive chefs Chris and Alex Norman say its fine-dining favours aren’t just reserved for staying guests.

“We would love to tempt more diners up from the Gold Coast and Brisbane,” Mr Norman said.

“It’s a perfect spot for a long lunch or sunset dinner while relaxing in the hinterland.

“Everyone is welcome and all restaurant bookings receive a confirmation email with the gate code.

“If you’re just passing by then a quick phone call to our receptionist and they will remotely open the gate for you.”

On a ridgeline straddling the Scenic Rim and Gold Coast hinterland – a 30-minute country drive from Nerang – The Paddock surveys a pastoral panorama, with views stretching to a distant Surfers Paradise through walls of window.

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The Paddock Restaurant is planted in the paddocks at Beechmont Estate. Photo: Dylan Evans

The former dairy farm had a spell as a polo ground, but that green expanse now serves as a chopper pad for the estate’s more well-heeled visitors, a giant H etched into its immaculate lawn.

The equestrian influence remains in the restaurant, where heavy sliding barn doors open to a vast, light-flooded space anchored by a communal fireplace.

It feels very Ralph Lauren, with heavy black-and-white horse prints, and quietly opulent leather and timber furnishings from Currumbin Wood Workers.

The Normans, a husband-and-wife team, have lived on-site since taking over the restaurant reins in November.

Scottish-born Mr Norman has a Michelin-star-sprinkled resume in restaurants and luxury hotels in the UK, while dessert maestro Mrs Norman was a scholarship student at London’s Royal Academy of Culinary Arts.

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Beechmont Estate executive chefs Alex Norman and Chris Norman

The couple met while working at The Ritz London and moved to Australia in 2011 with stints at Brisbane’s Herve’s Restaurant & Bar, Sydney’s Merivale group, One&Only Hayman Island, Palazzo Versace and the Emporium Hotel before they embarked on their rural romance.

“It’s great to be immersed in the Scenic Rim and be close to our natural surroundings,” Mrs Norman said.

“We have a kitchen garden which we harvest from daily. It is so much nicer using freshly picked herbs and leaves … the aroma is much more pungent and the difference is really surprising.

“We have been using produce from across the Scenic region for many years while working in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast, and although we’ve visited many individual farms on day trips from the city, we never really had an idea of the scale of this region.

“We’re always on the hunt for new suppliers and the farms we work with are sometimes very specialised in what they produce.

The Paddock Restaurant champions local farmers.

“The quality of their goods is next level and we’re drawn to their passion of growing and producing.

“A lot of the time we will find them through social media and from other restaurants which are using them.”

The pair’s fare is of a fine-dining standard, but white tablecloths and starchy service are abandoned for a more grounded, smart-casual experience.

Prices are reasonable – more so than many metro menu equivalents – starting at $26 for an entree of whipped Summerland Camel fetta and beetroot, $42 for mains, and $22 for dessert of hibiscus and poached rhubarb drenched with Tommerup’s crème fraiche sabayon.

The Paddock serves up fine-dining fare featuring local producers like Tommerup’s.

“We have a strong relationship with Tommerup’s dairy farm and have been lucky enough to join them for the milking of their dairy cows,” Mr Norman said.

“Alex also has one of their pigs named after her.”

Alongside the menu’s organic seasonal evolution, the duo plan on plumping the restaurant’s events calendar with guest chefs, winemaker weekends and high teas.

First on the agenda is a luxe lunch collaboration with Moët & Chandon to celebrate World Champagne Day on October 26, with early bird tickets now on sale for $265.

In the meantime, diners can snag a spot at daily lunch and dinner seatings.

The Paddock Restaurant.

Each night the firepit is lit, setting the scene for sunset drinks on top of the world — and everybody’s invited.

“Once on site there is no rush to sit at your table,” Mrs Norman said.

“Rather have a glass of wine or beer, wander the kitchen garden, or relax on one of our outdoor sofas and watch the world go by.

“The wildlife is amazing and a world away from city life.”