We asked and you voted: Here’s the best Italian food on the Gold Coast
WE’VE got the top 10 best Italian eateries on the Gold Coast right here, and they’re all simply belissimo!
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ITALIAN is the cuisine that will never go out of style. Pizza, pasta, antipasto, breads, wines all served with love and attention — what’s not to like? We’ve got the top ten best Italian eateries on the Gold Coast right here, and they’re all simply belissimo!
10. Ruffino’s, Runaway Bay
245 Bayview St, Runaway Bay
5577 1070
Few would say Runaway Bay is a tourist hub, meaning that Ruffino’s business is almost purely locally driven. In order to please the locals to the point where they’re dreaming about the next time they visit, personable customer service, mouth-watering Italian food and a great ambience are essential. Owner Denis Craig seems to have perfected that winning combination, as even though he only took over a few months ago, the locals are already their pocket in Italian paradise in Runaway Bay.
9. Mario’s Italian Restaurant, Broadbeach
Oasis Shopping Centre, Broadbeach
5592 1899
In the heart of Broadbeach, Mario’s has a strong local and tourist customer base who are consistently pleased with their Italian experience — the proof is in the fact that Mario’s has been operating since 1989. The vine adorned alfresco area and intricate Italian themed murals create a comfortable ambience, but the standout is the food. A large and diverse menu gives diners the option of antipasto, pastas, seafood, poultry, beef, veal and salad mains and of course, a range of authentic Italian pizzas. They also offer delivery to nearby areas if you want to enjoy Mario’s at home.
8. Ristorante Fellini, Main Beach
Marina Mirage, 74 SeaWorld Dr, Main Beach
5531 0300
Main Beach’s Ristorante Fellini has a national reputation for excellence and was one of the first restaurants outside of Italy to receive Eccellenze Italiane certification. Co-owner Carlo Percuoco said the restaurant recently received yet another award, this time from the Italian Chamber of Commerce.
“Recently we were given the Ospitalita Italiana seal from Italy’s Chamber of Commerce
which recognises us as a provider of truly authentic Italian cuisine,” he explained.
“We go to great effort to uphold tradition and authenticity at Ristorante Fellini so this receiving this seal was an especially humbling honour.
Carlo said his dedication to Italian food stems from his father Mario, a chef who set up his first restaurant in Australia in the 70s. He said Ristorante Fellini is a way to carry on his father’s legacy.
7. Cicchetti Pizza and Pasta Bar, Isle of Capri
Capri on Via Roma, Isle of Capri
5526 8868
Cicchetti (pronounced chick-ett-ee) came to the Gold Coast after experiencing huge success with their location in Byron Bay, which was centred more around a fine dining experience. The Gold Coast location, located at the stunning Capri on Via Roma, has captured the Gold Coast spirit of quality dining but in a casual environment. You’ll find classic Italian dishes on the menu or if you’re feeling adventurous, try dishes like the smoked salmon pasta with zucchini, vodka, mascarpone cheese and sesame seeds or the truffle pizza with fior di latte mozzarella, fresh ricotta, mushrooms, prosciutto di parma, truffle oil, herbs and shaved parmesan.
6. Baritalia, Surfers Paradise
Chevron Renaissance Shopping Centre, Surfers Paradise
5592 4700
Eight years ago Melbournians Simon and Stacy Vella took a shabby, rundown Baritalia and transformed it into the cool, inviting Baritalia that exists now.
Simon said the secret was in good staff and simplicity.
“We’re all about home-style rustic Italian, we try to keep it as real as we can — it’s all about taste for us,” he said.
“The thing with Italian is not to overdo it too much, keep it simple and let the dish speak for itself.
“Pastas that stand out would be our Pappardelle with Italian pork and fennel sausage, gorgonzola and onion in a light creamy sauce and our seafood spaghetti.”
Simon also recommended the prosciutto pizza with fresh buffalo cheese, the Gamberoni Arrosto Mooloolaba roasted chilli and garlic prawns and the Porchetta roast pork.
5. Ioesco, Sanctuary Cove
3a Masthead Way, Sanctuary Cove
5577 8800
Ioesco Restaurant is the Italian love child of Max and Amanda Alfieri located at the picturesque Sanctuary Cove Village on Masthead Way. A large menu boasts everything a lover of Italian food would desire, from fresh, local seafood to housemade pizzas and pastas and generous mains. Pasta lovers can’t go past the linguine able cicale with moreton bay bugs, capsicum, pine nuts, basil and a tomato brandy cream sauce.
4. Gemelli Italian, Broadbeach
2/2685 Gold Coast Hwy, Broadbeach
5504 7413
The Gemelli story is well-known among Gold Coasters — twin Italian brothers James and Alec were dedicated to bringing a modern authentic restaurant to the Gold Coast after a strong Italian upbringing. Along with their older brother Paul the three have been extremely successful in their endeavours, even adding a secondary restaurant to the mix this year.
“The biggest thing we’ve been working on is expanding the Gemelli brand with Gemellini down in Nobby’s,” Paul said.
“It’s an offshoot of Gemelli more focused on being an intimate trattoria and wine bar, it’s meant to be small and intimate and more for locals.
“It’s still got a wood fire pizza, which we’ve become pretty well known for.”
Their second location is more focused on sharing an Italian feast, where the Broadbeach spot is about hearty mains, authentic wood-fired pizzas and house made gnocchi and pasta, all with the focus on authenticity.
3. Alfresco on Elston, Surfers Paradise
3018 Surfers Paradise Blvd, Surfers Paradise
5538 9333
The Alfresco on Elston story is deeply rich with Italian history, branching back to the parents, Tony and Silvana Velardo, of the current owners, Raffaele and his wife Natalie Velardo. Emigrating to Australia in 1980 Tony and Silvana brought with them a wealth of knowledge of Italian food and culture, which is still present in Alfresco’s food today some 36 years later. The Alfresco mission is to not only feed diners amazing Italian food but make them feel like they are part of the family.
2. Cucina Vivo at Jupiters, Broadbeach
Jupiters Casino, Broadbeach Island
5592 8100
Cucina Vivo at Jupiters Casino has had to learn to produce quality food and service at high volumes. Food and beverage manager Richard Gush said their excellence stems from a dedication to tradition and providing diners with dishes they could “resonate” with.
“There is no culture more passionate about its food and wine than the Italian culture,” he said.
“The secret in Italian cuisine is enhancing the simplicity of the raw ingredients.
“At Cucina Vivo, we carefully select each of our ingredients and send our diners on a flavour journey throughout the Italian countryside.”
For first timer diners, Richard recommends the scaloppine di vitello with veal escallops, eggplant, broccolini and scamorza sauce or the classic fettuccine carbonara.
1. Costa D’Oro, Surfers Paradise
27 Orchid Ave, Surfers Paradise
5538 5203
Costa D’Oro is part of the fabric of Surfers Paradise, existing in the same Orchid Avenue spot for over 30 years.
Owners Michael and Nuccia Fusco, along with a hardworking Italian team led by head waiter Umberto Cardamone, said the secret is keeping things simple, but top quality.
“Good food and good service, just keeping it real and traditional, always using fresh herbs and fresh sauces cooked daily,” Michael said.
“We’ve been there 30 years now at that location, we have a lot of regular return clientele that support us that we’re very thankful for.
“We’re all Italian; our chefs are from Italy, our waiters are from Italy and our manager is from Italy too.”
A lot has changed in 30 years, globally and on the Gold Coast, but Costa D’Oro has stayed consistent the whole time.
“The one thing we haven’t done a lot of is changes we’ve had the same menu for 30 years and our head chef Giani Forte has been with us for 20 years,” Michael said.
“We’ve added a few bits and pieces but the menu is probably 80 per cent the same as when we started.
“Our pastas especially the Fettucine D’oro, or Spaghetti Marinara one of the most popular, pizzas are very nice plus we have fresh seafood and steaks available — we cover a whole range of food.”
How could anyone resist Fettucine D’oro, with king prawns, fresh garlic, bacon and spinach leaves in a creamy garlic sauce or a Capricciosa pizza with napoli sauce, ham, mushroom and black olives, finished with plenty of mozzarella cheese.
Even though the Gold Coast has changed, the Fuscos have welcomed the developments and said there’s plenty of hungry Gold Coasters to go around.
“There weren’t as many restaurants around as there are now, Surfers and the Gold Coast has changed a lot,” Michael said.
“It’s improved in leaps and bounds but it’s a good thing for everyone, there are plenty of people around for everyone.
“We have always provided a good atmosphere and good food and people enjoy it, they come for the atmosphere as well as the food.”
Australians sometimes have a strange interpretation of Italian food, putting bottled tomato sauce with pasta and egg on pizza, but Michael said the biggest mistake we make is thinking it’s bad for our health.
“People have the impression that pizza and pasta is fattening and that’s wrong — we’ve been living on those diets for centuries and Italians aren’t typically fat people,” he said.
“It’s just modern health ideas being put in people’s heads; we’ve grown up eating pasta every day.
“But it is important to have quality pasta — quality everything actually — and everything in moderation.”
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