How to get the best table at Rick Shores, find the Coast’s coolest bar - what diners need to know
Bookings at Burleigh beachfront restaurant Rick Shores fill up fast, but there’s a handy hack for diners desperate to score a seat. SEE HOW
Gold Coast
Don't miss out on the headlines from Gold Coast. Followed categories will be added to My News.
When it comes to scoring a good table at Rick Shores, it can be who you know.
Bookings at Burleigh’s coveted dining destination can fill up months in advance, but there’s a handy hack for diners desperate to score a seat.
“They always give us the best seat in the house, right at the front where the waves are crashing,” said Kiff & Culture chief entertainment officer Drew Campbell.
The beachfront restaurant is the blockbuster billing on the tour company’s Gold Coast Eat and Drink experiences, which offer chauffeured introductions to the city’s tastemakers.
“You have to have (Rick Shore’s) bug rolls, but I love the duck curry too,” Mr Campbell said.
“And oysters with a wine overlooking the ocean – typical Gold Coast.
“They only open up bookings on their website a couple of months in advance, but if you have a special event coming up that you really want to make sure you’re getting in for, talk to us and we can organise it.”
Itineraries could also include fellow Burleigh restaurants Light Years or The Tropic.
“The food scene on the Gold Coast is awesome, especially for seafood and Asian fusion,” Mr Campbell said.
“You get really great produce from the Scenic Rim, the Tweed and the Coast itself.”
Launched last year, Kiff & Culture tours also run in Brisbane, Byron, Tamborine Mountain and the Tweed, but Mr Campbell said the Gold Coast was his pick for fans of artisan alcohol.
“Granddad Jack’s is one of the coolest places in southeast Queensland to have a drink,” he said.
“It’s very rustic, has an amazing story and that real neighbourhood feel. You can’t get more local.
“Their Barbershop Coffee Liqueur won World’s Best Coffee Liqueur (at the San Francisco World Spirits Awards) and it’s made with local coffee from Burleigh’s Social Espresso.
“(The Gold Coast also has) Precinct, Balter. Husk Distillers are just across the border and most venues showcase their Ink Gin or rums.”
A driver with culinary connections is part of the package.
“It’s a proper guided experience – we host the whole day, make introductions to venue operators and make sure everyone is looked after,” Mr Campbell said.
“We get a lot of locals who are celebrating something and want a day enjoying good food and drink without worrying about driving, or people from Brisbane who want to go to a place like Rick Shores without having to worry about a hotel.”
Check out the 12 Plays of Christmas experiences and deals on offer at destinationgoldcoast.com/12plays-of-christmas
‘Have we really come to this?’: Paid parking at tiny Gold Coast shops
Paid parking at a tiny suburban shopping village? It seems crazy, but this is the new reality for the Gold Coast.
Divisive art king’s shocking homecoming
The Gold Coast tried to cancel him, but internationally acclaimed artist Michael Zavros is braving a homecoming as guest artistic director for Bleach. He promises audiences will not be disappointed – but might be shocked.