The best restaurants on the Gold Coast in 2026 are Palette at HOTA for inventive fine dining, Rick Shores for pan-Asian food over the surf at Burleigh, LiTO at the Mondrian for Italian, Little Truffle at Mermaid Beach, T'ang Court at The Langham for Cantonese, Jimmy Wah's for Vietnamese and The North Room.
The Gold Coast's best food is now concentrated around Burleigh Heads, Mermaid Beach and Broadbeach rather than Surfers Paradise, with some of the best rooms on the beachfront. Book ahead for weekends, especially for sunset tables. For a place to stay, see our best hotels on the Gold Coast.
Inventive fine dining inside the HOTA Gallery.
Palette sits in the HOTA Gallery building, with a menu that draws on the gallery's exhibitions and local produce. It's one of the coast's most awarded restaurants.
Pair dinner with a visit to the gallery.
Good to know: Visit the gallery before lunch to see what inspired the menu.
HOTA Gallery, 135 Bundall Rd, Surfers Paradise QLD 4217
Pan-Asian food right above the surf at Burleigh.
Rick Shores sits on the beachfront at Burleigh Heads, with windows and a patio over the sand. Its pan-Asian menu of share plates, including its famous bug roll, is made for groups.
Sunset tables are the most sought after.
Good to know: Book a late-afternoon table for the sunset over the beach.
3/43 Goodwin Tce, Burleigh Heads QLD 4220
Wood-fired Italian at the Mondrian.
LiTO, on the ground floor of the Mondrian Gold Coast, serves Italian dishes with local produce from a wood-fired kitchen.
Upstairs, Haven has a raw bar and a pool club with sunset views.
Good to know: Have a drink at Haven upstairs first.
Mondrian Gold Coast, 3 First Ave, Burleigh Heads QLD 4220
A long-running, award-winning fine diner.
Little Truffle has been one of the Gold Coast's best fine-dining restaurants since 2010, with refined modern dishes and a strong wine list.
It's a classic choice for an anniversary or celebration.
Good to know: Ask about the chef's tasting menu.
2444 Gold Coast Hwy, Mermaid Beach QLD 4218
Southern Chinese fine dining at The Langham.
T'ang Court at The Langham, Gold Coast, serves Cantonese fine dining with a bespoke wine list. You don't need to be staying at the hotel.
It's a polished choice for a special dinner.
Good to know: Ask the staff to guide you through the wine list.
The Langham, 38 Old Burleigh Rd, Surfers Paradise QLD 4217
Lively Vietnamese with pancakes and soft-shell crab.
Jimmy Wah's serves Vietnamese food in a fun, lively room on the Gold Coast Highway at Burleigh, with dishes such as Vietnamese pancakes and soft-shell crab bánh mì.
It's great for groups and a relaxed night out.
Good to know: Book ahead; it's busy most nights.
1724 Gold Coast Hwy, Burleigh Heads QLD 4220
Seasonal share plates and a famous crab crumpet.
The North Room is a neighbourhood restaurant at Mermaid Beach serving seasonal share plates, with its crab crumpet the best-known dish.
It's smart but relaxed.
Good to know: Order the crab crumpet.
Shop 1, 2527 Gold Coast Hwy, Mermaid Beach QLD 4218
A small restaurant with a regularly changing menu of small plates.
Labart is a small, 60-seat restaurant in Burleigh Heads serving Mediterranean-style small plates that change regularly with the seasons.
It's a favourite with locals who care about food.
Good to know: Let the staff guide you through the menu; it changes often.
2a/8 West St, Burleigh Heads QLD 4220
Palette at HOTA in Surfers Paradise, with a menu inspired by the gallery's exhibitions, is among the most acclaimed. Rick Shores at Burleigh is the most famous for its setting.
Burleigh Heads (James Street and Goodwin Terrace), Mermaid Beach's stretch of the Gold Coast Highway, and Broadbeach.
Rick Shores at Burleigh sits right above the beach, and the Mondrian's restaurants at Burleigh look over the coast.
Yes for weekends and sunset tables, especially at Rick Shores, Jimmy Wah's and Palette.
Rick Shores for pan-Asian, Jimmy Wah's for Vietnamese and T'ang Court at The Langham for Cantonese.