The team at QT Gold Coast have served me some fabulous foodie experiences during the last year that are simply too good not to share… so here are my top 5 reasons to visit QT now:
- Cocktails at Stingray Bar
A funky retro vibe welcomes you at Stingray Bar. Not too big, not too small, this groovy bar is cosy and spacious all at the same time. Originally a California-style tequila bar it’s now morphing into a high-end cocktail bar. Tequila still reigns supreme with an impressive selection of 40 different labels behind the bar – Herradura (the most popular) is served with orange and cinnamon rather than the usual lemon and salt. Whiskey and rum also make themselves at home on the top shelf, and specialty house cocktails or Seasonal Libations offer something for every palate. Day of the Dead comes with a chilli kick and a black volcanic salt rim, Coolcumber is a refreshing blend of gin, lime, cucumber and basil, and the Skinny Pash is a sweet, fruity number that’s popular with the ladies. Sit back, relax, and get your groove on. Austin Powers approved, yeah baby!
- Rooftop garden
Yes, there’s a garden on the roof! Two years in the making the QT garden is well established, providing seasonal produce straight from the rooftop to your table. Alongside more traditional plants (like strawberries, lemons and tomatoes) the garden is home to some exotic species; like Cuca melons which are the size of grapes but taste like cucumber, and an ice cream bean tree with beans that taste like vanilla. During a tour with Executive Chef Greg Benny I’m told his apprentice chefs are trained when to harvest the different plants, and how to use them… oregano is picked and goes straight onto your pizza, and that mint in your Mojito? Straight from the roof.
- Bazaar
Overindulgence is all but guaranteed at QT’s market-style restaurant Bazaar. Let your tastebuds lead you through this magical larder, a land where MSA grade meat is hung for weeks to intensify the flavour, and whole beasts – lamb, pig and goat – are carvery heroes. Your personal chef will make you a pizza in the wood-fired oven, and slice glazed Mount Nathan ham from the bone. Chickens are brined, cooked in clay and cracked open for guests. Seafood arrives daily, bread comes fresh from the bakehouse and the salad bar is pimped by the rooftop garden. Be sure to leave room for a visit to the enchanting dessert bar – toasted marshmallow smores, ‘dropped’ ice cream, and berry foam are sweet treats that would make Willy Wonka proud.
- Man Tea experience
High tea for blokes. Yes, it’s a thing. Think beer, burger and fries with a twist. And swap the cup of tea for a Stone and Wood, a Pacific Ale or a bourbon on the rocks. This paddle of hearty and very tasty ‘man food’ will satisfy both guys and gals. And as with all things QT, there’s some fun at the end when a smoke-filled glass dome is lifted to reveal a cigar on your plate. Made of chocolate. And filled with bourbon semi freddo. Sit back, enjoy, and make like Al Bundy.
- Quirky High Tea fun
You can tell the chefs have had fun creating this high tea for two, playfully mixing up sweet and savoury elements – messing with your mind, like Alice down the rabbit hole. Tomato and basil macarons and pepper doughnuts are presented on the savoury stand, and a sponge and jam ‘ham sandwich’ is offered on the sweet stand. High tea includes two rounds of tea or coffee, or for $15 you can get a glass of champagne. I love high tea and this one is a little unique.
QT Gold Coast offer boutique hotel accommodation, with a restaurant and bar scene among the best in Surfers Paradise, be sure to drop by for a cocktail and a fun foodie adventure…
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