Varsity Lakes is a town in the centre of the Gold Coast and as the name suggests, there is a giant lake in the heart of it. There’s a boardwalk that takes you around a good portion of it, providing an easy but beautiful walking track. It’s the perfect spot to spend a quiet weekend morning brunching and relaxing. Feel free to bring your pup as well, as it’s a VERY dog-friendly area!
If I sound a little biased, it’s probably because I am. This is where Jamie and I have planted our roots and we love it here. Now that we’ve been here a little while, we’ve had a chance to explore the area and try out a lot of the local cafes and restaurants, and have taken note of where we have really enjoyed eating.
Below is a list of the places I have tried more than once, and have loved. There’s no kickback for any of this, no #sponsoredpost or anything of the sort. (I wish!). Just places I have genuinely really enjoyed, and some of my recommendations of dishes to try from their menu.
(If a place is not on the list, it means I have either been there and didn’t like it enough to recommend it, or I haven’t been there yet/haven’t heard of it. Please feel free to leave your recommendations below so I try it out if that’s the case!).
FYI – This post will also be regularly updated to include any new dishes or places I love!
Blackboard Varsity
This is hands down our favourite local cafe and we’re here about once a week, either picking up a quick coffee + cookie treat, or sitting down for a proper weekend brunch. It’s also a place we bring all our friends to when they come up for a visit from Sydney, we love it that much.
The menu has all the usual breakfast dishes, but also includes some unique options using fresh, seasonal produce that really sets it apart from the others. I honestly look forward to seeing what the new weekly special is and will often stalk their instagram page to see if a weekend brunch session is in order!
Bonus, the staff are always friendly, the cafe itself is also spacious so you don’t feel crammed in there + it’s dog-friendly in the outdoor seating area (Daisy is very loved there!).
Website link here: Blackboard Varsity
My Recommendations
- Brekkie Bowl: THE crispiest potatoes + Brussels sprouts, quinoa, mixed leafy greens, slaw, toasted seeds, truffle mustard hollandaise and a fried egg. A classic, and easily my favourite dish there. Nothing needs to be added or changed in this, it’s absolutely perfect the way it is.
- Blackboard Benny: 2 extra crispy and thick hash browns, 2 poached eggs, hollandaise and choice of mushrooms, bacon or halloumi. (Jamie likes to also add the maple pork belly to this!)
- Shallot Pancake: Scrambled eggs, Asian apple salad, fried shallots, chilli caramel and peanut crumb on a crispy shallot pancake. So many flavours and textures in the one dish, and it’s such a unique and delicious alternative to the usual breakfast menu items.
- Cauliflower + Carrot Fritters: The fritters are served with a herbed yoghurt, pickled onion, pomegranate + herb salad and harissa oil. This was zesty, herby and so refreshing. A really nice, refreshing brunch option! (I ordered mine with chorizo and it was such a good combo!).
- Choc Chip Cookie: They have a pretty remarkable pastry + cookie selection, but our favourite is definitely the simple choc chip cookie. Chewy edges, soft centre and a generous helping of chocolate chunks. Make sure you grab one on the way out!
Side Piece Coffee
Side Piece is a relatively new cafe that we accidentally stumbled on when we were out walking Daisy one day and wanted coffee. It’s tucked away in a street that’s a bit further away from the town centre, but it’s got a very funky, fun vibe with the artwork, deco and a menu to match. We’ve only been there a few times, but have enjoyed ourselves every time.
We originally went in for the coffee, but we stayed (and kept returning) for the mushroom toastie. I haven’t tried anything else on the menu even though it all looks delicious because I keep getting the toastie!
Website link here: Side Piece Coffee
Recommendations
- Mushroom Toastie: (Obviously). This is the BEST mushroom toastie I’ve ever had, hands down. They use a mix of different mushrooms (and a generous amount I might add), goats feta, chimichurri, truffle aioli + a good helping of mozzarella to take something as simple as a mushroom toastie and turn it into something spectacular.
- The Sub: Big, saucy meatballs, mozzarella, basil + salsa verde on a sub. Hearty, flavoursome + tasty. Jamie really enjoyed this!
Ciao Bella
This place has a special place in our hearts, as it was the first place we ordered from when we moved here. (Because there’s nothing quite as symbolic of a move, than eating pizza on the floor of your new place surrounded by boxes). We then spent many a weeknight and weekend ordering pizzas from here to fuel us while we unpacked and got settled into the area. We have worked our way through the menu, and can safely say we highly recommend it!
Recommendations
- Pizza: We have tried so many pizzas here that I have actually lost track of which ones we have/haven’t had yet. I don’t have any particular recommendations when it comes to pizza because every single one we’ve had was good!
- Pasta: Nonna’s homemade gnocchi with the gorgonzola sauce. Oh my. So rich, decadent and delicious. Only complaint is that the serving isn’t big enough for my greedy appetite.
Homese Cafe
We were so happy to see a Vietnamese cafe here when we moved, as we had the most wonderful trip in Vietnam together and it was a like a little reminder of our trip. The food here is fresh, flavoursome and authentic, plus the staff are always so lovely and friendly. We always walk out with a smile from the food + service there.
Website link here: Homese Cafe
Recommendations
- Spicy Bun Bo Hue: This has a spicy broth, rice noodles, tender meat, bean shoots, cabbage, spring onion + chilli. It brought me right back to our trip to Vietnam and tasted so similar to some of the street food vendors we tried there. Really authentic!
- Vermicelli Salad: A delicious salad with vermicelli noodles, lettuce, pickled carrot, radish, peanuts and a Vietnamese salad dressing. I usually get the crispy pork belly or lemongrass chicken with it, and it’s such a light, refreshing dish!
- Crispy spring rolls: The best spring rolls we’ve tried out of all the Chinese/Thai/Vietnamese restaurants in and around Varsity Lakes. Filled with vermicelli noodles, pork mince, mushrooms, carrots + onion.. they’re so crispy + delicious. Make sure you add them to your order!
- Drinks: They do some delicious fresh juice combos which we’ve tried and loved, their iced lattes with almond milk are the best I’ve tried in Varsity Lakes and they also do Vietnamese Iced Coffee as well (which I haven’t tried yet but it’s on my list!).
Other special mentions:
- D Point Ten – If you’re looking for a sweet treat, they do some fab donuts here!!! (I requested donuts from here instead of a cake for my birthday).
- Ah So Kitchen – Great, quick + tasty Chinese food here if you’re looking for a good take away option!
- Khao Klong Thai – Another good take away option when you’re looking for something quick, cheap + tasty. They do $13 lunch specials here during the week day, so if you’re looking for a budget-friendly option that’s also tasty, this is a good one!
- Haveli Junction – This is a new Indian restaurant that has only recently opened up in the last couple of months. We tried it on opening night and it was delicious! Hopefully we’ll get to try a few more things soon!