Day drinking. It’s the hobby of many locals here on the Gold Coast and for good reason. The moment mates, sunshine and cold beer mix, a special brew of good times cracks open.
There’s something undeniably empowering about wrapping your mitts around an icy cold beverage knowing the dusty morning is far less likely. After all, a beer garden’s best enjoyed kissed by the summer sun or during sorbet skies at sunset. So lock eyes with that cheeky bartender, order more hot chips than any one person should consume and hit up ten of the best Gold Coast beer gardens in 2023.
Surfers Paradise Beer Garden
Surfers Paradise
Buskers serenading the street. Seagulls wandering down Cavill Avenue. And there you are, a level up at dusk, smack bang in the middle of all that’s about to unfold, but out of there before anyone loses a shoe. A relic on Surfers’ main drag, this iconic locale and recent refurbishment makes Surfers Paradise Beer Garden undoubtedly one of the best beer gardens on the Gold Coast. With alfresco lawn games, open skies and share plates to indulge in after a heated game of foot-pool, what’s not to love?
The Lawn
Broadbeach
Had enough of that one friend who keeps saying you guys don’t get out much any more? Score a spot at The Lawn and do a little more than nothing. But with booze and bites and maybe even a band. Set within The Star Gold Coast and situated just beyond the Garden Kitchen and Bar, the Container Kitchen has got all your eats sorted, so sit back and bask in the glory that is one of the finest Gold Coast beer gardens to date. Plus, they’ve got a fantastic range of revolving food specials and you’re almost guaranteed a live band will be playing.
SPEC
Miami
If you’ve ever wanted to get whisked away to a tropical paradise without, you know, dropping a few hundred dollarydoos on flights, this is the beer garden for you. Venture beyond its industrial chic exteriors, and into SPEC’s sun-drenched outdoor area. Lined with palms, picnic tables and a couple of barrels to chat with new friends over, be sure to make a booking for taco and tequila Wednesdays. Or opt for Fellr Fridays where a watermelon seltzer while basking in sunshine go hand in hand. SPEC is, hands down, one of the Gold Coast’s best beer gardens.
Burleigh Town Hotel
Burleigh Heads
Sinking a few tinnies under the sun is a favourite pastime for many Gold Coastians. So too is squeezing fresh lemon wedges over a shared bucket of prawns. So you’ll be pleased you can do both at Burleigh Town Hotel. That is, if you can go past tater tot-topped wedges, Boston Bay mussels and the loaded pizza menu. This Gold Coast beer garden has been around for yonks, but its latest chapter brings tropical oasis meets good old-fashioned Australiana vibes into 3D and we’re obsessed. With its picnic, outdoor and undercover seating, this is hands down, the most sprawling beer garden on the Gold Coast.
Local
Burleigh Heads
Beer gardens don’t have to be all chucking on a flannel and borrowing your mate’s thongs. No, they can be chic too, and Local Burleigh is here to prove it. Framed by olive green booths and timber planter boxes, beneath the shade of an impressive poinciana tree, we’re naming this new Burleigh hotspot the best beer garden on the Gold Coast for boozy lunching and lounging. Dishing up all-day breakfast, lunch and dinner and donning a well stocked tinnie bar, want to know the best part? It's dog friendly. Cheers to that.
Robina Pavillion
Robina
In the mood for a lakeside tipple beneath the sunshine glow of daisy-yellow umbrellas? Thought so. Set within a terraced field lined with rows of spacious sun lounges, picnic tables and deck seating, Robina Pavilion is a multi-award winning beer garden for good reason. Its three individual spaces, The Lakeside, The Parkside and Sunny’s Bar and The Deck each offer unique atmospheres for every mood. With a generous menu ranging from natural oysters and sticky pork belly, to parmies and vegan burgers, this Gold Coast beer garden is the perfect place to kick back with friends, parents, grandpa and even the kiddos.
The Henchman
Miami
The perfect chaser to beach days, waterfront walks or even nearby axe throwing, The Henchman is our favourite unassuming beer garden that packs a punch. Pull up a stool or scooch into a picnic table in the spacious outdoor dining and boozing beer garden for guaranteed good times. Pouring tap beers for you and dishing up poochie treats for your doggo, good luck choosing between Byron Bay coffee and an impressive array of all-day cocktails. This is one of the best beer gardens for when you’ve got a large group to cater for.
Burleigh Brewing
Burleigh Heads
If you’re not about that midweek beer garden life, head down to Burleigh Brewing for a tank-to-tap-to-pint glass experience, where the doors swing open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday every week. The accessible outdoor beer garden area is snuggled beside the neon-lit Burleigh Eats kitchen and shaded by towering eucalyptus trees. While you’re around, learn more about your ice-cold drop with a backstage brewery tour.
Aviary Rooftop
Southport
A glittering horizon from the penthouse floor is quite possibly one of life’s purest treasures. And the front row seat to yet another dazzling Gold Coast sunset has your name on it at Aviary Rooftop’s rooftop beer garden. Take the elevator up top, turn left and get all wrapped up in those balmy dusk breezes on late summer arvos. The kitchen is slinging out handmade pizzas from Wednesday to Saturday from 4pm, and Sundays from 2pm. Boasting rotating DJs and food and drink specials throughout the week, be sure to check out the best Gold Coast beer garden on the northern side.
Tropic Vice
Nobby Beach
Where do you go when you want to be whisked away to Palm Springs meets luxe California? Tropic Vice of course. With a bird's eye view over the iconic Nobby Beach strip and a Florribean menu that mixes Caribbean and South American flavours, get in early to snag a seat. Tropic Vice is where rooftop lawn meets flamingo chic, so be sure to waltz in for golden hour specials every Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Yes, it’s as glorious as it sounds.
Editor's Note: Tropic Vice is currently undergoing renovations and is set to open mid January 2023
After all that beer drinking maybe you should finish strong with a cocktail. Sip cocktails in the sunshine at the Gold Coast's best rooftop bars.
Image Credit: Burleigh Town Hotel, Kaitlin Maree Photography & Clayten Fowler Photography