Miami Beach, Mermaid Beach, and Nobby Beach are adding lifestyle cred to previously overlooked patches of the Gold Coast. Read on to discover where to find the best dining, shopping and holiday fun in the Gold Coast’s coolest suburbs.

Miami, Gold Coast

One of the best spots to soak up this suburb’s hip new vibe is Miami Marketta, a live music venue, creative hub and outdoor dining venue. Delicious sweet pies from The Whoopie Lady, shared tables, funky bars and talented local artists make Miami Marketta the place to be. The street food market comes alive on Friday and Saturday nights but you can also drop in during the week for handmade leather bags, accessories and homewares.

If you’re after something for breakfast or lunch, head to Paddock Bakery, an 80 year old cottage that has been converted into a bakery-cum-cafe. Try a classic bacon and egg roll or indulge your sweet tooth with a choux bomb sundae with hot Nutella fudge. On Sunday mornings you can stock up on nature’s bounty at the Gold Coast Organic Farmers Market which sells nothing but the freshest, guaranteed Certified Organically grown seasonal fruit and veggies. Miami has become one of the coolest Gold Coast suburbs, although others are catching up.

Nobby Beach, Gold Coast

You will find everyone from hipsters to health nuts and families at Nobby Beach, a trendy cafe and dining precinct with a laid-back vibe. Start your day at BSKT Cafe, one of the Gold Coast’s most picturesque beachside cafes, which strives to make the world a healthier place with nutritious and delicious food. Don’t miss the Taylor Swift smoothie made with Himalayan salted caramel protein, coconut ice-cream and caramelised coconut syrup. You can always work it off on the walking track that leads to the picturesque North Burleigh Hill lookout.

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Quench your thirst at Bine Bar & Dining where you can top off your weekend with 50c wings and craft beers between 4-6pm. For something more stylish, there is The Cambus Wallace, a cocktail bar and live music venue. Named after the ill-fated Cambuswallace, a wooden sailing ship which sank in sight of port in the late 1800s, this moody cocktail bar provides a safe haven for rum and whisky lovers on stormy nights (or any other night for that matter).

Mermaid Beach, Gold Coast

Experience the fun of The Social Markets held from 4pm to 9pm on the first and third Saturday of the month at the Mermaid Beach Bowls Club. Putt Putt Mermaid Beach offers an entertainment option which is so kitsch it’s cool. By day the three novelty courses are a big hit with families but at night hip twenty-somethings play until 10pm. Alfred’s Apartment, an eclectic 60s-inspired store featuring a boutique, diner and an old-style barber shop, offers a delicious taste of the past. Around the corner another retro-inspired cafe.

One of the newest spots at Mermaid Beach is Etsu, an ‘izakaya’ that serves drinks and food (think of it as a Japanese pub). Funky pop culture references abound, the music is pumping and the shared plates of gyoza, sashimi and tempura will have you coming back for more. If you are craving some serenity after all that fun, you can find your chi at the Australian School of Meditation and Yoga which runs numerous classes throughout the week. Whether you’re after shopping, dining or family fun, these Gold Coast suburbs are worth your time.

Disclosure: The writer has been a regular Gold Coast visitor long before these suburbs became hip. Her favourite is Nobby Beach because it used to have a chairlift. 

Looking for some Gold Coast accommodation? Read our reviews of the Hilton Surfers Paradise, Oaks Calypso Plaza, The Darling, Surfers Paradise Marriott, Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat, The Star Grand, voco Gold Coast, Wyndham Hotel Surfers Paradise, AVANI Broadbeach Gold Coast Residences, Rydges Gold Coast Airport, Oaks Gold Coast Hotel, JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa, and the retro La Costa Motel. If you’re visiting the Gold Coast, don’t miss our Ultimate Guide to the Gold Coast.