“Meet you in the Garden” said the invitation. So we did. We went to a garden party at Garden Kitchen & Bar – the latest addition to the Gold Coast’s Jupiters Hotel and Casino.
Opening late last month with the appropriate dose of swank, Garden Kitchen & Bar is part of the landmark $345 million refurbishment. This latest addition is the hottest spot ‘to see and to be seen on the GC’: chichi but posh and relaxed but still sharp.
How Does It Look?:
In what seems like a first for a casino anywhere in the world, the space is bathed in natural light. You can actually access the great outdoors via one of the nattiest fit-outs on the Coast.
This is the place that Harpers Bazaar and Vogue fashion editors will be fighting over for their next cover shoot.
As a multi-purpose venue, the space has to be all things to all people. Somehow, this is achieved through clever design. The open kitchen features the now requisite Chef’s rotisserie and not surprisingly will offer the best seasonal produce from the bountiful regions surrounding the Coast.
The 13-metre indoor bar makes a statement with blue (or is that aqua?) bar stools with dark timber accents that echo the ceiling. But it’s the outdoor bar with its VJ exterior that says ‘This is Queensland”. An ideal spot for lounging languidly on summer afternoon or evenings either outside on the deck or in the indoor/outdoor pavilions. https://www.jupitersgoldcoast.com.au/garden-kitchen-bar
Whats To Eat at Garden Kitchen & Bar?:
If somehow, you still thought you were at a casino, the menu here is altogether different from standard fare. This is light, dare I say ‘clean’ food with a whole lot of flavour. The kitchen includes much of the on-site garden’s produce and the launch party fare showed it off in style.
From house smoked salmon salad on a bed of baby peas to Pacific oysters, the food was wholesome and perfect for the sea of trim GC bodies in attendance. The Mooloolaba Crab Cakes were light, delicious and according to our waitress were ‘all crab’. So we had another just to make sure.
The Garden Kitchen & Bar’s Heavenly Cocktail might be the latest contender to displace the Long Island Iced Tea as a favourite.
Fruity from Lychee flavoured liquor and cranberry juice, it gets its kick from Malibu, Cointreau and Vodka. Pork Belly is always a highlight and this version incorporated an apple glaze and a fresh, crisp celeriac and apple slaw and crunch from the crackling.
The Sleeping Arrangements:
But food and travel journalists also need a comfortable spot to rest their heads after all that red carpet walking, schmoozing, drinking cocktails and sampling fine cuisine. The new Deluxe Executive rooms are the first of the accommodations finished in the extensive renovation. Having stayed on the Executive floor in 2015, these new rooms are a total and much welcomed transformation.
Sophisticated and comfortable, the finishes are ultra-luxe taking the rooms to a 5+ star rating. The carpet looks Catherine Martin with a whimsical colour statement of lavender, emerald and teal. Creamy leather bedheads and textured wallpaper are extravagant while simple technology makes everything run smoothly from curtains to television.
Best feature? The subtle bedside table under-lighting that magically turns on when nature calls in the middle of the night. It continues in the bathroom with an under-lit vanity for extra reassurance.
The Turkish marble and hammam-style bathrooms with spacious showers are indulgent with both rain and pulsing showerheads for those who need more of a wake-up first thing. And the latest range of refined L’OCCITANE amenities is simply blissful.
2016 will see more additions with a further 500 rooms due for refurbishment. Then in time for the 2018 Commonwealth Games the landmark six-star all-suite tower with even more restaurants and bars will make surely make Jupiters the most talked luxury property in Australia.
https://www.jupitersgoldcoast.com.au/
Disclaimer: TML were guests of Jupiters Hotel and Casino.
