Akoya — Restaurant in Gold Coast City

For the price they charge ($148 pp + 1.5% card fee), I had high expectations of the Akoya buffet lunch. I was disappointed not only with the underwhelming food quality and selection, but also the poor level of service provided by the Akoya staff. Having experienced the buffets at the JW Marriot ($109 pp), Sheriton ($99 pp), Palazzo Versace ($119 pp), Sofitel ($119 pp), I thought the Akoya buffet offers poor value for money.

For seafood - the lobsters, crabs, and Moreton Bay Bug taste ok, overall just bland and not something you'd want to keep going back for. The prawns were tasteless and look like they were the cheapest ones you get from supermarket. Even the tiger prawns we bought from Coles taste sweeter and fresher than those we had at Akoya. The type of oysters served were extremely salty and too rich. For $148 pp, I expected there to be a few different types of prawns, oysters, and crabs like the seafood buffet you get at Las Vegas. Akoya only offered one type each (also there were no mussels) and they were NOT amazing.

For hot food - First of all, there was no soup! How could there be no soup at a $148 buffet!? The closest thing you get is the oriental "make your own" noodle soup but the soup base is a bland chicken broth. If you are after a nice creamy pumpkin soup, or a hearty minestrone, you will be disappointed. There were just not enough selection of hot food, and not many of them actually look appetising. The brocollini looked like they had been roasted for wayyyyy too long that they look more brown than green and tasted soggy just like airplane food. The roasted pumpkin was lacking flavour and need a lot more mixed herbs thrown in. The Massaman curry was okay. The pizza and pasta look like those that have been sitting at a food court for hours so I just couldn't bring myself to try them.

The Asian chef looked like he was desperate to offload the dumplings that have been sitting in the steamer for a while. When my husband just asked for one from each steamer, he proceeded (without asking him if it's okay) to give him everything that's left in each steamer (which was 2-3 each). I don't understand why they couldn't put food tags next to the steamers and let us serve ourselves.

There were also not much fresh raw ingredients to "make your own" salads, unlike all the other buffets I've been to. They had the pre-made salads with cheese and dressing, there were some mixed green leaves there but there were no capsicum, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, corn, carrots, eggplants, beans.

There was no tea or any non-alcoholic drinks offered at the buffet for guests to enjoy with their meal. The only complimentary beverage offered was Nespresso coffee pods. Seriously!? For $148 pp, I expected at least a barista made coffee to be offered for each guest on top of a selection of non-alcoholic drinks at the buffet. At the other seafood buffets on the Gold Coast, you'd get at least tea and water/non-alcoholic.

We were so thirsty throughout our lunch. No staff ever bothered to ask if we would like to order anything to drink. No one even take any initiative to try and introduce the beverage selection. We had to keep asking for waiting staff to come and top up our water. For the price they charge, I expected there to be at least a bottle of table water offered for each table or keep topping up your water without us having to ask every 15 minutes. The restaurant wasn't busy at all so I really don't understand why they couldn't have been more attentive. They could at least offer some drinking water at the buffet so we could help ourselves to some (if they don't want to give out table water).

If you have been to the other seafood buffets on the Gold Coast, I wouldn't recommend visiting Akoya because you will be...

Dec 2024 - DON’T BELIEVE ANY OF THE PHOTOS HERE or the menu photo – it’s obviously changed drastically. I was expecting something splendid from fairly recent photos here and got a very basic buffet that you might see in a 3 star hotel or on a boat cruise. Certainly, for the top end price, it was pretty pathetic. I was told there is a new head chef. On that basis, I wouldn’t believe any of the a la carte photos either. What wasn’t on the buffet:- NO LOBSTER NO CRABS – either blue swimmers or spanner crabs, no muddies NO SCALLOPS on ice. The cold seafood consisted of giant prawns (I find smaller to be tastier), large oysters (I prefer the smaller, tastier ones), green lip mussels and Moreton Bay bugs. There was salmon and tuna sashimi, no kingfish. There were no oyster forks in sight. The sushi had clearly been refrigerated as the rice was hard. The smoked salmon had no capers apart from a few sprinkled on top for decoration, and no creamed cheese. These are standard accompaniments for smoked salmon. There were oysters Kilpatrick (no other hot varieties). I took 2 first pass and had to spit one out as it was rotten. 2nd buffet pass I took 2 more and had to spit one out. 2/4 so I gave up on them. There were only 4 salads – potato, eggplant with rocket, mixed leaf with mushrooms, Caesar. They were already dressed. There were 2 bottles of unlabeled dressing. The steamed scallops were tasteless, like flour dumpling globs, overwhelmed by the ginger & shallot topping. There was no roast chicken at the carvery. A blowfly was hovering nearby and landed on the roast lamb several times while I was watching. The crackle on the roast pork was very good, nice and crispy crunchy. All the carvery items were sliced, I think the quality of roasts is better when it is carved as needed. The cioppino / bouillabaisse tasted like it had been made with the cheapest, no-name tinned tomatoes and nothing else, ruining the flavour of the seafood in the dish. I sampled a little and didn’t waste calories on this rubbish. The other hot dishes did not look appetising. The dessert bar had very limited offerings compared to the photos and no plates or dessert spoons at hand. NO crème brulee or cream caramel. NO ICE CREAM, NO CREAM, NO CRÈME ANGLAISE, nothing to moisten dry desserts. The chocolate fudge was not very chocolatey and very dry, so after a taste, I left it. The pistachio custard filled thing was also pretty tasteless except for the soggy pistachio on top (the custard filling could have done with the addition of a little liqueur such as Cassidy’s or Bailey’s, even some real vanilla). The mini cheese cake thing had non-baked cheese cake sitting on top of a very hard cookie. I gave up on the cookie. I was so disappointed with these 3 that I didn’t bother sampling anything else. I didn’t see any fruit around, maybe it was tucked away somewhere. The “kids” dessert section consisted of commercially produced cookies, donuts, macaroons. NO ICE CREAM. The buffet wasn’t that well-arranged either. The waitresses kept taking away my cutlery without replacing it and there was none around so I had to take some from another table. The pot of tea was overfilled so that it spilled all over the place, floor when delivered and table when poured. I had read on forums that this was the best seafood buffet on the Gold Coast. What a disappointment! Maybe it once was, but definitely not anymore. It has dive bombed. There is no comparison to the quality, lower-priced seafood buffets of the Sheraton (Terraces), Imperial (Ill Barocco) or...

We recently celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary at the Gold Coast. For our first night, we dined at Akoya, the hotel’s signature restaurant, which is beautifully positioned at the front of the complex. We were fortunate to be seated right at the front, where we had a breathtaking view of the eclipse moon rising—a spectacular sight! However, what truly made the evening special wasn’t just the stunning view but the incredible hospitality we received from the moment we stepped inside.

We were warmly welcomed at the door by Claudio, who not only knew it was our anniversary but also went above and beyond to make the night exceptional. His genuine care and attention to detail set the tone for the entire experience. Once seated, Mika & Rosie and took excellent care of us, providing outstanding service with warmth and enthusiasm. They took the time to walk us through the menu, offering expert recommendations that matched our tastes perfectly. Thanks to their guidance, we enjoyed a selection of beautifully presented, flavorful dishes that exceeded our expectations. The portion sizes were generous, and the flavors were simply outstanding.

It’s also worth mentioning Akoya’s impressive drinks menu—the only challenge is deciding what to choose! The variety and quality make it an experience in itself.

We were enjoying ourselves so much that, halfway through our meal, we looked at each other and made a spontaneous decision: we had to come back the next night for the Seafood Buffet. Claudio personally gave us a tour of the buffet, explaining what was on offer and how everything worked. The selection was nothing short of extraordinary, catering to every taste. One of the highlights of the evening was when my husband met Mark, who crafted an authentic Tom Yum soup for him—something he’s still talking about! 😊

Beyond the incredible food, what truly set Akoya apart was the people. The warmth and professionalism of Claudio, Mika, Rosie, and Maria made us feel genuinely welcomed and valued. Their passion for hospitality and ensuring every guest has a memorable experience is something that deserves special recognition.

If you’re staying at The Langham, Akoya is an absolute must-visit—and while you’re there, don’t miss the breakfast buffet. It’s a feast beyond imagination, offering everything you could possibly want and more.

Our time at Akoya was a standout moment in our anniversary celebration, and we can’t recommend it highly enough. Exceptional food, an extensive drinks menu, and service that makes you feel truly special—this is what...