Hidden Gem Coffee — Restaurant in Gold Coast City

Guys, I say this with the upmost respect and sincerity. I mean no malice. This is just some friendly advice from a local.

Gems has always been expensive, but locals were happy to pay extra for quality. It was a small piece of give and take. Pay more, get quality. It's simple and it worked for everyone.

When I pay $18+ for a takeaway toastie, I expect $18 worth.

This morning I purchased a takeaway toastie. Not only did I have to wait 30mins for it, but to get home and see it was basically two thin slices of plain white bread opposed the sourdough it's advertised with and the filling was limited with no extra dipping sauce....

I get business is business and you need to make money. But your cafe is sitting bang smack in the middle of residential homes. That's where 80% of your business will come from. If you start skimping on the little things, they'll add up and the 80% of your repeat business will drop to 30% or less.

Look after the locals and we'll look after you. Just like we did...

Unfortunately for my figure, this place is exactly what its name advertises! Some of the best coffee I've tasted, and I'm fussy. Then there's the food: Amazing cook who makes it all on site. And the owner, Gemma (yep, that's where the cafe name comes from), makes all the naughty sweet stuff. Stand outs for me are the Reuben and the cCaramel Slice - you won't find better anywhere, I've tried! Apparently Gemma grew up working alongside her pastry chef father, and boy does it show! Staff are really friendly and obviously love their work. Of special mention is Blake, who stands at the helm at front-of-house. Super friendly, passionate and a real livewire. This guy is contagious and runs a crew that clearly love working together. I travel across several suburbs for the experience. Try it, but don't tip off too...

Big meals. Friendly staff. Came out super quick. I had the sweet potato fritters and they were SOO GOOD! They weren’t generic fritters, they seemed to be homemade and were so beautifully crunchy on the outside and soft and flavorsome on the inside. Plus sooo much different flavours around the plate, beetroot hommus, dukkah etc.

My bf had eggs Benny with mushrooms and was really big. He probably would’ve preferred one piece of toast, less mushrooms for a cheaper price. But loved how generous the hollandaise was.

Would love to see more vegan options here, and more vegetarian options in the cabinet (like a Mediterranean vegetable toastie or an avocado/tomato croissant) then I could bring my mum and eat more stuff too. Overall love the vibes of the place and so lucky...