Kurrawa Surf Club — Restaurant in Gold Coast City

Kurrawa Surf Club has an amazing location, and the building itself looks super modern and expensive. Right at the entrance, there were vending machines, including one just for ice cream, which was pretty cool. As soon as we walked in, the receptionist told us straight away to head upstairs for a table.

Heading upstairs was crazy, it was packed, probably close to 500 people, with nearly every seat filled. There were heaps of slot machines too. We waited in the designated area before being shown to our table. The waiter seemed a bit rushed.

The tables and chairs were really cheap and low-quality, and the table number looked old and run-down. No tap water was provided at the table. The menu was a laminated A3 sheet, double-sided, with a not-so-great layout. There were plenty of options, which I actually think is a downside. The sections included Starters, Little Nippers, Pizza, Dessert Pizza, Salads, Seafood, Burgers, and a couple more.

You have to go up to the counter to order, which I didn’t mind because there weren’t waiters constantly walking around. But I still prefer the good old-fashioned way.

My family and I went to the bar and got a jug of lemon squash. The quality and temperature were fine, but it cost AU$18, which felt expensive, but that’s just the norm these days.

My dad paid for a surf club membership, which is usually AU$10, but he got it for AU$4. He said it comes with good benefits, even though we’ll probably never go back because it’s too far from us. It lasts for about 8 months.

Also, you have to grab your own cutlery and napkins.

When my mum asked what I was getting, I instantly said chicken parma without even looking at the menu, same as I always do at pubs.

The food took a while to arrive, but when it finally did, two waiters brought all our meals in one trip, and they were both friendly and positive, which was nice.

I was so happy when my chicken parmy arrived. It came with salad and chips on the plate as well. Now, what did I think of the meal?

The chicken itself was a great size, good width and length, and was perfectly seasoned and super crunchy. The toppings, ham and cheese, were great because the cheese was melted perfectly, and the ham wasn’t overcooked. The toppings didn’t slide off, which is rare.

The chips were just the right amount, hot, crispy, and a bit oily. The salad was close to top-notch, but I didn’t like the big tomato slices, so I gladly gave them to my mum. There was little to no seasoning on the salad, which I wasn’t a huge fan of.

Overall, the meal was one of the best I’ve had and definitely up to standard.

The bill was AU$120, which for 5 people its really good value for money. The best part about paying before you eat is that once you’re done, you can just leave straight away.

In summary if you feel like pub food I would definitely recommend...

I visited Kurrawa Surf Club on the first day of our stay on the Gold Coast with my 7-month-old baby. While the location is beautiful and the coffee was lovely, unfortunately the overall experience left a lot to be desired—particularly from a service and accessibility perspective.

When I arrived with my pram, I politely asked a staff member if this was where I ordered. She said yes and then walked off without further guidance. I stood there confused until another staff member eventually came over to take my order. That initial moment set the tone for the rest of the visit—I felt invisible more than once.

Throughout my time there, I asked four different people where I could find a highchair (I was more than happy to get it myself), but no one offered help or even a clear answer. One person eventually said they would bring one over, but it never arrived. I ended up walking around to find one myself, only to discover it was covered in food. I asked politely if someone could clean it, and it was returned to me completely soaking wet—still covered in soapy water, with no napkins or way to dry it, and no cutlery provided with my meal.

I felt like a bit of an inconvenience the whole time, despite being polite and patient. My food had arrived by then, and between juggling a baby, a pram, and a soggy highchair, it was all just unnecessarily difficult. The coffee and view of the beach was great, but unfortunately my breakfast bagel was as hard as a rock and so I just ate the fillings. I didn’t want to ask for a new one as I don’t like to waste food and we had to be somewhere shortly after.

This isn’t a complaint rooted in entitlement—it’s about awareness. Hospitality is often about reading the room and noticing small details. If someone arrived in a wheelchair, you wouldn’t offer them a table upstairs—because you’re aware of their needs. The same goes for parents with babies and prams.

I’ve had overwhelmingly positive experiences at cafés across Brisbane where staff are quick to offer help, highchairs are clean and accessible, and you don’t feel like you’re asking too much by simply showing up with a baby.

Kurrawa is in such a great location and has the potential to be really welcoming for families and visitors—but there’s a noticeable gap in service and attentiveness that’s...

There were five of us in our party for lunch, great food, good price and excellent service. My major concern was the next night Sunday. We booked a table after our breakfast out on the Balcony for 7 ppl for dinner that night. Were told yes that was all booked for 5.30pm. When we arrived we were told by the Maitre De that they had no booking on the Balcony for us. But hey we had the reserve card with our name, time and 7 people out on the Balcony. It even stated Balcony on the card. I asked to see the Duty manager (1st name only, Avon) he stated they weren't taking bookings for the balcony which was not truthfull at at as we had our reservation card in our hot little hand and to make things worse their were other tables out there will the same cards as ours. Lies, lies lies. The thing I couldn't believe was the Duty Manager stating that he didn't care about losing our money, estimated around $420 - $450. After much discussion which we were never going to win we all left very disgruntled indeed and felt that he really shouldn't be in the hospitality industry. I wouldn't employ him. I was so not impressed I gave back my membership card. I know it was a busy weekend but the out and lies I couldn't stomach. Hopefully this gentleman is spoken...