Social Eating House + Bar — Restaurant in Gold Coast City

A quick Google led four Victorians to the doors of Social Eating House…how fortuitous this was. The slight wait for our 8pm table was worth it! This meal, I can safely say, was one of the best, if not the best meal of our lives. As the more adventurous eater of our party I was left to order. Selecting sourdough, olives (the only slight let down of the evening being a tad salty) and lamb empanadas to start, the bread was delightfully soft, the whipped butter lightly accented with aniseed left us quite literally drooling. The real star of the small bites was the lamb empanada, light and crispy exterior encased a soft and very moorish savoury delight. We were lucky enough to be sent the puffed rice cracker with fish tartare as an amuse bouche (something none of us would have tried otherwise) and for the first time in my life I enjoyed raw fish. Following this tasty starter the umami packed sugarloaf cabbage had one most vegetarian guest in a state of delight, whilst the fresh bursts of grapes and nuts coupled with the creamy burrata was an excellent choice to counter the stronger flavours of the cabbage. For mains we selected the lamb (of course), which did not disappoint, soft, melt in your mouth morsels made more enjoyable by the wait staff tearing into it for you table side. The wagyu beef offered a welcomed Smokey flavour to our palettes, while the chicken with jus was tender and generous. The sides of roast potatoes and greens were equally portioned and an excellent accompaniment to the meat dishes, but the star of the show here were the maple syrup Brussels sprouts that were pushed to the limit, charred to perfection that would surely turn any childhood hatred into a distant memory. Whilst we were understandably full, we managed to share the lemon chiboust which gave both lemon meringue and baked Alaska vibes and was the perfect way to finish a truly delightful Monday evening on the wet Gold Coast. If you’re visiting from interstate make sure you reserve a spot, this was an amazing meal...

Upon arrival, we were pleasantly surprised to be seated earlier than our reservation. The greeting was warm, and the venue itself had a lovely rustic charm with exposed blockwork and ambient mood lighting that struck a perfect balance—not too dim. Water and menus were promptly provided, setting a positive first impression.

We started with cocktails: the Smoke and Mirrors bourbon creation was outstanding—both in presentation and flavour—while the F.I.G J.A.M cocktail was pleasant but didn’t quite deliver the same wow factor. A bottle of Shiraz was also ordered and served promptly before our mains.

For bar snacks, we chose the lamb empanadas, which completely stole the show. Beautifully presented, with perfect texture and rich flavour—honestly, we could have happily ordered more.

Moving on to the small plates, the twice-cooked Korean glazed wagyu was bold and different, with the chilli mayo adding a satisfying punch. However, for a small plate, the portion was quite generous—almost too much. The beef carpaccio followed, a fun and refined dish with onion and croutons adding great texture and depth to the delicate beef.

After such a strong start, we were excited for the large plates and sides: the chargrilled miso pork cutlet, crispy potatoes, and stracciatella with chargrilled zucchini. Unfortunately, this course fell short of expectations for a chef-hatted restaurant. While the jus accompanying the pork was excellent, the pork itself lacked that premium quality and finesse, feeling more like something from a mid-tier venue. The crispy potatoes, while well-seasoned, were missing the crunch we anticipated.

Service also dipped noticeably towards the end of our meal. Despite it being our anniversary dinner, no one offered dessert or additional drinks, and we felt somewhat rushed to leave. It was a disappointing way to end what began as a promising experience, and we left feeling that, as customers, we weren’t...

Went to Social for our Anniversary dinner on 12 August. I booked a few weeks prior. It was a rainy/cold evening. We were excited to see the renovations and refurb, and had really enjoyed the food on our previous visit to Social (6 months or so ago). Our excitement to see the renovations was dampened when we were taken to our outside seats. Lucky I had a lightweight jacket, my partner didn’t. I politely asked the wait staff how the tables were allocated and if there was something I’d missed during the booking process about requesting to sit inside. I was told that despite booking a few weeks prior it was done on a “priorities basis”. Super disappointed not to have been inside enjoying the new fit-out, and instead on a high table getting spits of rain and cold wind. A tip - let customers know on booking that they will be seated outside. At least they can be prepared for the weather and come with warm clothing etc.

The food unfortunately was well below the standard from our earlier visit. Scallops were overcooked, the XO oyster missed the mark, and the twice cooked pork hock in particular was a disappointment in that it was battered and deep fried. It was fall apart tender and didn’t need the batter. We ate and left about 45 mins later, one glass of wine, no desserts, super disappointed after lots of expectation and excitement about our anniversary dinner.

Note - I was emailed after our visit asking for feedback. The above review is what I sent directly to Social two weeks ago. Had wanted to give the restaurant a chance to reply before posting, but haven’t had a response,...