Catch Restaurant

At Catch Restaurant in Surfers Paradise, the ocean sets the tempo. This is modern, seafood-led cooking with a sunny Australian accent and a nod to Mediterranean brightness: citrus, herbs and olive-rich notes carried through the menu.

The opening gambit favours the briny and the charred: oysters shucked natural or with a Kilpatrick flourish; grilled tiger prawns brushed through saffron-lime aioli and lifted by mango-chili salsa; soft shell crab dusted with salt and pepper beside a crisp salad of cucumber, fennel and coriander. Even the simplest pleasures—sourdough with French salted butter or warm garlic bread—arrive with purpose.

Mains keep things clean and confident. Think Humpty Doo barramundi under a cherry tomato compote with capers, kalamata olives, peppered garlic butter and basil, or Tasmanian salmon on crushed sweet potato with pickled onion, dill mayo and lemon. A jet-black whisper of squid ink vinaigrette threads through spaghetti tangled with prawns, squid, sautéed chorizo, spinach and pepper drops, while house made potato gnocchi with summer vegetables, Reggiano Parmigiano and a verjuice dressing offers a gentle pause. For those craving the grill, there are generous cuts of scotch fillet and striploin.

To finish, a glossy hazelnut and dark chocolate mousse dome gives way to raspberry and petals, while mini strawberry cheesecake tacos bring a playful hit of watermelon syrup and micro mint. A considered list of white and red wines complements the journey. Set a course for Catch, linger over the tide of courses, and let good times wash ashore.