Flavours of the Gold Coast: Inside the culinary vision of Andaz
Andaz Gold Coast is bringing a new collection of dining and drinking experiences to Broadbeach when it opens later this year
From morning coffee to long Mediterranean lunches, poolside afternoons and golden-hour cocktails, Andaz Gold Coast is bringing a new collection of dining and drinking experiences to Broadbeach when Australia’s first Andaz hotel opens later this year.
Behind the four distinct venues are Executive Chef Matthew Bentley and Nove Chef de Cuisine Rafael Dias, two chefs whose vastly different culinary journeys share a common thread: a love of exceptional produce, cooking over fire and the simple pleasure of bringing people together around a table.
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Overseeing the four venues is British-Australian Executive Chef Matthew Bentley, whose career has taken him through some of Europe’s most acclaimed kitchens. His experience spans Michelin-starred restaurants including The Old Vicarage in the UK, Vermeer and De Moerbei in the Netherlands, London’s renowned ROKA Restaurants and two years focused on Nordic cuisine in Norway.
More recently, a culinary immersion through Spain’s Basque Country and other regions deepened his appreciation for regional produce, traditional techniques and the rituals of communal dining.
Since relocating to Australia in 2018, Mr Bentley has held senior culinary roles in luxury hotels, bringing a breadth of experience that spans fine dining, contemporary hotel restaurants and relaxed, produce-led cooking. At Andaz Gold Coast, Mr Bentley is drawing on those influences to create four distinct experiences, with a strong focus on Australian ingredients and the flavours and generosity of Mediterranean hospitality.
“We’ve created four very different experiences as we want people to come for a coffee, stay for lunch, meet friends for a drink or make a night of it, and always find another reason to come back. The commonality is that almost 70 percent of our produce will be Australian, with a real focus on Queensland and the Northern Rivers,” said Mr Bentley.
That commitment brings together producers from across the region and beyond, including Miami Fish Market, Australian Bay Lobster, Bread Social Bakery, Casa Motta Italian Cheeses, Westholme Wagyu, Nimbin Valley Cheese.
At Nove, Bentley is joined by Brazilian-born Chef de Cuisine Rafael Dias, whose approach to cooking was shaped long before he entered a professional kitchen. Growing up in a family with Italian, Spanish and Portuguese heritage, Mr Dias learned to cook with what the land provided, often over an open fire, with meals shared around the family table.
Those early influences continue to shape his kitchen today, from his instinctive use of fire and seasonal ingredients to the generosity and simplicity of Mediterranean-inspired food.
It’s a philosophy he’s carried through more than a decade in Gold Coast kitchens, including at The Star Gold Coast, the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre and The Valley Estate in Currumbin Valley. Now, he’s bringing those Brazilian roots and his understanding of the local dining scene to Nove’s kitchen.
“Food has always been about bringing people together for me,” said Mr Dias. “I grew up in a family of bakers, restaurateurs and farmers, where we cooked with what was around us and enjoyed it all together. That connection to food, family and tradition is something I bring to my cooking, and it’s very much at the heart of what we’re creating at Nove.”
Nove brings the Mediterranean to Broadbeach
At the hotel’s signature restaurant, Nove, Mr Bentley and Mr Dias are drawing inspiration from the sun-drenched shores of Catalonia, the Basque Country, Côte d’Azur and Italy, bringing the conviviality of Mediterranean dining to Broadbeach.
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Signature dishes include Sommerlad heritage chicken, slow-roasted in a clay pot in the stone-hearth oven until tender, then finished over intense heat for beautifully caramelised skin, served with a mushroom and brandy sauce. For dessert, Nove’s take on the classic Italian tiramisu is finished tableside for a touch of theatre.
The same sense of discovery extends to the wine list, with approximately 160 bottles featuring Queensland wineries such as Ballandean Estate, Symphony Hill and Golden Grove alongside leading wines from Italy, Spain and France.
Vista starts with coffee
Morning begins at Vista Lounge, conceived as the social heart of the hotel and an easy drop-in for locals as much as overnight guests. Australian café culture shapes the early offering, with expertly made St Ali coffee, Teadrop matcha and signature cold-foam drinks alongside breakfast and the bakery counter.
Poolside with Levantine inspired food
At the Andaz Pool Club, the flavours move east towards the Levant, where generous sharing plates shape a menu designed for long, unhurried afternoons. An Asado Parrilla grill draws on the traditions of the gauchos of Argentina and southern Brazil, slowly cooking meats over natural wood charcoal.
Beyond the menu, the Andaz Pool Club is designed as a destination in its own right, bringing together private cabanas, cocktails and open-air dining in a setting that moves effortlessly from sun-soaked days towards evening.
Verde, where great stories start
Verde Bar is where the evening finds its rhythm. Inspired by the Gold Coast hinterland, deep green interiors open onto sunset views over the mountains, while a menu of signature cocktails brings local flavours into every glass. Settle in for elevated snacks and drinks, then stay late as vinyl DJs take over every Friday and Saturday night.
Across the hotel, the drinks offering will celebrate Queensland producers alongside international favourites, with local partners including White Oat Distillery, Mount Tamborine Distillery, Burleigh Brewing Co. and BrewDog.
Four venues, from morning to night
Together, the food and beverage team has created a collection of venues offering a different reason to visit throughout the day.
Andaz Gold Coast is set to open this November at 16 Casino Drive, Broadbeach, marking the Australian debut of Hyatt’s Andaz brand.
