Seeing as how the Gold Coast is the self-proclaimed fun
capital of Australia, needless to say there will be countless attractions for the
excited traveller to experience and places to dine. One such place that we
thought would be worth a treat is “Glass” Restaurant; located in the Marina
Mirage, facing the marina, giving you an unparalleled view of the yachts and the
Gold Coast City sky line. With glass walls providing you with mostly
unobstructed views, we felt that the restaurant was aptly named.
Marina Mirage is an expensive shopping centre on the Gold
Coast, situated beside the Palazzo Versace and across from the Sheraton Mirage,
both of which are 2 of the most attractive hotels on the coast with their
contrasting styles at odds with each other, with the marina offering the best
of both worlds. The Versace showcasing it’s very stunning old world charm and
the Sheraton offering sleek elegant lines, clean angles and a more modern and
new world kind of sophistication.
Well on to the heart of the matter or should we say stomach;
*cringe* I know puns right? But never the less we’re here about the food and
well the food was definitely worth a sample. Can I just say that they have
definitely mastered the art of dessert and yes dessert is an art or at the very
least it should be. Considering the price of meals and the location, you would
expect them to have over the top desserts made with gold leaf and served on a
bed of angel feathers, but that’s compared to other restaurants where dessert
is a mere $5-$7AUD but generally < $10AUD.
Glass had desserts priced over the standard value that most
people would be looking for when it comes to their desserts but still it’s
quite reasonably priced if you were already willing and prepared to buy a meal.
The balance of flavours was quite commendable especially if you are a fussy
eater and the presentation wasn’t that bad either. We had a simple Crème Brulee
and a tart, both of which are relatively common with most restaurants and not
that wildly experimentative. But let me ask you this, can you judge the quality
of a kitchen based on something wild and different or on their ability to
revitalize old classic desserts?
Well they weren’t exactly what we were expecting but they
beat our expectations. I could go into specifics about what we ordered the,
textures of the creams, the lightness of the tart, contrasting sweet, sour and
tingles of the desserts, but it’s better if you try it yourself. Considering
that this wasn’t the first time I’ve sampled their desserts, the menu changes
frequently enough that generally speaking there is always something for
everyone, even that fussy eater who says no to everything because they are
scared. It’s one of those places where you’d want to come back just to sample
all of their desserts and yes they do actually have meals as well. But on a
perfectly sunny day when the weather is simply beautiful, you don’t want to
spend an exquisite warm and slightly windy day by the water inside eating food,
you want a delicately decadent dessert followed by fun on the beach.
Obviously I can’t demand that you visit this restaurant and
the choice is obviously yours to make but hopefully this little critique will
help:
-
Service (1-10) > 6
o
The service can be a little disappointing when
you get there, depending on the time. If they are busy, you could be left
waiting for a while for a server to come to you, otherwise if you go early and
they aren’t that busy, they are very fast and efficient.
-
Quality (1-10) > 8
o
The quality was actually quite amazing, it left
us feeling very happy and satisfied and that’s what you really want when you go
out for food. That being said, had It been wrapped up in gold leaf and served
on a bed of angel feathers it would have received full marks.
-
Quantity (1-10) > 7
o
The desserts were reasonably sized but still a
little small, so if you are a person with a small appetite who eats very little
then you will be quite satisfied. But if you have a larger appetite you could
be left wanting a little more as it’s that delicious.
-
Comfort (1-10) > 10
o
We sat outside by the yachts on tall stools made
out of some type of wood, maybe driftwood. We were both quite comfortable with
the seating and the height of the table, especially since one of us exceeded 6
feet in height. It can often be quite difficult finding comfortable seating
when both people have different heights, someone is usually going to be
uncomfortable
-
Atmosphere (1-10) > 9
o
Considering that the outside doesn’t really have
the decadence or opulence of the Versace; and the yachts don’t count as they
are privately owned. The simplicity of it is why it gets such a high rating.
You are essentially sitting on part of a pier, overlooking part of the gold
coast and the open water around you. Swarms of large fish swim happily and
visibly in the relatively clear water near your feet, and they1 are visible
from your table if you’re outside. There are no gimmicks, no fancy decorations,
it’s just simply beautiful.
-
Price (1-10) > 7
o
Also an expensive restaurant, so the price was a
little bit high but certainly well worth it.
-
Overall = 7.83
(1 “Lowest”,
10 “Highest”)
