LOCATION
On the waterfront at Marina Mirage, Main Beach, five minutes north of Surfers Paradise.
PROFILED BY DEGROOTS MEDIA
Luxury is a word which befits Vanitas well. Candles shine and marble glistens as guests are smoothly guided — never ushered — to their tables. A salad of tea-smoked duck to begin with? Or the Roquefort salad with quail? Everything on the menu epitomises fine dining in all its pomp and glory.
The setting, of course, doesn't hurt. Vanitas is the fine-dining flagship of the Gold Coast's Palazzo Versace, one of the most renowned restaurant resorts of the region. Look to the East, and your eyes fill with the blue-on-blue collision of summer skies with the shimmering Pacific Ocean. Or retire inside, and bathe in all the opulence you'd expect of a Versace-owned, fashion-themed resort - a favourite of celebrities and TV producers from around the world.
Then slip back into Vanitas, and wonder why you ever left. For mains there's boneless slow-cooked lamb shanks carved at your table to share between two, and served with mushroom and pea ragout. Salted cod with Champagne caviar sauce is a beautiful indulgence that every Versace guest should experience. Or why even choose when there's a degustation on offer? That way, all you have to do is wine, and dine, and talk away the long Pacific evenings, while wondering just how much luxury it's possible to take.
Aran Ward Sell
DETAILS
Palazzo Versace opened in September 2000 and has since entertained and impressed many guests with its exclusive and luxurious ambience. Palazzo Versace offers a selection of bars and restaurants - Vanitas, Versace's signature restaurant, offers sweeping views of the lagoon and beyond.
A night at Vanitas provides a luxurious fine dining experience - ornate mosaic marble floors and palatial fountains viewed through an entrance of flickering candles. There is meticulous attention to detail, from the exquisite Versace tableware, knowledgeable personalised service and the sourcing of outstanding international wines. It is a rare dining experience of which Gianni Versace would have been proud. Vanitas is an important addition to the Queensland, and indeed, the Australian restaurant scene.
There is also a selection of bars and restaurants within the Palazzo Versace complex where you can enjoy a range of superb cuisines:-
Vie Restaurant - A distinctive, stylish space showcasing contemporary flavours.
Il Barocco - where you can enjoy all day dining.
Le Jardin - a cosmopolitan bar that serves cocktails, drinks and coffee.