You have checked in, the bags are down and nobody wants to cook. From Princess Palm, five arrival-night dinner options sit between a 10 minute walk and a five minute drive along Palm Beach’s eat street, the southern stretch of the Gold Coast Highway. Here they are in walking order, from surf club to late-night takeaway.
Closest on foot: Palm Beach Surf Club
The easiest first-night call is the Palm Beach Surf Club at 117 Jefferson Lane, about a 10 minute walk north along the beachfront path. The bistro serves lunch and dinner seven days, trading to 9:30pm most nights and 10:30pm on Friday and Saturday. Order the chicken schnitzel, the salt and pepper squid or the seared barramundi, with pizzas and share plates like hot honey brie for the grazers. It seats club-style, no booking needed, which makes it the kids-friendly early option: walk in from 5:30pm, point the little ones at the ocean view, and dinner arrives while the sun drops. Weekend waits rarely pass 20 minutes even at peak, and there is live music on Sunday afternoons if your stay starts on a weekend.
The one to book: Balboa Italian
For a first night with a sense of occasion, Balboa Italian at 1069 Gold Coast Highway is about a 15 minute walk south along the highway, or three minutes in the car. This is the polished end of the eat street: wood-fired pizzas, handmade pasta and a dark chocolate souffle that guests keep mentioning long after checkout. It leans adults-and-older-kids rather than toddlers, and it books out, so reserve before you travel if your arrival falls on a Friday or Saturday; weekend walk-ins can wait 45 minutes or miss out entirely. A late sitting around 8pm is usually quieter and moodier. If the first night is also a special night, this is the booking to make from home.
The no-booking fallback: The Collective
When nobody can agree, The Collective at 1128 Gold Coast Highway solves it: five kitchens under one roof, serving from midday until late, seven days. It is about a 20 minute walk south or four minutes by car. One table can order Italian, Mexican, Asian, burgers and a health-leaning menu at once, which is why it is our standard answer for groups and fussy crews. Walk-ins are part of the design, with long shared tables, fairy lights and a rooftop bar; on Friday and Saturday nights expect a short wait for a table between 6pm and 7:30pm, and note it is family-easy early but leans livelier and more adult as the evening builds.
The adults-lean pick: Madam Fu
A block off the beach at Shop 1, 2 Fifth Avenue, Madam Fu does modern Asian share plates in a stylish, dim-lit room, about 18 minutes on foot or a quick drive. Crispy dumplings, spicy curries and inventive cocktails set the tone; come hungry and order across the menu, because the share format is the point. This one is a date-night room rather than a family feed, and tables are tight, so book ahead for weekend evenings; midweek arrivals can usually walk in before 6:30pm. If you land on a Tuesday with no plans, this is the first night that feels like a small event.
Arrived late? Marie’s Pizza to the rescue
When the flight lands late and the kids are done, Marie’s Pizza at 1401 Gold Coast Highway is the fallback locals have leaned on for decades. It opens from late afternoon and runs into the evening, with generous old-school pizzas, garlic bread and pasta, and it delivers to the apartment through Uber Eats, about a five minute drive if you would rather collect. Order before you finish unpacking and eat on the balcony with the ocean in front of you. From the next morning your apartment’s full kitchen takes over, with the supermarkets at The Pines Elanora five minutes away for the holiday shop.
FAQs
Are there restaurants within walking distance of Princess Palm?
Yes. The Palm Beach Surf Club is about a 10 minute walk along the beachfront, and the stretch of the Gold Coast Highway south of the apartment holds Balboa Italian, The Collective and Madam Fu within a 15 to 20 minute walk or a few minutes in the car. Palm Beach dinner options genuinely start at the front door.
Do you need to book a table on a Friday or Saturday night?
For Balboa Italian and Madam Fu, yes, especially on weekends when tables go days ahead. The Collective holds space for walk-ins across its five kitchens, and the Palm Beach Surf Club bistro seats club-style, so those two are your no-booking fallbacks. Weekend waits at the walk-ins peak between 6pm and 7:30pm.
Where should you eat with tired kids on arrival night?
The Palm Beach Surf Club. The bistro opens for lunch and dinner seven days, does a proper chicken schnitzel and pizzas, seats you club-style without a booking, and the beachfront location means the kids can watch the waves while the meals come out. Early sittings from 5:30pm are the calmest.
What if you arrive too late to eat out?
Marie’s Pizza at 1401 Gold Coast Highway is the local takeaway stalwart, open from late afternoon with generous, old-school pizzas, and it delivers through Uber Eats to the apartment. Order as you unpack, and dinner lands before the bags are empty. Your apartment’s full kitchen takes over from breakfast onward.
Where do you go for breakfast the next morning?
Dune Cafe, at 945 Gold Coast Highway beside the Tallebudgera estuary, is essentially next door to Princess Palm. It does hearty breakfasts, fresh juices and good coffee with outdoor seating by the parklands, an easy barefoot start before the first proper beach day of the stay.
The first dinner sets the tone for the whole stay, and at this end of the coast it is a walk, not a mission. When your dates are set, book your Palm Beach apartment with us and take a look at the local area to line up the rest of the week’s tables.
Image credit: Balboa Italian
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