Wasting valuable stomach space on bread can be a rookie error, but that shouldn’t stop you from ordering Social’s house-baked baguette. Served simply with cultured butter and sea salt or – even better – with goat’s curd, roast garlic and balsamic, it’s guaranteed to get you off on the right foot with the Gold Coast’s smart-casual staple. From there it’s worth leaning on the staff’s expertise to navigate a menu that meanders from Mediterranean to modern Asian.

Browse through bar snacks – hot haloumi skewers dripping with honey and fennel pollen or smoked trout rillettes with crispy potato – or check the specials board for elegantly plated sashimi. The refreshment range is equally sprawling, with extra incentive for gin lovers.

If you’re dining in a group (and, as the eatery’s name suggests, you should) include the half or 1kg boneless salt bush lamb shoulder, in your share spread. It’s cooked for 12 hours in sheep’s milk yoghurt and herbs, with pickled cabbage slaw to cut through the richness. The marquise dessert is another dish that’s gone the distance with good reason, currently masquerading in milk chocolate, peanut butter and salted caramel, but bound to be a sweet surprise.

While a bar perch will get you closest to the cheffy action, request the comfort of a table if you plan on doing the menu justice. Whether that’s amid the alfresco atmosphere of Oracle Boulevard or in the conversation-filled dining room, you can count on there being a buzz at this Broadbeach mainstay.

Must-eat dish: Salt bush lamb shoulder