Mermaid Beach’s fine diner Little Truffle reopens after a floor-to-ceiling renovation
Thirteen years is a long time in any industry, but in one as fickle as hospitality, it’s almost unheard of. Little Truffle Dining Room & Bar has been a stalwart on the corner of Gold Coast Highway and Bondi Avenue since opening its now-iconic timber doors in 2010. Now, thirteen years later, the Ridgeways have debuted Little Truffle Dining Room & Bar’s long-awaited renovation. Take a peek inside …
Rewind back to 2010 and Daniel Ridgeway was sitting on the floor of the Mermaid Beach dining room assembling the chairs one-by-one ready to open the doors to Little Truffle Dining Room & Bar, his first solo venture. He had enough money to cover the first week’s wages. It was a gamble, for sure, but one that paid off with the fine-dining venue slowly amassing a loyal following of folk who couldn’t get enough of Daniel’s culinary creativity and flair for flavour.
Over the years Daniel and his wife Ruggie have witnessed the culinary evolution of the city and have been instrumental in redefining the Gold Coast’s interpretation of fine dining, but after thirteen long years, the signs of wear had begun to show. When the pair were told of the nature of the light rail works that would take place immediately out the front of their restaurant, the hospitality power couple decided the time was ripe to embark on the most significant renovation in the restaurant’s history.
After closing the long-standing restaurant for almost a year, the timber doors to the brand-new venue finally swung back open to guests Tuesday October 10. The award-winning venue is completely unrecognisable, having undergone a million-dollar renovation that completely changed the layout, fixtures, seating, bar, amenities and kitchen. “We have finally been able to create the Little Truffle we have always envisioned. We literally ripped everything out and started from scratch,” Daniel and Ruggie said.
Although sexy isn’t usually the adjective that springs to mind when describing a restaurant, that’s the only way you can characterise Little Truffle 2.0. Now boasting dramatic velvet curtains, a rich palette of navy and brushed brass and plush couches, the new venue also features not one, but two private-dining spaces.
The Cellar Room is a private-dining room with a separate entry and seating for up to 20 guests. The Indigo Room can also be curtained off to create a room for up to 16 guests. In addition to more bar seating, there are also some coveted ‘chef’s table’ settings that offer a glimpse into the venue’s engine room. When the curtains are drawn, the new Little Truffle Dining Room & Bar is designed to transport diners to cosmopolitan cities around the world.
In line with the impressively refreshed space is a new elevated menu. The offering includes some of Little Truffle’s classic dishes, including the heirloom beetroot salad, Moreton Bay bug and prawn tortellini, and raspberry souffle. Some of the new stand-out selections include a succulent Cape Grimm beef rib eye, Wagyu steak special, a whole lamb shoulder and whole fish of the day.
Dessert lovers will also be impressed by the new dessert trolley featuring a dessert du jour to compliment the strawberry ‘Romanoff’, souffle, panna cotta and affogato. “The highlight of the new menu is showcasing dishes from our new wood-fired oven, such as a cast iron baked focaccia with mozzarella, whole fish, and an impression selection of prime meat cuts,” says Daniel.
