Peter’s Fish Market

Peter's Fish Market is a Gold Coast institution on The Spit at Main Beach. Set on Seaworld Drive overlooking the Broadwater, it is both a seafood market and a fish and chip shop, and it has been serving fish and chips for more than 30 years. The business describes itself as a local icon for fresh and cooked seafood, and the official Gold Coast tourism organisation includes it in its guide to the city's best fish and chips.

The appeal is simple: very fresh seafood at everyday prices. The cooked menu offers battered fish from more than 14 species, so you can choose something other than the usual, along with prawns, squid and oysters. If you are self-catering, the market side sells fresh seafood to take away and cook, which is useful for visitors staying in apartments with kitchens.

There is no formal dining room, and that is part of the charm. Most people take their order outside and eat with views over the Broadwater, or, as the tourism board suggests, cross to the other side of The Spit and eat on the beach. On a warm evening, fish and chips on the sand is one of the most enjoyable and least expensive meals on the coast.

Peter's suits families, budget travellers and anyone who wants a casual seafood meal without a reservation. It pairs well with a day at Sea World, which is also on Seaworld Drive, or a walk along The Spit. Bring sun protection if you plan to eat outdoors, and a picnic rug if you want to settle on the beach rather than at the water's edge on the Broadwater side.

Opening hours and current information are published on the business's own website, which is worth checking before a special trip. Without a car, the 705 bus, which runs from Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach to Sea World about every 20 minutes, is the simplest way to reach this part of Seaworld Drive. The same tourism guide that features Peter's also lists other fish and chip shops around the city, such as Burleigh Heads Fishmongers on James Street and Miami Fish Market, if you are staying further south.