Whether it's Christmas day lunch, an Easter feast or the regular 'shrimp on the barbie', seafood is a staple on the menu in most Aussie households. For the freshest of fresh, buy straight from the trawler or from the Gold Coast's best fishmongers. We've listed the best places on the Gold Coast to buy your fresh fish and seafood.
So here they're; a roundup of the best seafood shops on the Gold Coast from north to south.
Gold Coast Fishermen's Co-op, Main Beach
Nothing screams 'fresh seafood' more than buying straight off the trawler. Located on The Spit at Main Beach, the Gold Coast Fishermen's Co-op 'shop' is nothing more than a couple of floating pontoons where the vessels that have been out overnight fishing in the pristine waters off the coast pull up with the freshest local seafood available for sale direct from the boat. The fleet includes Prawn Trawlers, Spanner Crab Vessels and Tuna Long Liners. They're open to the public daily, from 7am until sold out (it pays to get there early!). Check their website before you set off, as weather & water conditions impact their operations.
Peters Fish Market, Main Beach
Located right next to the Gold Coast Fishermen's Co-op is the iconic Peters Fish Market. They're open daily from 9am to 7pm and offer a good selection of whole fish, filleted fish and a range of seafood including prawns and crabs straight off the trawler. They also offer some of the best take-away fish & chips on the Gold Coast.
Charis Seafood, Labrador
Idyllically set on the edge of the Broadwater, Charis Seafood is a family owned and operated business best known for its pelican feeding that takes place at 1:30pm daily (it's quite the spectacle!). They offer the biggest selection of the freshest seafood and mouthwatering take-away fish & chips, perfect for a waterside picnic. They don't seem to like tech that much, their website is non-existent and their last facebook post dates back to 2020, so if you have a question, it's best to just give 'em a call 07 5527 1100. They're open 7 days a week, 8:30am to 7pm.
Harbour Seafood Market, Labrador
Located just opposite Harbourtown, Harbour Seafood Market offer a huge variety of seafood delivered fresh daily by local fishermen. Buy whole fish, fish fillets, prawns, crabs, bugs and freshly shucked oysters or pig out on their fish & chips and ready to go meals. They're open 7 days a week, 9am to 6:30pm on weekdays, and from 8am to 6:30pm on the weekend.
Reef Seafood & Sushi, Southport
Located at Ferry Road Markets at The Brickworks, Reef Seafood & Sushi offers a premium selection of the finest local, interstate and New Zealand seafood. They're best known for their wide selection of oysters that take you around Australia and their exquisite sashimi and sushi prepared onsite by Japanese chef Shigeki Uno. Open daily, from 8am to 5pm, closing early on Sundays at 4pm.
Tasman Star Seafood Market, Varsity Lakes
Tasman Star Seafoods is a locally owned and operated family business that operates four of their own prawn trawlers and get stocked fresh daily by many of the other local fishermen, offering a huge variety of fresh fillets and whole local fish, cleaned for you on the spot at no charge. Open 7am to 6pm, 7 days a week.
Miami Fish Markets, Miami
The newest kid on the block, and a little bit fancy, Miami Fish Markets prides itself in only stocking responsibly sourced and sustainable seafood with an emphasis on local supply. Located just down the road from Miami Marketta, the interiors are swanky, the staff are knowledgeable, the service outstanding and the seafood fresh, varied and delicious. Open daily, 8am to 6pm, closing early on Sundays at 4pm.
Scales Seafood, Tweed Heads
Okay, so technically not the Gold Coast, but close enough and worth a mention. Scales Seafood is located just up the road from the Tweed Marina where the trawlers pull in so they get fresh deliveries daily from the local fishermen. They offer an excellent variety of whole fish and filleted fish, prawns, crabs, mussels, scallops, bugs and oysters and the best fish & chips on the Tweed coast. They're open 9am to 7pm daily.
Tweed Trawlers, Tweed Heads
Buy your seafood straight from the trawlers at the Tweed Marina on River Terrace. There are a number of trawlers that sell to the public, but who's there and what they have to sell is different daily. Unlike the Gold Coast Fishermen's Co-op this is not as well organised, you'll just have to rock up and try your luck. If it's prawns, you're after, you can get your name & number down on the Liza J Trawler contact list to receive updates on when they go out.
