Bistro Lamp

Bistro Lamp is one of the Gold Coast's oldest Japanese restaurants, a dining institution that first opened in Surfers Paradise in 1998 before relocating to Mermaid Beach in 2020, where it continues to attract a crowd.

Occupying a quirky landmark octagonal building with an entry to one side off the car park, Bistro Lamp's ambient dimlit interior features rustic timberclad walls, arched casement windows, hanging plants and industrial golden light fittings. 

The delicious menu, which is designed to share, offers a mix of traditional Japanese and Japanese fusion dishes, served tapas and izakaya style, starting with street food like pork or vegan gyoza; sweet miso eggplant; agedashi tofu; and steamed bao buns (spicy chicken, teriyaki salmon, pork belly or ggplant). 

A selection of plates 'From the Sea' include fresh oysters with ponzu mignonette; salmon carpaccio (Tasmanian salmon with soy, carrot, onion & black loive sauce); coconut chilli prawn gyoza; and sashimi tartare (salmon, tuna & kingfish tartare on black sesame crackers).

There's also grilled Hokkaido scallops with cauliflower puree & soy butter sauce; Hitamasa kingfish with jalapeno, cherry tomato & shallot, marinated in Tuzu coconut sauce & topped with parsnip crisp; and Shichimi salt & pepper calimari (deep fried calamari with Japanese pepper seaoning and black garlic aioli).

Dishes 'From the Farm' include Wagyu beef (Jacks Creek MB9)  tataki with sticky ponzu sauce, Yuzu mayonnaise & fried garlic; Free range pork belly (Borrowdale) with soy ginger jus & karashi mustard mayonnaise: saganaiki cheese grilled with sticky sweet ponzu sauce, dried tomato & pistachio; and petite Wagyu beef steak (Jacks Creek MB9) served with kipfler potato, baby carrot & Yuzu-kosho ponzu sauce.

There's also a small selection of pasta and rice dishes, including Japanese mushroom trauffle pasta (mushrooms & linguine tossed with black truffle & soy butter sauce); Bistro sushi roll (salmon, kingfish, avocado, cucmber, cod roe & Yuzu mayonnaise with pickled ginger).

And for dessert there's home-made ice cream (green tea, black sesame & vanilla);  sticky date pudding with vanilla ice-cream, or affogato (vanilla ice cream with espresso coffee and a choice of Kahlua, Baileys or Frangelico).

For drinks, Bistro Lamp offers Japanese beer on tap (Orion or Asahi Super Dry); Plum Wine, Sho Chu; a selection of Japanese sake (including sparkling and premium); a mix of Japanese and populay western whiskeys; a concise of Austraian wines; and classic or Japanese cocktails, including Yuzu, Coconut or Chilli Margarita; Japanese Fusion (midori, malibu, pineapple & crushed lychee; and house signature Mermaid Paradise (vodka, Japanese sake, passionfruit pulp, crushed lychee & coconut milk).

Good to know - Bistro Lamp also has a small dedicated takeaway menu, which includes a selection of gyoza; chicken karaage; wagyu tataki, steamed bao buns, Yaki udon noodle and Wagyu beef Japanese curry with rice.

Need to know - There is free onsite parking at Mermaid Village and onstreet parking on surrounding streets.