Songbirds – the Gold Coast’s Best Restaurant

Songbirds in the Forest collected a cache of awards including Gold Coast Restaurant of the Year for the second year running at the Gold Coast Restaurant and Caterers’ Awards for Excellence on Monday night.

Songbirds won the major title plus the Best Informal Restaurant, Best Wine List and Best Modern Australian Awards. Songbirds’ owner Bonnie Rodwell said it is an honour to win an award in such a competitive market.

“To win twice in two years makes all the hard work worthwhile. The location and chef Philip Edwards offer an exceptional dining experience. The restaurant is elegant but informal. We strive for culinary excellence with fine wine and VIP service,” Bonnie said.

Songbirds in the Forest is one of South East Queensland’s hidden treasures. The restaurant is the centrepiece of a luxurious 54-acre rainforest retreat at Mount Tamborine – about an half hour drive from the Gold Coast beaches and around 40 minutes from Brisbane CBD.

Connoisseurs bypass hundreds of restaurants on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane to dine at Songbirds. The restaurant has extended opening hours to cater for a steady stream of food lovers.

Melbourne trained chef Philip Edwards heads Songbirds talented team. He began his career as an apprentice with Two Faces, one of Melbourne’s leading restaurants. Philip completed his training with renowned chef Herman Schnider and went on to work with the Sibley-Cook team at Jacques Raymond, Est, Est, Est and Luxe – three of Melbourne’s finest establishments.

Philip then became head chef at Melbourne’s Restaurant Ondine. The restaurant won Victoria’s Best New Restaurant award in the first year of opening. After leading the Australian Culinary Olympics team in Germany, Philip was lured away from Restaurant Ondine by an offer from the then newly-opened six-star Palazzo Versace on the Gold Coast.

Philip said working at Palazzo Versace was a marvellous experience but he prefers working in a more intimate atmosphere. “Songbirds gives me the opportunity to create individual dishes from the freshest seasonal produce,” he says.

Philip’s style of cuisine combines classic French, European and Asian techniques with unique Australian ingredients. Each dish is individually made and perfectly presented as an appetising picture on a plate.

Philip says he prefers simple flavours that stimulate the tastebuds. “My dishes are based on the flavours of the ingredients – game and seafood are two of my favourites,” he says.

“Songbirds’ owner Bonnie Rodwell insists on using nothing but the best. We use as much locally grown and organic produce as possible. We are now extending Songbirds organic kitchen garden,” he says.

Songbirds’ unique location and design has created media attention from around the world. The restaurant has become recognised as the place for corporate events with international business leaders choosing to launch everything from prestige cars to leading wine labels at Songbirds.

Songbirds in the Forest serves lunch every day and dinner on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. Guests book weeks in advance to enjoy the complete experience and stay at Songbirds Rainforest Retreat, a luxurious hideaway where a maximum of 12 guests can stay in superbly appointed private villas for two.

Bonnie said Songbirds is still developing. “We plan to give diners even more options with luxurious tastes, produce picked from our newly planted organic gardens and some of the best wines in the world,” she says.