Surfers gets $4m venue
First peak at White Rhino hot spot as chef to stars launches the menu
A NEW $4 million Surfers Paradise hospitality hot spot has a top restaurateur to the stars and stunning features including a lifesize rhino replica, giant rock wall and waterfall.
Two-level cafe, bar and restaurant White Rhino is ready after months under construction in Circle on Cavill.
The 700sq m venue with indoor-outdoor flow has 80 staff led by top restaurateur Adam Dundas-Taylor and exIsland rooftop general manager Adam Thring, who also helped launch Stingray bar.
Mr Dundas-Taylor, who has set up the White Rhino restaurant and menu, trained under Jamie Oliver in London and later worked in that city’s Nobu Mayfair, rated among the world’s top 10 restaurants.
He has catered for Leonardo DiCaprio and Beyonce, whilst he personally cooked for Elton John’s wedding.
White Rhino is the brainchild of Artesian Hospitality partner Matt Keegan who signed up Mr Dundas-Taylor after being impressed by the latter’s Nobby Beach restaurant Fire Cue.
Mr Dundas-Taylor revealed yesterday he was asked to come on board as a consultant after dishing up several taste-testings for Mr Keegan.
“Matt approached me a few months ago and we did a couple of tastings. White Rhino’s menu is modern Australian food done well,” he said.
“They’ve spent several million on the place. But I was attracted by the people I’m working with there, I thoroughly enjoy Matt and his crew.”
The all-day menu has bar staples including burgers and pizzas with a lunch and dinner line-up of slow-cooked meats and fish.
Artesian, with a nightclub stable including The Bedroom and sprint legend Usain Bolt’s favourite Sin City, is branching out into the food game with White Rhino under Mr Keegan, a former Sydneybased high-flier with professional services giant PricewaterhouseCooopers.
Mr Keegan said Surfers Paradise had been “crying out for a place like this for so long – something locals and tourists can enjoy, a bar and restaurant of the quality you find in Sydney and Melbourne”.
White Rhino hosts an invite only media launch tonight before opening to the public from 9pm. But Mr Keegan said it would fine-tune the operation until its official VIP launch on November 1 and eventually open from 7am for