Lunchtime in paradise

Drive through Surfers Paradise and turn off the main highway to Budd’s Beach on the Nerang River. Here you’ll find a quite backwater with Bumbles Café (21 River Drive, Budd’s Beach QLD 07 5538 6668) offering refreshing breakfasts and BYO lunches.
The view is to die for and if you can’t afford the well-priced menu, you could always picnic opposite in the park.
On hot Queensland summer days, however, I sought the refuge from the heat and humidity in the aircon. And as far as preparing my own meals in this heat, mañana.
The menu rotations variations of café staples such as Caesar Salad and variations of salads on an Asian theme. Coconut Prawns with chilli and coriander sauce are stunning for $16.50, although this should be no surprise as prawns and bugs are what the Gold Coast does best.
Green prawns are deep fried in freshly grated coconut. You need know nothing more.
The Thai tastes platter ($15) features three sauces including sweet chilli and the above chilli and coriander with minced chicken on sugar cane, duck spring rolls and fish cakes.
The Mediterranean lamb burger does the job.
For my Catholic tastes, I can’t reconcile bacon bits interrupting the purity of my Caesar salad. However, The I forgot-it-could-be-so-good-Caesar salad with cos, bacon, croutons, and parmesan and that dressing ($13.50) wasn’t bad at all. Should I break traditional and try it next time with chicken?
Sandwiches cost from $8.95 to $13.95.
The décor is Mediterranean chic and the owners have the good taste to serve Merlo coffee with various cakes and pastries.