Art of the Long Lunch
The Art of the Long Lunch at The Tropic
There was a time when lunch didn’t come with an end time.
A table was somewhere to gather. Plates were passed, bottles were opened and conversation wandered wherever it wanted to go. Nobody was checking the clock. Nobody was thinking about what came next.
At The Tropic in Burleigh Heads, we think there’s something worth holding onto in that.
Perched above Burleigh Heads beach with uninterrupted views across the Pacific, The Tropic was made for long lunches. The kind that begin with every intention of being lunch and somehow find themselves still going as the afternoon light turns golden.
The table is where we come back together
Somewhere along the way, life got busy. The long lunch is our answer to that. It might be an intimate table for two tucked in by the ocean, or ten friends passing plates from one end of the table to the other. The number doesn’t really matter.
For a few hours, what’s happening outside these walls doesn’t particularly matter. And here are our top 5 ways to enjoy a long lunch in its purest form:
1. Put the phone away
Emails can wait. But we appreciate Instagram can’t, apparently. Take the photo, post the view, then put it away. The people at the table are more interesting than the people on your screen.
2. Leave the dangerous topics outside
Politics. Religion. Family Christmas. Property prices. Who said what three years ago. Not today. Stick to holidays, questionable stories and whether you should order another bottle.
3. Make absolutely no plans afterwards
A 3.30pm appointment is the natural enemy of the long lunch. Clear the afternoon. Lunch might become golden hour. Golden hour might become dinner. These things happen.
4. Order for the table
Fresh seafood, Mediterranean flavours and plates in the middle. Reach, share, steal a prawn. Just remember to offer the last one around twice before taking it.
5. Never nominate a finish time
The best long lunches end when they end. The food keeps coming, the conversation gets better and the light over Burleigh Heads starts to change.
Lunch can take as long as it likes. The world will still be there when you’re ready.
