It's always better to buy your lollies at Sweethearts' before going to the Hoyts cinemas. There's a much bigger variety and the prices are comparable. They stock a big range of American candies including Reese's Pieces, Dr Pepper and Wonka products.

You can also get ice cream, sherbert and drinks. Sweethearts is one of those shops where you fill a white paper bag with lollies and pay by weight. Located not far from the cinema entrance, it's very handy.

The staff are usually very friendly and the shop stays open until the last sessions.

Oh, they also stock Jelly Belly jellybeans.

I was really impressed with the service here. I went in looking for a simple SIM card for a temporary mobile phone and the guy was very helpful. I also asked about covers for my HTC One-X and they had a decent range but I wasn't ready to buy yet.

The salesman's name was Richard. Being the day after Boxing Day, I would've thought staff would be exhausted and unapproachable but the opposite was true.

GREAT eggs benedict at just $11.95! Served with two pieces of Turkish toast, two poached eggs, hollandaise and ham but I asked for bacon instead. Considering Coffee Club inside the centre does an eggs benedict for $18.95, this is a bargain. Coffee was fairly good.

Service was prompt and tables were clean.

There are plenty of meal options and the restaurant is licensed. Good food, clean environment, pleasant service.

Approximate cost: $11.95

It was Christmas Day and we'd just visited the Nudgee Cemetery. Stopped in at this bakery on the way home to pick up a few things. Being a Vietnamese bakery, they were happy to be open on Christmas however they should have either made fresh product or lowered their prices or explained that the product was not from that day.

The cupcakes were dry and unpleasant and the lamington was definitely not fresh either.

I wouldn't have minded paying regular prices given that they were open on a day when nearly all similar businesses were not, but it was embarrassing to give kids and family members these items and to find they weren't eaten. When I investigated why, I found out. Definitely not a good look.

Either you sell that day's goods or you make it clear to customers that they are day old. Very dissatisfied and will never return.

This is another of those Asian massage studios popping up everywhere in shopping centres; very welcome to find when you need one but not necessarily the quality massage you need when you're in pain. Such was the experience here. It was Christmas Eve and everywhere was really busy but I had neck and shoulder pain. I was greeted warmly and put straight into a massage room. The room had two therapy tables in it and halfway through my massage, a female client entered and was dismayed to find another person already in there. "I hope that's another woman," she commented. There went my relaxation, having to worry about someone else's comfort. To add to that, my therapist (male) had to leave the room while the other lady undressed. My massage was interrupted three more times, totally unacceptable when hands should be on the body at all times.

Also, I specifically asked for 'head, neck and shoulders'. So why oh why do these therapists insist on moving elsewhere on your body??? I have NO problem with my legs so stop wasting 10 minutes of my 55 minutes kneading the backs of my thighs!! I was even wearing my jeans so it can't have been ambiguous. I had to ask twice to increase the pressure and once to keep to the head, neck and shoulders area.

The curtains don't close well enough to ensure privacy from passing trade when you undress.

The best part of the massage was the head massage, done beautifully. But apart from that, I didn't come away feeling all that much better. It was obvious that the therapist was minimally experienced and for that, they shouldn't be charging full price!

Approximate cost: $55.00

Wow! The girls in Coastal Expressions are genuinely friendly and happy to serve. I went in looking for a shoulder bag and ended up buying some beach jewellery. They have tons of t-shirts which evidently, is their main business staple.

The shop is tidy and well laid out and the prices are very affordable! You can get postcards, bags, souvenirs, gifts and t-shirts in all sizes.

I realise there are many souvenir and t-shirt shops in Surfers but what stands this one apart is the friendly, happy service :).

Happened across this shop on my way through the centre and it was a treasure trove of shoes. Granted, not so many for my age group but I did manage to find a couple of pairs. There are LOTS on special at the moment, mostly in the form of "2 pairs for $xx".

What I was impressed with was how the sales girl was very articulate in promoting the charity that the shop supports and seemed quite proud of it.

She was friendly and chatty and actually paid attention instead of glazing over like many sales staff do.

Happy with my purchase and would return again.

P.S. Check out the heel-less shoes! I don't know how girls walk in them but the sales girl assured me "they're comfortable"!!

Approximate cost: $30

This little juice bar is like something out of Venice Beach, California. It's nothing glitzy or glam but the location is almost as though you can walk out of the surf and up to the counter. There are plenty of fruity options on offer and you can also have smoothies. I paid $7 for a Liquid Sunshine with banana. Yep, a little costly but I guess not too out of sync with Boost Juice.

The flavour was fresh and it was nice and cold and if you want to get out of the sun, you can go inside to Ben's Fish and Chips which is kind of the parent business of Juice Works.

You can't miss it if you're driving past on The Esplanade ... that is, if you can take your eyes off the magnificence of the surf.

Approximate cost: $7

We had dinner here and thoroughly enjoyed it. We had two pizzas (the capricciosa is fantastic) and a lasagne. The wait staff are friendly and efficient and the atmosphere is quite nice, sitting outside on the footpath.

The prices are reasonable and as a previous reviewer mentioned, if you order by 7pm, you get 25% off which is brilliant.

They are licensed so you can get your beer or wine with your meal.

You HAVE to try the Italian hot chocolate. It's not like the usual 'hot chiok' that some restaurants serve. It's literally melted Cadbury chocolate. Bit odd eating it with a spoon but apparently you can get some strawberries with it at extra charge. We thought it was the hot chocolate pudding so ordered it without the fruit.

Located a very short walk from Cavill Mall, it's central and convenient and they don't mind packaging your leftovers to take home.

Last time I came to Acland Street (about 8 years ago?), it was lined with the most delightful cake shops and bakeries. What has happened??? Acland Cakes is still there, yes, but it's a shadow of its former self. It's daggy, dingy and has none of the old pizzazz it was famous for. The wall behind the counter used to be shelved with lots of gorgeous cakes and pastries on display for sale. Now, the variety is not there, the shop itself looks forlorn and I was incredibly disappointed. I did buy a coffee scroll which itself was ok but it tasted nothing like I hoped because it wasn't eaten in the ambience of an old world store. Sad.