Use "Bin" primer on laminate.. it works great. I refinished a Maple bedroom set that was mine growing up. It all had laminate top, the nightstand, dresser and chest of drawers..... I painted all the furniture a cream color and this was 7 years ago, the top still looks perfect.. Bin is great stuff....

Your planned approach is correct. A varnish would be about the most durable finish that you can apply outside an industrial setting. Most quality oil-based varnishes will impart some amber color. "Golden Glow" means different things to different people. The natural color of the wood and the choice of varnish will have impact on the resulting color. Once stripped and sanded, wet the top with a bit of mineral spirits to get a preview of the natural color. If that's not enough color, you can use a stain before varnishing. Waterlox would be an excellent choice. Polyurethane would do if you wish. Wiping on Arm-r-seal (General Finishes wiping poly) would work. Here is a link that might be useful: wipe on varnish finish

What colors do you recommend over the brown and white parts? At first we thought white would go well with the black top, however, it sort of looks like a diner table which is not ideal. The white is just primer, what color scheme do you recommend? I'm trying to keep the black top because I rather not redo it.

Absolutely a cool table! I think, unless it is a valuable antique, that the chalk paint idea sounds good. "Almost" matching wood tones may look odd. Also depends on where you plan to use it, though - the chalk paint would be a much less formal look.