From fine dining to rock 'n' roll Mexican, Brisbane city boasts a variety of upmarket and trendy restaurants. From a luxe riverside venue serving creative Modern Australian tasting menus to a slick bar with an epic cellar, there is something for every taste in The City.
In a one-of-a-kind riverside spot at the Powerhouse, ELSKA is cooking up delectable handmade pasta and wine. Think ricotta, pumpkin and burnt sage butter crespelle or braised goat ragu pappardelle. Here are the best restaurants in Brisbane city to enjoy exotic dinner and dining experience.
Persone
Whether you’re craving a post-work splurge or an intimate date night, Brisbane City Central’s restaurants offer a wide variety of food and drinks. From classic Chinese dishes to upscale Italian cuisine, the city’s top restaurants are sure to satisfy your culinary desires. The gastronomic scene in the Brisbane CBD is booming, with new eateries opening all the time. The newest addition is Persone, the Gambaro family’s latest restaurant in Brisbane Quarter, with stunning dress circle views of QPAC and South Bank.
Taking inspiration from authentic Italian laneways, this bespoke space is a feast for the eyes. Designed by Plus Architecture, Persone’s palette of tapered light and grit creates an atmosphere that is both comforting and curious.
Diners can choose to sit indoors or on the wraparound curved balcony with a majority of tables enjoying river and city views. An extensive menu has been crafted with seafood in mind, featuring dishes like Natural Oysters Kilpatrick with limoncello granita and Beef Carpaccio with leeks and parmesan. Guests can also indulge in pasta, pizza and fish dishes, while plant-based pals will love the selection of vegetarian and vegan options.
For a more glam dining experience, try Black Hide by Gambaro. This opulent steakhouse is tucked in a gorgeous heritage corner of Treasury Brisbane and offers a menu that includes grilled oysters, steak tartare, and the signature Bistecca alla Fiorentina served with shoestring fries and roasted garlic wilted spinach. Guests can also enjoy delicious wines and cocktails, and there are even options for those with strict vegan diets.
Black Hide by Gambaro
Black Hide is the third iconic Brisbane restaurant for family-run hospitality giant, The Gambaro Group. The venue opened in July 2018 and is located inside the heritage-listed Treasury Casino. The elegant steakhouse offers one of the largest selections of world-class Australian Wagyu and Angus steak cuts. It also sources its beef exclusively from Stanbroke. The restaurant recently received a perfect score from Courier Mail food critic Des Houghton for their outstanding service and mouth-watering menu.
Black Hide at the Treasury is the place to see and be seen, so it’s no surprise that it’s a popular choice for date night dinners and special celebrations with friends and colleagues. Guests can expect a luxurious experience in the stylish, opulent dining room overlooking the beautiful river. The venue has just launched a new menu with an exciting array of dishes.
The revamped menu features a range of seasonal dishes and more seafood choices, including grilled Hervey Bay scallops and spanner crab tortellini in shellfish bisque. There are also fresh and light options like heirloom tomato carpaccio with labneh, fennel and oregano, and smoked carrots with tarator and pomegranate.
As always, the scrumptious steaks will continue to delight guests. But the chefs are also experimenting with plant-based dishes and cocktails, adding a twist to their traditional flavours and techniques. They’re even trying their hand at introducing the Gambaro twist to classic cocktails.
Los Felix
The weirdly giddy days of Queensland’s pandemic lock-in are behind us and the local dining scene is starting to calm down. This year sees a handful of thoughtful new openings, ranging from an easy Southern Californian-style taco spot to a ritzy art deco-inspired diner in a classic heritage building.
Talisman Group’s executive chef Gabriele Di Landri has turned his attention to casual Mexican cuisine with this open-air joint, enlisting the help of a talented Mexican head chef to create a tight menu that features six options ranging from carne asada and barbacoa to Baja-style fish tacos. Sides like guacamole with chips and elotes (grilled Mexican-style street corn) and crunchy churros lightly dusted in sugar round out the short menu, which is served simply on galvanised metal trays or packaged for takeaway.
An intimate space in the heart of Fortitude Valley bringing a fresh and playful approach to food and drink. Taking inspiration from urban laneway culture, the restaurant is designed to inspire conversation for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
A new bar-restaurant that embodies the best of Brisbane’s food and beverage scene. It offers the perfect mix of high-end comfort food and beer, with a laid-back atmosphere. The menu focuses on locally-sourced ingredients and a strong focus on breweries in the state. The venue also offers a range of wines and spirits from Australia’s top wine producers.
Allonda
With a high-end hotel restaurant trend gaining momentum in Brisbane, Allonda is one of the latest entries. Located in the heritage-listed building on Longland Street, it’s decked out in pink booths and marble tables that accommodate large groups. Offering a mix of classic and modern dishes, it’s ideal for those looking to enjoy a leisurely meal with friends. The menu includes steamed dim sum, fresh rock lobster, Chinese roasted duck, cumin-spiced lamb and much more.
If you haven’t been here before, prepare to be impressed by the high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows and blonde timber furnishings. Head upstairs for a more relaxed dining space bracketed by a lengthy marble bar on one end and an open kitchen on the other.
Allonda is helmed by chef Sam Todd who has worked with Seb, Kevin and NOTA’s Matteo Pisanu to create a Modern European, designed-to-share menu shaped by choice Australian ingredients. Standouts from the raw plate offerings include the tempura market fish sandwich with house tartare, fried black pudding and brown butter mayo; Casa Motta burrata with olive tapenade, charred sourdough and smoked caviar and the Allonda seafood plate.
The restaurant’s extensive wine list is compiled by head sommelier, Olivia Parker. She has an artful knack of choosing less known varietals that will take diners outside their comfort zone. For the non-wine drinkers, Allonda has a cocktail menu designed by bar manager Ben Horswell. Options range from chilli and basil spritzes, to burnt orange and bourbon sours, white chocolate negronis and more.
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