Brisbane restaurants: The Matriarch, Newstead

A glamorous interior sets the scene for a sumptuous lunch that never quite materialises at this Newstead eatery.

THERE’S the seed of something good here, lost in chaos. And it’s a shame because

the effort that has gone into creating the physical aspects of The Matriarch is obvious.

It’s good looking, kind of Through the Looking Glass meets Barbara Eden’s genie bottle, all contained in a revamped warehouse space.

There’s a couple of big, old, slightly stressed indoor olive trees providing focal points and a courtyard area to the front.

There’s acres of space, it’s atmospheric and it feels unlike any other restaurant in town.

The Matriarch is one of the best looking restaurants in Brisbane, but does the food stack up? Photo: Russell Shakespeare

But unfortunately, it takes more than a fit-out to make a good dining experience.

The staff is a happy, chatty bunch, they do their best to work around a coeliac, and everyone is up-beat.

And I know, because I met most of them over the hour and a bit I was there.

Does the waitstaff have sections? Maybe, maybe not.

Which is where the chaos comes in. One hand doesn’t know what the other is doing.

We sit in limbo for 35 frustrating minutes waiting to order some food, and when we finally place an order, we have a small procession coming intermittently to ask us if we’d like to order. Yikes.

And we eat lots of share dishes, most of them from the deep-fryer — chips three ways, spring rolls, other bits and bobs — so there are greasy fingers everywhere, but not a napkin in sight. Not on our table or, as far as I can see, on any other.

A few dining essentials were missing at The Matriarch. Photo: Russell Shakespeare

Odd, hey? Luckily jeans are fat-absorbent.

The culinary highlight should be lobster rolls ($24 for two), but they are merely ok.

Too little lobster (but what’s there is really good seafood — sweet, meaty and saline), buns a tad stale. I set about deconstructing mine into lobster bites.

Chips three ways ($16.50) is pretty good — sweet potato, beer battered and potato scallops — but let’s face it, it’s chips, not gruyere souffle, so it should be good.

And to top things off, my sriracha mayonnaise seems bereft of sriracha.

Duck spring rolls ($12 for four), tick; long, thin, plenty of duck.

Sliders ($18 for three), changed to suit my coeliac son are good; spicy chicken skewers ($16) are merely OK.

"Rosemary Lamb Lollipops at the Matriarch. Photo: Russell Shakespeare

Baby beetroot leaves are on everything, from lobster rolls to chicken skewers.

Here’s my take. The chef can cook, but he’s aimed a little low.

It has the feel of good catering food, the stuff you’d getat a stand-up wedding, easy to punch out quickly, fine to eat but hardly the stuff of legend.

I sense that The Matriarch kitchen is capable of much more. And with some training and organisation the floor staff would also be capable of much more.

The trappings of The Matriarch suggest that someone has put thought and energy into its creation, but it needs effort.

The Matriarch Puffs. Photo: Russell Shakespeare

Newstead and its surrounds are bursting with good restaurants, and they need to be special to survive.

A little more work guys.

SCORES OUT OF 10

Food: 6

Drinks: 6.5

Vibe: 8

Service: 6

THE MATRIARCH

22 Masters St, Newstead,

ph: 3852 6792

Chef: Matthew De Wacht

Lunch and dinner, Tue-Sun

Vegetarian and coeliac options