Delicious 100: Queensland’s top 10 fine dining restaurants
QUEENSLAND is developing a name for fine dining. We’ve picked the best fine dining restaurants in the state. Here are the top 10.
Delicious 100
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Quuensland is developing a name for fine dining.
We’ve picked the best fine dining restaurants in the state. Here are the top 10.
Queensland’s Delicious 100: 10 must-east dishes
ARIA
From the plush dining chairs to the white cloths, elegant glassware and crockery, sound-deadening carpet and stellar views to the Story Bridge, every base is covered to enhance the dining experience before you even get to the food, drinks and service. These over-achieve too, with the voluminous wine list winning this year’s Australian Wine List of the Year award, a staff member for taking orders, another to deliver them, the sommelier to oversee wine choice and someone else to pour the water and wines by the glass. The menu descriptions are opaque, with a list of three or four ingredients the only clue as to what the dish might involve but fortunately well-drilled staff are on hand to answer any query. Coal-grilled, tender West Australian octopus teamed simply with nduja, tomato and ribbons of zucchini turns out to be a fine starter, while beautifully cooked blue-eye trevalla with a couple of diamond shell clams is terrific. A dessert simply described on the menu as chocolate and passionfruit is a treasure trove of components. All of this comes at a price but if you’re up for a cosseting fine-dining experience, they’ve got you covered.
Must-eat dish: Blue-eyed trevalla
Price: more than $80 for two courses
Chef: Matt Moran and Ben Russell
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Bookings: Yes
Open: Lunch Tue-Fri; Dinner Sat
Address: Eagle Street Pier, 1 Eagle Street, Brisbane
Ph: 07 3233 2555
Website: ariabrisbane.com.au
Instagram: @ariabrisbane
OTTO RISTORANTE
A visit to Otto is an immersion in a seamless restaurant experience as smooth as the crema on an expertly made espresso. From the greeting at the door on arrival, through an impeccably timed meal, during which service is attentive but not intrusive and the food exciting yet anchored within tradition, this is a restaurant at the top of its modern Italian game. Moreton Bay blue swimmer crab and mascarpone-filled ravioli with black garlic crema is alarming to look at (the sauce is dark brown and entirely covers the pasta) but wonderful to eat. The pasta is silken and the sauce light and luscious. Squid ink spaghetti with baby octopus is also perfectly cooked. Mains might be quail or calamari from the wood-fired grill or perhaps a Gooralie pork cheek enhanced by piquant pieces of cumquat, garlic, mustard, almonds and charred onion. Dessert lovers will need to take care not to overindulge in the rest of the menu because they are seriously good. Diced strawberries cascade over salted white chocolate and mascarpone mousse and buffalo yoghurt gelato or chocolate lovers might consider a construction of coffee gelato over a disc of chocolate mousse topped with a sable biscuit dusted with lemon sherbet. Views over to the light-garlanded Story Bridge and crazily whirling light shades complete the picture.
Must-eat dish: Moreton Bay blue swimmer crab and mascarpone filled ravioli with black garlic crema
Price: $41-$80 for two courses
Chef: Will Cowper
Cuisine: Italian
Bookings: Yes
Open: Mon-Sat 12pm-10pm
Address: 4/480 Queen St, Brisbane City
Ph: 07 3835 2888
Website: ottoristorante.com.au
Instagram: @ottoristorante
MONTRACHET
The chef-patron of acclaimed Brisbane French restaurant Montrachet, Shannon Kellam, tackles a classic French sauce like a painter – layering flavours together as if they were brushstrokes, building upon each one with such finesse and delicacy the result is a complex and nuanced work of art that needs to be savoured. The latte-hued broth pooling around an entree of melting pumpkin gnocchi, opaque bites of Moreton Bay bug, broad beans and slivers of radish is one such example. Another is the subtly flavoured bisque around the signature crabmeat and gruyere cheese souffle that reinforces the seafood flavour without overwhelming the dish. Both are so good that if they were served at home, the bowls would be licked clean. Montrachet is not one for the dieter, but a place for pure and utter indulgence. When calories don’t count and a special occasion deserves a special meal.
The wine list enforces this visions for excellence, with an all-consuming list of French classics alongside more interesting boutique vino at the higher end of the price scale. Sommelier Romain Maunier is on hand to help make the perfect wine-food pairing, while diners will want for nothing with the polished, professional and efficient front of house team commanded by Kellam’s partner Clare Wallace. With its graceful and elegant fit-out brandishing pressed metal ceilings, timber floors, scarlet leather upholstery and a glistening long bar, Montrachet delivers a dining experience to remember.
Must-eat dish: crab and gruyere soufflé
Price: more than $80 for two courses
Chef: Shannon Kellam
Cuisine: French
Bookings: Yes
Open: Lunch and Dinner Tue-Fri, Sat Dinner only
Address: 1/30 King St, Bowen Hills
Ph: 3367 0030
Website: montrachet.com.au
Instagram: @Montrachet_restaurant
GAUGE
They say two heads are better than one and this is certainly the case with joint Gauge head chefs Cormac Bradfield and Phil Marchant.
At this unassuming South Brisbane cafe-cum-fine diner, the pair has created a two, three or seven-course modern Australian menu of whimsy, contrast and intrigue, blending native Australian ingredients with flavours of the Orient using European techniques. The result is a wild ride of the unexpected and interesting.
Take an entree of raw pork, for example, the dish channeling a breakfast favourite of smoked salmon and creme fraiche with the uncooked meat similar in texture to cured fish with a scallop puree bringing seafood notes to the dish alongside goats cheese and the lemony zing of pickled rhubarb.
While a main of celeriac tortellini is as beautiful and refined as it is simple - the pasta meltingly soft with a creamy veg filling amplified by a layered broth.
Unmissable, however, is a side of fried sebago potato crowned with a malt vinegar-infused creme fraiche, grated egg yolk and onion salt.
Their signature dessert may be the black garlic bread with vanilla burnt butter, but the Terry’s Chocolate Orange-esque combination of chocolate sorbet with mandarin curd and mushroom and cacao-dusted radicchio chips begs investigating. It’s even better with a dessert wine from the tight but unique - sometimes challenging - list of vino from small producers. While service varies from exemplary to incompetent depending on the wait person, Gauge bats well above is average.
Must-eat dish: Sebago potato
Price: $41-$80 for two courses
Chef: Cormac Bradfield and Phil Marchant
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Bookings: Yes
Open: Lunch Fri-Sun, Dinner Wed-Sat, breakfast Sat-Sun
Address: 77 Grey St, South Brisbane
Ph: 07 3638 0431
Website: gaugebrisbane.com.au
Instagram: @gauge.brisbane
URBANE
After taking over from former executive chef and co-owner Alejandro Cancino earlier this year, incoming Michelin-trained, Brisbane-bred chef Andrew Gunn has subtly but confidently put his mark on the Brisbane fine dining institution. Alongside fiancée and head chef Amelie Rabaud, Gunn has reimagined the restaurant’s five and seven-course omnivore and herbivore offerings harnessing his background in France’s two Michelin-starred Le Taillevent and three Michelin-starred Le Cinq. amplifying the use of European technique to create a globally inspired menu as diverse as it is delicious. Take zucchini three ways – its flesh spiralled, its stem battered and deep fried and its flower stuffed with vegan cheese which melts into a sublimely delicate tomato consomme. Or perhaps a red lentil dahl, its texture aerated against crisp disks of roti and an ethereal herb salad. Wagyu is handled with expert care and attention, ensuring its aching tenderness, alongside almost foam-like bernaise.
It’s considered, thoughtful cooking enhanced by an extensive drinks list.
Must-eat dish: Zucchini flower
Price: more than $80 for two courses
Chef: Andrew Gunn
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Bookings: Yes
Open: Dinner Thur-Sat
Address: 181 Mary St, Brisbane
Ph: 3229 2271
Website: urbanerestaurant.com
Instagram: @urbanebrisbane
HOMAGE
For chef Ash Martin, Homage is not just a restaurant, it’s a way of life. Dedicated to ethical, sustainable and organic, where possible, produce, he has turned much of the acreage of luxury retreat Spicers Hidden Vale, where the fine diner sits, into his personal pantry and larder. An entrée of pork neck comes from the property’s drove of pigs, the tender meat charry and smoky, balanced by sour native Davidson plum wafers and a creamy pork fat foam. While an on-site fermenting room delivers concentrated tomato puree and fermented barley, which provide equilibrium against the fishiness of locally farmed Barcoo grunter in a surprising main. Dark chocolate is then left to flavour up in the retreat’s smoke house before being set as bark alongside chocolate ice cream, soil and shavings for a textural interplay brightened by mint and pine. With no stoves or cooktops only an outdoor fire to cook over, there’s a distinct barbecue flavour that runs throughout the dishes. While cooking caveman-style may be “on-trend”, here it’s undeniably fitting as Homage is set inside a historic barn – rustic and cosy, yet polished and expensive with its stone-clad fireplace, weathered timber beams and corrugated iron roof. Service echoes the relaxed yet refined ambience, with restaurant manager-cum-sommelier Tim Mordue delivering charm, expertise and passion alongside an extensive, considered drinks list where cocktails and spirits excite and wine harmonizes with the food. It may be an hour out of Brisbane by car, but Homage is worth the drive.
Must-eat dish: Pork neck
Price: $41-$80 for two courses
Chef: Ash Martin
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Bookings: Yes
Open: Daily, Lunch and Dinner
Address: 617 Grandchester Mt Mort Rd, Grandchester
Ph: 1300 179 340
Website: spicersretreats.com/spicers-hidden-vale/dining
Instagram: @homagerestaurant
THE LONG APRON
Housed within the charming, French-provincial guest house of Spicers Clovelly Estate with its intimate, formal (if a little dated) dining room, The Long Apron is made for romantic dinners.Couples are encouraged to dress up for the evening and let the competent and professional staff guide them through what is to be a culinary experience rather than just a meal.
Select from the tight three-course a la carte menu, or settle in for a five-course omnivore or vegetarian degustation, with all the extras.
A series of delicate and refined amuse bouche kick things off, before an entree of, perhaps, sweet, melting suckling pig juxtaposed with tart fermented pumpkin and studded with shards of crisp crackling.
Mains may include expertly executed full blood Angus beef on lush parsnip and celeriac puree with a parsnip chip for crunch; while a toasted hay ice cream incorporates the European trend of adding vegetables to desserts with pickled artichoke and artichoke chips, alongside meringue shards and a white chocolate smear. It’s one of the best interpretations of this fad in the state, but perhaps even better is the cheese course with an oozing washed rind to be scooped up by paper-thin linseed wafers met with sweet rhubarb puree and medallions of just-cooked potatoes. Sensational.
With a well-rounded drinks list that supports Sunshine Coast brewers and Queensland winemakers, and the kitchen’s commitment to local produce, The Long Apron is a salute to some of the state’s best.
Must-eat dish: the cheese course
Price: $41-$80 for two courses
Chef: Chris Hagan
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Bookings: Yes
Open: Lunch Fri-Sun; Dinner Thu-Mon
Address: 68 Balmoral Rd, Montville
Ph: 1300 252 380
Website: spicersretreats.com/restaurants/the-long-apron
Instagram: @thelongapron
BLACKBIRD BAR & GRILL
Channelling a bygone glamour, Blackbird is a dazzlingly opulent space with velvet banquettes, metallic wallpaper and glamorous dining areas, most with expansive views of the Brisbane River. Since opening in 2014 in the Riverside Centre, it has billed itself as a carnivore’s heaven – there are 11 choices of beef, including a massive 1.5-2kg Mayura Station full blood. It also excels at seafood, with impressive shellfish platters, comprising oysters, prawns, bugs and scallops, for one to six people. Yellowtail kingfish sashimi is luscious, cloaked with thinly sliced pickled daikon and dotted with black sesame and yuzu. Neatly sliced marbled wagyu rump cap comes with coleslaw and tangy mustard (as do all the beef dishes from the Infierno 96 wood-wired grill), with sides including roasted carrots glazed in ginger beer and griddled sweet corn cake with salted ricotta. A mighty dish is the Brisbane Valley quail, boned and stuffed with bacon and marjoram, and paired with candied Brussels sprouts, and a sweet potato and miso mash. Desserts are equally inventive, with an apple galette prettily offset by pumpkin ice cream and pepita praline. The presentation is artful and the produce exceptional. Service maintains the high standards as does the wine list, which changes with the seasonality of the menu.
Must-eat dish: Brisbane Valley quail
Price: more than $80 for two courses
Chef: Jake Nicholson
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Bookings: Yes
Open: Daily for Lunch and Dinner
Address: 123 Eagle St, Brisbane
Ph: 07 3229 1200
Website: blackbirdbrisbane.com.au
Instagram: @blackbirdbrisbane
RESTAURANT DAN ARNOLD
With a focus on classical cookery and set menus, there’s a strong French accent here. Owner-chef Dan Arnold grew up in Brisbane and after an apprenticeship at Il Centro, headed to France for seven years, working in two Michelin star restaurants. Last year after winning eighth place at the prestigious French cooking competition, the Bocuse d’Or, Arnold returned home to go out on his own. Now he’s offering three or five set courses as well as a small a la carte menu at lunchtimes and at the bar on Friday and Saturday evenings. The lineup changes regularly but an entrée might be kingfish draped with very thin slices of cauliflower and accessorised by artichoke barigoule with a froth of vermouth emulsion. Main course could be saddle of lamb with the beautifully pink, soft meat contrasting with a cube of crispy belly, with a bowl of potatoes Lorette on the side. At this point diners can add in a cheese course or head straight to a dessert, possibly strawberries on a sable biscuit with vanilla diplomat cream, strawberry sorbet and chocolate.
Must-eat dish: Goldband snapper
Price: $41-$80 for two courses
Chef: Dan Arnold
Cuisine: French
Bookings: Yes
Open: Lunch and Dinner Tue-Sat
Address: 959 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley
Ph: 07 3189 2735
Website: restaurantdanarnold.com
Instagram: @restaurantdanarnold
GOMA
Conjuring images of a Japanese rock garden, a quenelle of the silkiest honey ice cream sits atop pebbles of nitrogen-frozen mascarpone dotted with pearls of blackberry, finger lime and marigold petals concealing spoonfuls of guava sorbet. This not-too-sweet, beautifully balanced dessert is well worth saving room for at GOMA’s signature restaurant. Much like the rest of the menu at this acclaimed venue, it is elegant, refined and sophisticated.
Now under the watchful eye of executive chef Doug Innes-Will, GOMA has done away with some of the magic and storytelling of the past and is now focusing solely on flavour.
The best local produce is used in an entree of Hervey Bay scallops with tamarind, chilli and kaffir lime, as it is in a main of chicken, sourced from Queensland free-range farm 9Dorf, accompanied by black rice, black vinegar and black garlic - for maximum visual impact.
A parochial approach has also been applied to the wine list, with some of Queensland’s best labels taking pride of place within the predominantly Australian and New Zealand list. For a vino pairing with the food, ask for advice from one of the well-versed waiters, who know the menu inside out and deliver dishes with aplomb.
Boasting a light-filled, airy fitout and a relaxed yet refined atmosphere, this restaurant is equally well suited to lunch for one as it is to dinner for 10.
Must-eat dish: Honey ice cream with blackberry
Price: $41-$80 for two courses
Chef: Doug Innes-Will
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Bookings: Yes
Open: Wed to Sun for Lunch, Fri for Dinner
Address: Stanley Pl, South Brisbane
Ph: 07 3842 9916
Website: qagoma.qld.gov.au
Instagram: @qagoma
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