Glam seafood restaurant to open in Brisbane’s CBD

A team of Queensland hospitality gurus will serve up some of the best seafood from across Australia at their new CBD restaurant.

Brisbane’s CBD will welcome a glamorous new seafood restaurant perched on the river’s edge fronted by one of Queensland’s most respected hospitality outfits.

Andrew and Jaimee Baturo of Libertine and Naga Thai fame, alongside head chef Suwisa Phoonsang and general manager Gizem Temizkan, will launch Tillerman in the former Kingsley site on the mezzanine level of Riparian Plaza.

Gizem Temizkan, Andrew Baturo and head chef Suwisa Phoonsang at the new Tillerman site in Brisbane CBD. Picture: Millie Tang

With Naga now shut to make way for the redevelopment of Eagle Street Pier, the Baturos and their team were looking for a new challenge, and so Tillerman was conceived.

“I thought it would be great to do something that really honours and celebrates Australian seafood,” Andrew said, lamenting on the void left by the closure of John Kilroy’s city seafood restaurant Jellyfish in 2020.

“We’ll have fish from all over Australia. We want to get some of the best seafood we can from different fisheries and make sure everything is ethically sourced and sustainable.”

The next step, he says, will be handling the seafood minimally, letting the quality of the product, supplied through Morningside’s The Fish Factory, truly shine.

The result will be an eclectic, globally influenced menu with dishes inspired by everywhere from the Mediterranean to the Fijian islands.

That may mean the likes of salt-baked Murray cod, whole fish to share with salads and sides or an impressive Queensland mud crab served cold and hand-picked accompanied by crab butter and Melba toast. There will also be a large variety of snacks and starters running from salmon jerky to Spanish-style salted cod croquetas.

Queensland mud crab at Tillerman.

Non-seafood eaters won’t be forgotten though, thanks to the likes of heritage wagyu flank, chicken roulade with mushroom duxelles and vegetable tarte tatin.

The same level of care and attention to detail is going into the drinks offering, boasting about 150 wines mostly chosen from the world’s great coastal wine regions; with roughly 30 available by the glass. Rum-based cocktails will be a big focus, including a daiquiri menu, as well as vintage port and sherry for after dinner or a nightcap.

And it will be just the spot to relax, with almost every table in the Hogg & Lamb-designed venue gifted a view of the Brisbane River, whether it be in cosy mini booths, banquette seating, or tables along the sprawling balcony.

Tillerman is pushing for an early September opening, with bookings available now.

For more fantastic Queensland restaurants, see part one of the delicious. 100 here, with part two, including the state’s No. 1 eatery to be revealed this Friday at noon.