‘Cold steak and floppy crackling’: New Brisbane restaurant suffers opening glitch

Good times are on the agenda at a swish new fine dining temple above the river in the Brisbane CBD.

There’s a new temple devoted to the worship of meat high above the Brisbane River.

Bos, taking its name from the Latin word for beef, opened in mid-November in the Queen St eyrie formerly occupied by Otto Ristorante.

Now, made over and dressed in blacks and greens by a team comprising chef and author Adrian Richardson who fronts TV cooking shows and owns Bistro La Luna in Melbourne; Chris Higgins who was a co-owner of Eagle St’s Mr and Mrs G, and former right hand man to Cha Cha Char owner John Kilroy; and lawyer Liam McMahon, Bos is bringing premium steak back to the CBD riverfront. Head chef is former SK Steak & Oyster chef Nick Foat.

The view is across the river to the Story Bridge, with an adjoining Aviary Terrace Bar set to open in January to take in the vista.

New steakhouse BOS on Queen Street in Brisbane City. Picture: Liam Kidston

The plan appears to be to create a goodtime atmosphere fuelled by premium produce and an expansive drinks list, with the restaurant’s website declaring, “We believe in being sexy. Dining in luxury and enjoying that joie de vivre. We embody sophistication. We are Bos.” At the core of the menu are eight steaks plus share options of a 1.2-1.5kg bistecca T-bone or a similar-sized tomahawk but there’s plenty of choice with main courses also running to pastas including sand crab lasagne and rock lobster mafaldine (a ribbon pasta), swordfish, coral trout and a 400g lamb chop. Luxury touches abound with rock or Pacific oysters with champagne mignonette, house-made charcuterie, caviar with blinis, foie gras with brioche toast and burrata with chargrilled peach.

We’re greeted warmly and service remains upbeat if rather clunky throughout. We’re not told about specials, someone offers us the dessert menu after our entrees and two staff keep asking us the same questions.

Ricotta gnocchi with spring vegetables

We share three large, succulent, fleshy Mooloolaba prawns with burnt butter, capers and parsley ($30) and ricotta gnocchi with perfectly cooked asparagus and sugar snap peas, a light touch of basil pesto and chunks of buffalo mozzarella ($32).

The 400-bottle global wine list includes 41 Champagnes and sparklings and an arsenal of big hitters from the great wine regions, as well as a “just trust us” page to aid those who want an easy selection. There’s also a hefty array of cocktails and spritzes, jugs of punch and sangria, five martinis and a strong lineup of gin.

Bos has only been open just over a week when we visit and systems appear to be still settling in.

Crackling-wrapped pork loin at Bos in Queen Street, overlooking the river.

A significant period after our entrees are cleared, a waiter tops up our by-the-glass wines because “you have waited a long time”.

Eventually our main courses arrive. The crackling-wrapped pork loin is a beautiful piece of moist, flavoursome meat but there’s absolutely no crack in the crackling encasing it, it’s limp, encircled by celeriac puree and topped with fennel salad.

Sirloin steak at Bos

The steak, a grass-fed, dry-aged Cape Grim sirloin ($49) has a lovely charry exterior and is tender, well-rested meat cooked as requested, but it’s almost cold. What is hot as Hades though are the hand-cut fries with truffle salt ($13), which are crisply appealing. Steaks come with a tuft of watercress, a red wine jus and a selection of mustards and horseradish. For $5 extra there’s a variety of sauces, prawns can be added for $25 and foie gras for $40 and sides could be mash, wagyu fat roast potatoes, and various salads and vegetables.

Dessert includes crème brulee, a brownie and a really solid version of basque cheese cake ($17) adorned with pedro ximenez-poached prunes.

This restaurant is just starting out but to reference the mission statement, there’s nothing sexy about cool steak and floppy crackling. It’s likely an opening glitch but to live up to the restaurant’s fine dining billing, execution needs to be spot on.

For more reviews visit delicious.com.au/eatout

BOS

Level 4/480 Queen St, Brisbane

3063 5818

Bosbrisbane.com.au

Open Tue-Fri lunch
and dinner, Sat dinner from 5pm

Must try

Gnocchi

Verdict

Food 3.5

Service 3

Ambience 3.5

Value 3.5

Overall

3.5/5