Review: Mt Coot-Tha’s Summit restaurant reopens after five years

The Summit restaurant has reopened after multimillion-dollar renovations. It undeniably boasts stunning views and a broad menu, but there’s one dish that is nothing like its namesake.

Alison Walsh

@AlisonAWalsh

3 min read

May 22, 2025 - 5:00AM

QWeekend

The Summit restaurant has reopened, with the interior completely refreshed. Picture: Markus Ravik

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You’re not exactly going to need supplementary oxygen to climb to the top of Brisbane’s highest mountain, the 287m Mt Coot-Tha, in the city’s west. Nevertheless, this bushland-clad mountain criss-crossed by hiking trails is lofty enough for its lookout to offer stunning, panoramic views out to Moreton Bay, to the mountains of the Scenic Rim and to the jutting towers of the CBD.

Now the heritage-listed restaurant building that has long been a part of the lookout experience has finally reopened five years after it shut its doors in 2019.

Operated by the Mantle Group, which has other venues including Jimmy’s on the Mall, this major renovation is apparently just the first part of plans for the site, which include a two-level pavilion, boutique gin distillery and “cultural tourism experience”.

The exterior of the restaurant with its red-tiled roof looks largely the same but the interior has been completely refreshed with light green walls, bare wood tabletops, banquettes adorned with cushions, and windows framing views out into the treetops and, from other tables, the city, with superb views from the large deck.

Eliza Dunn and Chelsea O’Brien with head chef Kym Machin. Picture: Josh Woning

Heading the kitchen is Kym Machin, previously at the now-closed but at the time cutting-edge Urbane in the CBD and more recently co-founder of Bare Bones Society in Jindalee.

His menu is lengthy, crafted largely from Queensland produce, combining classic technique with a sprinkling of native ingredients.

Our waitress suggests that the tasting menus ($79 and $99) are the best way to explore the food but we choose a la carte, which operates under various headings. The “Smaller” section includes Rocky Point cobia with herb and buttermilk dressing, or beef and beetroot tartare; “Garden” boasts veg dishes such as roasted cauliflower with fermented honey, sea celery, sunflower seeds and sprouts, “Sea” stars Moreton Bay prawns and three types of fish, “Air” is quail, chicken and duck, “Land” has lamb, pork and beef offerings, while “Earth” is agnolotto with pumpkin, gnocchi and risotto.

Stracciatella, parfait and prawns are among the fare showcased at The Summit. Picture: Markus Ravik

We start with battered Moreton Bay bug in brioche ($33) accented with “banh me” flavours including pickled carrot and herbs that add crisp contrast – and the best dish of the night, Elliott Heads spanner crab ($36).

Chunks of the crab meat are tossed with a delicately dressed Thai herb salad, and served with buckwheat crumpets that come with a pat of whipped butter.

A not particularly large fillet of Rocky Point grouper ($68) arrives with skin on, topped by ribbons of cucumber, and teamed with a pleasing mix of shredded red cabbage, crunchy rice, herbs, fermented palm sugar and Thai chilli sauce, nam jim jaew.

Crumpets and spanner crab.

Longreach organic lamb ($55) is slow braised and roasted into tenderness, and topped with a couple of carrots and a spray of saltbush, while a side dish bears a mini saucepan of wild spinach sauce, a jug of jus and a rectangle of delicious potato sarladaise.

Desserts include the likes of scorched fig leaf crème, with figs, macadamia, honeycomb but we opt to share a tarte tatin ($20), a decent dessert but nothing like its namesake, the traditional French caramelised baked apple pastry. Maybe a different name would prevent confusion. Strips of compressed apple and cinnamon myrtle, caramelised white chocolate ice cream and a large, almond- flecked sable biscuit work well together.

The Summit has a broad men.

The drinks list is hefty with more than a dozen beers on tap, spritzes and cocktails and loads of spirits including 19 gins.

The lengthy wine list is global with a skew to Australian labels, while 24 wines by the glass start from a budget friendly $13 and are offered in two sizes.

This is a large venue with a lot going on across a broad menu – there’s also a separate bar food offering – and it’s a promising start from a restaurant making a bid to be noticed just as much as the view.