Malt dining in Brisbane, QLD

THERE'S a fetching, yesteryear charm to Malt Dining that lures me in.

taste doughnut

THERE'S a fetching, yesteryear charm to Malt Dining that lures me in.

Something about going up to a first-level space above the street, above the bar, up a narrow, secretive staircase and under a quirky sculptural cluster of sticks (aka the beanstalk) on the ceiling is uplifting. Open windows let in a breeze off the river and the crumbly brick walls and timber floors enhance the natural feel.

The whole Malt enterprise (including a swish street-level bar, a private dining room in the cellar and the luxury upstairs restaurant) stacks up in three levels of a historic building in the CBD.

In a bid to distinguish the spaces further, the restaurant level is named the Attic.

Maybe there's an attic feel in its perched position and its steeply pitched roof.

The charm is in its rough, unpainted walls and cosy timber furnishings that let the original architecture speak for itself instead of running to the whim of an interior designer.

Thickly carpeted floors and a guy tinkling the ivories of a grand piano by the bar set the intimate mood.

The setting augurs well for ease of digestion and the menu isn't throwing out any challenges either. You won't need a glossary to read this document (nicely hard-bound) and you could practically write it yourself if you've been to any number of good bistros around town.

It's safe, it's good, it's honest rather like the setting and I appreciate the melding of environment and food.

The winter menu is still in operation and is suitably hearty, without the stodge and filler approach.

Some dishes lean to the gastro pub end of the spectrum, some aim for something a little more refined.

Hail to all places, such as Malt, which kick off with freshly baked bread, gratis, as we indulge in our first glass of wine. Slices of warm sourdough with dipping bowls of oil and balsamic whet the appetite for entrees.

Scallops are seared in the pan (though one seems to have mostly avoided the heat) and served on a puree of cauliflower. The agnolotti with black olive and goat's curd is nicely finished with burnt onion and pine nuts, and is one of the dishes where the conception is a match for the end result.

I can't say that of all the plates. The compote octopus sounds truly interesting, but the little cross-sections of tentacle are somewhat toughened in the cooking process. The pan-seared chorizo that accompanies it, while a nice complement to the flavour, is too similar in chewy factor to make the dish sing.

Fresh oysters served with cucumber and vodka jelly and avruga (caviar substitute) lighten the load nicely, and a few barflies nearby who've crawled up from the lower floor are tucking into the kilpatrick beignet oysters.

My instincts to lean towards the simpler fare are justified with the appearance of the soubise fish pie, all fresh and flaky and steaming in a rich sauce. The slow-cooked lamb rump is more rare than requested. A duck breast with braised cotechino and cavolo nero again sounds the part, but doesn't quite achieve the greatness required of the script, with a too-salty edge to the meat and a strength to the sausage that is not quite ameliorated by the bean puree and corn pudding.

Funny thing is, for all the nitpicking and the fact that half the meals are great and half less so, I would happily go back.

A delightful apple tart sets us up at the end, and some mini doughnuts prove that the less ambitious dishes hit the mark here.

The service is very good and I have the feeling there's a lot of dedication here. I look forward to a bit of ironing out of the menu and to spring treats in October.
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Address: 28 Market St, Brisbane
Ph: 3236 4855

How it rated:

Food: 14/20
Staff: 8/10
Drink: 3/5
X-factor: 3/5
Value: 7/10

Overall: 35/50