South East Queensland restaurant guide: The best dishes we’ve tried in the past 18 months
From bold, savoury flavours to beautifully crafted plates, these are the standout Queensland restaurant dishes you’ll want to savour right now.
QLD News
Don't miss out on the headlines from QLD News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
South East Queensland’s dining scene has flourished in recent years, with a wave of new openings sweeping from the grand Queen’s Wharf precinct to unexpected gems along the coast.
From refined fine-dining to generous crowd-pleasers, we’ve tasted our way across the region to bring you the standout dishes of the past 18 months.
Here are the ones that truly impressed.
Woodfired flatbread with taramasalata ($32)
Peli’s, Tewantin
The team behind blockbuster Noosa Asian fusion restaurant Sum Yung Guys surprised when they opened a second restaurant with a Mediterranean bent and a menu delivering the likes of glazed lamb shoulder, charred baby octopus and barbecued swordfish.
But before going any further start with an irresistible, straight-from-the-oven, puffed-up flat bread that’s perfect for swiping through salty, tangy taramasalata.
Beef Wellington ($70pp)
Montrachet, Bowen Hills
New owner, new menu at the traditionally decorated perennial French favourite in Bowen Hills.
But while chef and owner Clement Chauvin has kept many traditional diner favourites, he’s also introduced beef wellington, which he developed a fondness for when working at Claridge’s in London under Gordon Ramsay.
The wellington arrives on a board to be admired in its golden pastry glory and is then carved at the table and served with red wine jus and an array of mustards and horseradish.
The lushly soft black angus eye fillet is perfectly pink and encased in very thin layers of mushroom and foie gras, herbed crepes and butter puff pastry. C’est magnifique.
King crab and prawn spring rolls ($18)
Central, Brisbane City
From the first bite, the gloriously crisp, golden, rectangular bundle encasing chunks of king crab and prawn is a terrific version of the Chinese restaurant staple, a dramatic opening play from the strikingly original underground Queen St restaurant that is the newest outing from the owners of Rick Shores and Southside that delivers a strong take on the Cantonese flavours of Hong Kong.
Angus eye fillet ($65)
Black Hide Steak and Seafood by Gambaro, Brisbane City
With panoramic South Bank views, a plush, open, light and bright interior with modern, slightly Mediterranean vibe, this restaurant plays to the strengths of the Gambaro family’s restaurants, combining quality steak and seafood.
The steaks are all from Stanbroke Beef, including angus and wagyu options, with the entry level 200g angus eye fillet delivering with a charry, smoky exterior giving way to very soft and tender centre that’s cooked exactly as requested.
Pickled fennel fritti and skordalia ($18)
August, West End
When Brad Cooper and Matilda Riek opened a new restaurant in an 1888-built church in West End late last year, the menu was as unexpected as the surrounds, with dishes such as pickled fennel fritti.
With the fennel cut into cross sections and fried until crispy, the dish delivers visual appeal and flavour, with the lot planted in a small mound of garlicky skordalia that’s perfect for dipping.
Pork rillettes croquettes ($26)
Cru Bar and Cellar, Fortitude Valley
Diners on James Street can delight in the offerings at the recently renovated Cru Bar and Cellar, now feeling a little more restaurant than bar, with cheap wine and portion sizes well worth their dough. Is there anything better?
With a 10 strong share/entree menu, the winner here is the sand crab gribiche and chive topped pork rillettes croquettes. These little sausage-shaped bites are even more filling than they look and a flavour that is second to none.
Beef cheek bourguignon pithivier ($36)
The Brasserie, Brisbane City
What you see is what you get at this elegant city-side brasserie, with a menu sticking to the classics and doing them well, perhaps echoing the history of the heritage-listed building it resides in. One such dish is the beef cheek bourguignon pithivier, flaky pastry perfectly encasing the slow-cooked and falling-apart goodness that steals the show, all surrounded by a delectable puddle of jus.
Wagyu 220g rump ($58)
Fatcow, Fortitude Valley
At first glance, the humble 220g wagyu rump, compared with say the ‘golden fatcow’ (a 400g gold leaf topped rib fillet), at this sleek James Street haunt may seem a bit meh.
But first bites tell all, and this grain-fed, MB-9 plus, woodfired rump is a standout, as succulent as it is beautifully textured.
Dish it up alongside a suite of decadent sides and sauces, from roasted pumpkin with blue cheese sauce and french fries with truffle aioli to horseradish creme fraiche and woodfired mushroom sauce, and you’ve got yourself the recipe to the perfect steak dinner.
Tapri special kulcha thali ($28)
Tapri, Paddington
Diners after a hearty authentic meal on a tight budget will strike gold with a trip to this little Paddington joint.
If you’ve never heard of a kulcha, then let Tapri be the place to educate you, with their specialty north Indian stuffed flatbread arriving atop a metal sectioned platter, overflowing with robust lamb and chicken curries, yoghurt raita and an onion salad.
The kulcha (flatbread) itself, clay-oven baked and leavened, is stunningly charred and crisp on the base, and topped with a stick of butter and a smattering of black and white sesame seeds, perfectly pairing with the curries.
Kingfish miso ceviche ($24)
Sokyo, Brisbane City
This high-end Japanese restaurant in the heart of The Star Grand Hotel in Brisbane’s CBD specialises in delivering top-notch seafood expertly prepared. And perhaps there’s no better dish on the menu to showcase this than the signature kingfish miso ceviche.
The delicate fish is cut just thinly enough to guarantee the ideal mouthfeel, while lime, miso and a hint of green chilli in the dressing are expertly balanced to deliver excitement rather than overwhelm.
With a nest of tiny fried potato straws for crunch capping the dish off, this is one you’ll return for time and time again.
Roma Mia Pinsa ($30.90)
Doughcraft, Brisbane City
If you love pizza, you’ll want to try the pinsa at this Brisbane CBD bakery-cum restaurant. The often overlooked ancient Roman dish boasts a rectangular-shaped, focaccia-like base covered in toppings.
Doughcraft serves up versions crowned with everything from mushrooms and Italian sausage to gorgonzola cream and pears, but the “Roma Mia” with razor thin slices of fatty porchetta draped over the crispy-edged, fluffy centred crust with melted provola cheese and romesco sauce is an absolute winner.
Lobster roll ($24)
Supernormal, Brisbane City
The lobster roll has long been a signature dish of Supernormal’s Melbourne restaurant, and its Brisbane incarnation offers all the same charm, sophistication and utter deliciousness.
Chilled, pickled crustacean comes lacquered in mayonnaise boosted with rice wine vinegar for an Asian touch, before being loaded onto a pillowy toasted brioche bun alongside a cloud of watercress.
It’s a smashable dish worthy of its hero title, and even better enjoyed with a glass of chablis overlooking the Brisbane River from a spot on the restaurant’s terrace.
Pan-fried gnocchi with count cream ($29)
Petite, Fortitude Valley
This casual French bistro is all about simple dishes done well and the pan-fried Parisian gnocchi is the ultimate example of such. The dough dumplings arrive caramelised from the pan, their soft centres melting like cotton candy in the mouth. They’re then bathed in a rich cream infused with count cheese that will have you scraping the bowl clean.
Prawn toast ($26)
Stan’s Lounge, Brisbane City
Brisbane is home to its fair share of prawn toast, but the version at this ultra slick bar above Cantonese dining favourite Stanley is a class above. The hearty, shumai-shaped bites star a sesame seed crust enveloping soft, sweet prawn that’s only just cooked through.
It’s crowned with truffle mayo and salmon roe, giving the ubiquitous favourite a touch of luxury. Also, a special shout-out should go to the sand crab cigars – aka crab spring rolls ($18) that are as sensational as they sound.
Confit duck ($45)
Herve’s Restaurant and Bar, Albion
This loft restaurant serves up a love letter to France through classic dishes executed with skill. The confit duck is a highlight, with the game bird brined in juniper and clove for flavour and moistness, before being cooked until its skin crisps and tans.
Accompanied by vegetables and lentils braised in bone broth, it’s a taste of France without the airfare.
Pan-fried snapper ($48)
Lars Bar & Grill, Mermaid Beach
A simple piece of fish gets the expert treatment at this relaxed coastal bar and grill.
Served on its own, the Knobby snapper is pan-fried till its flesh is just cooked through, ensuring it retains all its moisture, before being blanketed in a silky burnt butter, caper and lemon sauce.
Order it with the velvety, buttery mash and you’ll be a happy camper.
Wagyu beef dumplings ($30)
Longwang, Brisbane City
You don’t have to look far for great dumplings in Queensland, but the wagyu beef versions at this CBD laneway eatery are worth investing in.
Pan-fried until their skins go crispy and golden, they are packed full of tender, fatty wagyu popping with cumin and fennel.
The parcels stand strong on their own but are even better dipped in the accompanying black vinegar and sambal mix with a chilli hit.
Originally published as South East Queensland restaurant guide: The best dishes we’ve tried in the past 18 months
Parole board shake-up: Major probe into mistakes and victim failures
A major review into the Queensland Parole Board is set to begin to examine any historical failures in governance, oversight and victim engagement.
CFMEU members face pay cuts, job losses as strikes wreak havoc
Peak construction bodies have warned the CFMEU’s unlawful protests, expected to shutdown more of Brisbane today, will cause a “massive loss of momentum” on critical projects — including housing.
Shocking question asked by dad accused of torturing baby son
A young dad accused of carrying out ‘sustained abuse’ after his baby son was found with burns and 19 fractures has made a stunning request to a Brisbane court.
Tech to enforce under-16s social media ban gets thumbs up
Technology which will underpin the world-leading under-16s social media ban has been given the thumbs up, following a groundbreaking trial.
Schools lash out over govt’s failure to release key funding report
The Education Minister has been accused of failing to properly provide the sector with what it needs to run schools amid a delay in releasing a major report meant to overhaul the way schools are funded, despite it being finalised last year.
New twist in backpacker fire killer’s latest bid for freedom
Survivors of the deadly Childers backpacker fire have been granted a new opportunity in their bid to keep the man responsible for the deaths of 15 people behind bars.