Brisbane fine dining

[Will]

Hi all - seeking the benefit of your travel experience!

I'm looking for a good restaurant for a special occassion with a mate. We are both foodies so I'd like to take him to the best place in town - hopefully with a good degustation menu? Price isn't really an issue (willing to spend on a good night out!) It will be on a Monday night in Brisbane.

Any suggestions?

 

[notzac]

Would recommend not going to Cru Bar

Was having this discussion not so long ago - a suggestion was to try e'cco bistro (Philip Johnson's E'cco Bistro). I've only eaten there once before a very long time ago, but it was very very good.

 

[moa999]

The new Aria Brisbane on the waterfront

Jellyfish (waterfront) or Lure (Coro Hotel at Milton) for seafood
Cha Cha Char (waterfront) for steak

 

[Katie]

Ditto on Aria.
Alchemy, next to Customs House and lovely views of the river. Had dinner there on the 13th, and Mr Katie had the fancy dessert - in liquid nitrogen!
Lots of books from French Laundry and el Bulli on the shelves for diners to browse, should they wish.
Haven't been to Urbane in yonks & not since its relaunch, but they did do a very interesting degustation when I was last there.
We've also been wanting to try Buffalo Club in the Valley, but haven't yet. I think the chef/owner at Buffalo has worked at el Bulli.

 

[mm472]

+1 for Cha cha cha

 

[markis10]

This question does come up occasionally:

http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/community/your-questions/brissy-dinner-11944.html

I might add Augustines On George is a long time favorite but things seemed to have slipped

Please wait...

As always the good food guide is not a bad start:

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/goodfoodguide/

 

[Dave R32]

-1 for Cha Cha Cha

Urbane or Siggi's get my vote.

Cheers
Dave.

 

[tuppaware]

Restaurant Two.

Never eaten there but heard good things.

 

[Hawkeye]

If you have a tasting menu in mind, my suggestions would be Buffalo Club or Urbane (recently renovated with a new bar area), in that order. Restaurant II and Gianni's would be suitable alternatives.

The Buffalo Club and E'cco are, in my opinion, the 2 best restaurants in Brisbane. E'cco does not, until recently at least, offer a degustation. Siggy's is more "silver service" in nature, and I find both it and Restaurant II a little stuffy.

Another option is Anise Wine Bar, which offers a decent tasting menu and an excellent accompanying wine menu by the glass.

 

[haydensydney]

-1 for Cha Cha Cha: had a dinner there once and it wasn't the best, don't know how this place scored a place on the centurion fine dining list (tho - i've been told it was great in it's hey day)

+1 for Alchemy: quite experimental in terms of food, there was certainly some interesting flavours floating around, but overall it was a good experience. Good views also.

Never been to Aria in Brisbane, but Aria in Sydney does a good job and if Brisbane is at the same level - it would be great. The location is great too - if I recall correctly it is where Pier 9 used to be down by the river...

 

[MAX_1]

Montrachet - food sensational.

More a bistro than a restaurant.

Montrachet - Bar, Comptoir, Restaurant

Just look at the hours of trade. What other resaurant would only open from Monday to Thursday night for dinner and Monday to Friday for lunch.
French arrogance, maybe.
Just don't be late for your sitting and book i advance a few weeks.

Also Ecco has had a great reputation. Philip Johnson's E'cco Bistro

Again a Bistro , great food

 

[markis10]

.
Just don't be late for your sitting and book i advance a few weeks.

Handy for others to know but given the OP is looking at Monday night options it might be a bit hard to get a seat, then again it is Monday in Brisbane.

 

[medhead]

Is cha cha char fine dining?

Recommended for steak and that char in the name suggests it is probably pretty good for steak, but I don't class steak as fine dining. As someone born in brisbane and lived there for a little while, I've never been to cha cha char, although I did go to a place attached to a pub in paddington that I recall being cha cha char, but that was also a sort of chain thing being attached to a couple of pubs, like the morrison near the Mater hospital. But I have had mighty fine steaks at the Normanby and the Breaky Creek.

 

[markis10]

There is a very recent review of Urbane and their degustation menu here:


HOT: Urbane Restaurant, 179 Mary St, Brisbane | BNE: HOT OR NOT

 

[Katie]

I read last weekend, I think, that Siggi's is closing. I think within the next week or so.

 

[Katie]

Is cha cha char fine dining?

Cha cha char is perhaps neither Siggi's, but nor is it quite the Brekky Creek. Service, wait staff, wine list, meal service style, table settings and the like (and perhaps prices and location! ) makes it certainly more at the fancier end of town.
There's certainly a much more noisy, bloke-y vibe at Cha Cha Char than at Alchemy or Siggi's. If not "fine" dining, then perhaps it's "on the expensive end, but good" ?

 

[Hawkeye]

Montrachet - food sensational.

Absolutely! I'm embarrassed that I left it off my list.

It has that great French plat de jour comptoir feel about it. And, I'm sure they've added a degustation in the last year or two. It can get very loud and warm when at the peak of service, though.

 

[markis10]

Absolutely! I'm embarrassed that I left it off my list.

It has that great French plat de jour comptoir feel about it. And, I'm sure they've added a degustation in the last year or two.

Yep: http://www.montrachet.com.au/menus/DegustationMenu.pdf

 

[estate]

Restaurant Two.

Never eaten there but heard good things.

Two is brilliant, but a bit ostentatious.
The Two Rooms in Milton is where the Two owners started out, and sold before moving to the CBD.

Two Rooms is unpretentious, but amazing food and service.

Also, Cha Cha Cha's, The Lab up at Treasury, and Michael's was great, though it's been a while and I hear it's closed now?

 

[Chimpy]

I would have to agree with MAX_1 about Ecco in the Valley. I have been there a couple of times and loved it.