Whilst holidaying at Broadbeach two weeks ago, I took my girlfriend to Stokehouse Brisbane for a belated birthday lunch (I was in the US for her birthday a few weeks prior) – it was fantastic!
I had been to Stokehouse Brisbane late last year, not long after it opened, but only for a drink, as it was booked out for lunch on the day I went.
Lunch was on a Wednesday and the booking was made the day prior. Weather was perfect – mid 20’s, warm and sunny.
So that we didn’t have to worry about driving, we caught a bus to Nerang train station and a train to South Brisbane. Bus trip of 20 minutes wasn’t that great, but the one hour train trip was quite pleasant. A few minutes walk from South Brisbane station through South Bank gardens and we arrived at Stokehouse, about 20 min. prior to our 1 pm booking, due to the train schedule.
We sat at the edge of the bar area in the sun, overlooking the Brisbane river and I headed to the bar to get us a drink. I was acknowledged by several staff, but not served for several minutes, which I thought was not the best service, given there was no one else waiting at the bar. That was the only blemish on an otherwise fantastic experience.
After we finished our drink, we headed into the restaurant, where we were greeted by a staff member who excused herself for a few seconds to check the bookings, then came back and asked us what name the booking was under, before showing us to our table, which was at the river’s edge, separated by a half height glass partition. We both had a fantastic view of the river and the Brisbane CBD. From that moment on, everything was fantastic – location, food, wine and service.
Service was friendly but not too formal, with very knowledgeable staff, especially the sommelier, who assisted in choosing a couple of great bottles of wine to complement the food.
We shared two entrees – a tuna ceviche and a raw scallop dish, both of which melted in our mouths. For mains, I had squid ink linguine, local spanner crab, garlic, chili, parsley and my girlfriend had Dory fillets, S.A. clams, white asparagus, brown butter & capers, ortiz anchovies. Both dishes were excellent. For dessert, we shared a lemon soufflé, which was also excellent.
It was not cheap – the bill was $300, but more than half of that was wine – but worth it, especially for a special occasion.
We will remember the experience for a long time!
On a side note, I have told been by someone who knows the owner, that many people think Brisbane is better than St Kilda upstairs! I’ve yet to experience upstairs at St Kilda, despite living nearby, so I can’t comment.
I had been to Stokehouse Brisbane late last year, not long after it opened, but only for a drink, as it was booked out for lunch on the day I went.
Lunch was on a Wednesday and the booking was made the day prior. Weather was perfect – mid 20’s, warm and sunny.
So that we didn’t have to worry about driving, we caught a bus to Nerang train station and a train to South Brisbane. Bus trip of 20 minutes wasn’t that great, but the one hour train trip was quite pleasant. A few minutes walk from South Brisbane station through South Bank gardens and we arrived at Stokehouse, about 20 min. prior to our 1 pm booking, due to the train schedule.
We sat at the edge of the bar area in the sun, overlooking the Brisbane river and I headed to the bar to get us a drink. I was acknowledged by several staff, but not served for several minutes, which I thought was not the best service, given there was no one else waiting at the bar. That was the only blemish on an otherwise fantastic experience.
After we finished our drink, we headed into the restaurant, where we were greeted by a staff member who excused herself for a few seconds to check the bookings, then came back and asked us what name the booking was under, before showing us to our table, which was at the river’s edge, separated by a half height glass partition. We both had a fantastic view of the river and the Brisbane CBD. From that moment on, everything was fantastic – location, food, wine and service.
Service was friendly but not too formal, with very knowledgeable staff, especially the sommelier, who assisted in choosing a couple of great bottles of wine to complement the food.
We shared two entrees – a tuna ceviche and a raw scallop dish, both of which melted in our mouths. For mains, I had squid ink linguine, local spanner crab, garlic, chili, parsley and my girlfriend had Dory fillets, S.A. clams, white asparagus, brown butter & capers, ortiz anchovies. Both dishes were excellent. For dessert, we shared a lemon soufflé, which was also excellent.
It was not cheap – the bill was $300, but more than half of that was wine – but worth it, especially for a special occasion.
We will remember the experience for a long time!
On a side note, I have told been by someone who knows the owner, that many people think Brisbane is better than St Kilda upstairs! I’ve yet to experience upstairs at St Kilda, despite living nearby, so I can’t comment.
