From sensational seafood to authentic Asian flavours, the Sunshine State’s capital city is a treasure trove of foodie favourites. Treat yourself to a Brisbane weekender and discover hidden date night spots and acclaimed fine dining, across everything from Japanese bites to French classics.
Here are our top picks for the best restaurants in Brisbane.
The best restaurants in Brisbane for a date night
Marlowe, Fish Lane
One of the most talked-about new kids on the block in Fish Lane, the vibrant entertainment and dining precinct in South Brisbane, is Marlowe. Occupying a heritage-listed 1938 apartment block, formerly Merivale Flats, this diner is a riff on a modern Australian bistro; the menu taking inspiration from vintage Australian cookbooks. Think curried crab brioche, prawn cocktail tartlet, stuffed chicken breast with brown butter sauce, and coral trout Wellington. A wine list rounds out at 200 bottles strong, and a raw bar provides a front-row seat to chefs shucking oysters and prepping seafood to order.
Agnes, Fortitude Valley
One of Brisbane’s hottest restaurants just happens to be fuelled entirely by flame and smoke. Chef Ben Williamson uses different woods to impart unique flavours to John Dory, ox tongue and tiger prawns. After a moody and fast-paced dinner, retreat downstairs to the wine bar for dessert, or a glass from the thousand-strong cellar. If you’re looking to truly romance a special someone, this could be the ticket.
Essa, Fortitude Valley
Dark wood, exposed brick and veiled windows form the perfect conditions for an intimate evening over sustainable southeast Queensland produce. Phil Marchant strikes a balance between the unexpected and familiar through the likes of potato beignets with spanner crab and barbecue spatchcock chicken skewered with mortadella, beluga lentils and chilli.
The best restaurants in Brisbane for a special occasion
Supernormal Brisbane, CBD
This major import from top Melbourne chef Andrew McConnell serves a contemporary Asian menu that draws inspiration from Tokyo, Shanghai, Seoul and Hong Kong. Dishes like the New England lobster roll and slow-cooked Szechuan lamb shoulder first reached cult status at the Melbourne original, while this recent Brisbane spin sets itself apart with heavy influence from southeast Queensland’s climate, produce and seafood – plus, floor-to-ceiling windows that afford sweeping river and bridge views. If you’re booking a birthday trip, this restaurant is great for celebrations.
Exhibition Restaurant, CBD
The nightly menu at Tim Scott’s take on the omakase format is informed by what’s available from Queensland’s best biodynamic and sustainable producers. Previous dishes have included abalone liver parfait on shokupan (milk bread), kangaroo with brown butter and shitake, and lamb rump with beetroot and juniper.
Joy, Fortitude Valley
There’s no running fashionably late at Joy – with only 10 seats, this kitchen-counter restaurant runs to a strict schedule. Once the doors close, owner-chef Sarah Baldwin leads you through a multi-course tasting menu inspired by the culinary traditions of Japan.
The best hotel restaurants in Brisbane
Hellenika at the Calile, Fortitude Valley
It’s impossible not to enjoy this buzzy poolside spot. Pale wood tables are laden with plates of local seafood, slow-cooked meats and salads, Grecian taverna-style. Delicious cocktails and a range of Greek and local wines complete their formula for good times, guaranteed.
The Lex, CBD
Channelling the Big Apple, The Lex is W Brisbane’s classic grillhouse with a dash of local flavour. Look out over the city as you make your way through charred lime and miso butter-bathed scallops, Caesar salad made tableside and a juicy steak selection. Order a sip from the martini cart for the ultimate night out.
Bisou Bisou, Fortitude Valley
Hotel X’s elegant Parisian brasserie has green velvet and leather stools, cosy booths and marble-topped tables to accommodate loaded croissants for breakfast, rotisserie chicken and pot-cooked mussels for lunch and steak frites and ratatouille-inspired gnocchi for dinner. And a 200-strong wine list means you’ll always find a top tipple.
The best restaurants in Brisbane with views
Stanley, CBD
Sprawling above the Brisbane River at Howard Smith Wharves, Stanley combines Cantonese flavours with Australian produce. Come for yum cha at lunch or stop by in the evening to try Moreton Bay Bug spring rolls, Peking duck pancakes and fresh-out-of-the-tank mud crab.
Greca, CBD
Next door, this Greek taverna is a vision in white and concrete, embodying the spirit of Mediterranean hospitality. Start with a Fresko or Karpouzi spritz before diving into dips, mezedes, fish, meat, salads and vegetables, all designed to share.
Tillerman Seafood Restaurant, CBD
From Eagle Street Pier, celebrate the essence of riverside dining through a coastal European-inspired menu. Settle in to read a love letter to Queensland produce, written through dishes like freshly shucked oysters, blue swimmer crab and whole tropical painted lobster with angel hair pasta, as you gaze out over the Story Bridge.
OTTO Ristorante, South Bank
Delivering polished yet familiar Italian cuisine from its perch near the Goodwill Bridge, this Brisbane stunner matches all expectations set by its Sydney sister restaurant. Soak up the sensational Brisbane River, spritz in hand, while indulging in scallops crudo, Bangalow pork cutlet and gnocchi with braised wagyu shin, gremolata and ricotta.
The best casual restaurants in Brisbane
Short Grain, Fortitude Valley
After launching Longrain in Melbourne, Martin Boetz has returned to his hometown, cooking Thai food that’s worth travelling for. Celebrate Martin’s signatures – caramelised pork hock, for one – and some new combinations, like crunchy chicken crackers topped with smoked river trout and green mango, and Rocky Point grouper green curry.
Central, CBD
Descend a mysterious concrete staircase to discover a moody basement dumpling bar in which Cantonese classics are served with a touch of Western influence, throwing it back to Hong Kong in the nineties. Devour Peking duck potstickers, barbecued pork puffs and prawn har gow from the dim sum menu before moving onto classic roast duck and lobster noodles.
Baja, Fortitude Valley
This easy-breezy Mexican restaurant, perched on the top end of Brunswick Street, pairs fresh and unfussy flavours in dishes like brisket barbacoa tacos, tuna tostadas and aguachile – a mix of raw reef fish, Korean chilli flakes, cucumber, avocado and caper furikake. As expected, tequila dominates the cocktail menu.
