Whether you have jumped on the Redcliffe Dolphins bandwagon or are still hitched to the Broncos – there’s nothing better before or after a game of footy than a hearty meal and Brisbane restaurants never disappoint.
Continuing on our delicious drive around Australia for the 2023 Readers’ Choice award-winning restaurants, next stop is Queensland’s river city - we have five locations that will satisfy any hunger growl.
Readers’ Choice – Italian.
Escape the hustle and bustle of Brisbane city to come together with friends and family at Toscano Bar & Kitchen on Edward Street. This modern Italian cocktail bar and restaurant, located opposite the Botanical Gardens, exudes an elegant ambience of high ceilings and beautiful furnishings, along with glowing neon signage proclaiming ‘Good food, good wine, good friends, good times’.
Say ciao to roasted Italian pork belly, red wine jus, roasted potato and mixed leaf salad, or pick up a slice of Italian sausage pizza, with scamorza cheese, broccoli, chilli and mozzarella.
Readers’ Choice – Thai.
Bringing families together through food is the aim of Woolloongabba restaurant Boo’s Kitchen on Annerley Road. With a focus on Northern Thai and Isan cuisine, this bright and breezy eatery has an abundance of natural light from a glass frontage, or dine alfresco under market umbrellas and soak up the sun.
Boo’s extensive menu dishes up a collection of her favourites, including starters like deep-fried crab net rolls with prawn meat and plum sauce, before Thai red duck curry, with lychee, pineapple and basil – delicious!
Readers’ Choice – Spanish.
Graceville foodies say hola to Spanish tapas and wine at Botellon on Honour Avenue. This neighbourhood wine bar and eatery is all sleek lines with a cool green tiled bar and marble top, statement pendents and framed Art Deco posters making it the ideal spot to catch up with family and friends over drinks and share plates.
It’s all about tapas and larger plates such as mixed seafood paella with octopus, prawns, chicken, chorizo and saffron, or delve into tomato and Moroccan spiced lamb tagine, raita and pita bread, enjoyed with a glass of sangria.
Readers’ Choice – Breakfast.
Escape reality at Method to the Madness on Marshall Lane in Kenmore. This Shakespearean-inspired café takes its name from the well-known saying from ‘Hamlet' and is the result of two Chefs' adventurous journeys that led to a vision of creating a space where people come together over food. A warm, modern style offers an inviting vibe to bury yourself in one of Shakespeare's plays from the bookshelf while indulging in housemade pastries and freshly brewed coffee.
Lamb pita, beetroot hummus, mint yoghurt, mixed leaves and house pickles are as pretty on the palate as the plate, or hook yourself Madness went Fishing – market fish, tamarind and coconut curry, chilli mango jam, papad and Gujarati khichdi.
Readers’ Choice – French.
Passion, quality ingredients and experience are on the menu at La Belle Vie Bistro on MacGregor Terrace in Bardon. Classically refined, this smartly set venue regales in a classic French bistro ambience of crisp white linen, crystal vase lighting, dark wood fittings and floor-to-ceiling views of a breathtaking Brisbane city panorama.
No French meal should start without escargots cooked with garlic and butter, or foie gras, brioche toast and fig preserve; follow on with pan-fried duck breast, roasted pistachio, sweet potato, sautéed lardon and Brussels sprouts.
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