I just had the most extraordinary meal ... In a very lovely…read moreenvironment Totly recommend I suggest you book.... The place fills quickly

17/10/2012 - "More than comfort food"…read more There are those days when you're just minding your own business and you come upon a place that you've always wanted to try (but never got around to). Well, this was one of those days, strolling around New Farm mid-week, enjoying the sunny weather, intending to visit Chouquette (the french boulangerie and patisserie) but instead happening onto The Continental Cafe. "Ah, is this where it is!". Chouquette would just have to wait. We walk inside and The Continental exudes a European vibe. Maybe its because we had just come back from Europe or maybe its the wooden furniture and old paintings which adorn the wall, that you could be forgiven for thinking you were in downtown Rheims, France. The space at The Continental seems equally perfect for those relaxed family occasions or for more intimate affairs, eliciting comfort in one's heart. It was fairly quiet, with not many customers inside, and we were greeted immediately by the friendly waitress. After sitting down and perusing the menu, she came over and mentioned their specials for the day, which was the tomato and roasted capsicum soup and chermola crusted yellow kingtail fish, saffron couscous, harissa paste. She did this with such passion that we were both convinced to order both. We also decided to have a glass of white wine. She also brought over some water, which always wins bonus points in our book. The large bowl of soup arrives with grilled bread on the side, and we immediately spoon a mouthful. And another, then another. We look at each other knowingly that this soup tastes absolutely amazing. The bread is a nice addition, perfect for dipping into the soup. The waitress asks how everything is, and we jokingly say that its so good she's not allowed to leave until we get the recipe. Okay, we were half serious! She brings the glass of wine, and much to our surprise it wasn't the white wine we had ordered but a red instead. It wasn't a big deal, and we had this rectified straight away. The mains came out, and its quite a large portion, which we are pleased to see, given the price point of the dish (just under $30) We take our time to devour this beautiful mediterranean inspired dish. The texture of the crusted yellow kingtail fish, the aroma of the saffron couscous, and the spicyness of the harissa paste all combine for an unforgettable sensory and aesthetic experience. Despite the wine mix-up, service throughout was excellent.Its easy to see why The Continental has lasted for so long, and a favourite amongst locals. New Farm residents are a lucky bunch indeed. The two - course lunch with wine wasn't cheap by any means ($95), but we dont' do this everyday (as much as we'd like to), and the dishes were unique, high quality, and generous in portion. This is more than comfort food, its food for the soul.

Hotel Bravo has only ever struck me as a place for after-work/dinner drinks and never as a place I…read morewould spend a large portion of a night out. Still, when I'm not in the mood for silly antics and carefree dancing, I suppose Hotel Bravo would be an ideal sort of place. It's an ideal setting for a group of people who want to sit and enjoy a few drinks and some light banter after a hard day's work. This place strikes me as more of a "conversationalist place" without the air of snobbery that comes with some cocktail bars where only a dull whisper is acceptable. Bravo has a great range of beer on tap and some wild cocktail concoctions I have never seen before, so maybe I'm a little naïve in my opinion of it being a more controlled environment. Still, I feel it's a place to sling back a few beers, have a chat with mates, and either push on to a wilder destination or call it a night. Either way, it makes for a pretty good pit stop you can just wander in to along Brunswick Street.

I've been to a few celebrations thrown by a friend of mine who favours this place and it's easy to…read moresee way. The cocktail list is extensive, the bartenders knowledgeable and there's a great outdoor terrace to sit at and enjoy your food and drink. On weekends they do jugs of sangria -- a great way to get the party started! Re. food they do a range of tapas and mains. Personally I prefer ordering a few tapas items as compared to getting just one main. The crispy fried potatoes with chilli & tomato + sour cream are always good, and they do some really nice fresh Pacific oysters. These guys do some good mid week specials. Ask at the bar and they'll let you know...

Super friendly!! Great seafood in casual atmosphere.. Gluten friendly which…read moreIs rare! We ate in one day and we also had take takeout. The owners are super nice and live locally. A local gem ... Yummmm

A top of Pearl Café is a kitchen bar masquerading as a restaurant. Literally one big beautiful…read moremarble kitchen top with bar stools surrounding, this special spot feels like you've been invited into a friend's fancy home with a killer pantry. Ordinarily groups of two or so would each pull up a perch, but on this occasion, my colleagues and I filled the space, making it feel even more homely. As if someone were cooking just for us. You can also hire out the 'roast room' next door, a darkened dining room that seats up to 16 people, to have exactly that. The charcuterie we had to start was out of this world. The chilli salumi had an incredible lingering flavour and had everyone begging for more. The staff were great with their suggestions and had some beautiful wines both on and off list to pair and suit everyone's tastes. For mains we had a lovely roast lamb, each served in individual portions. Most of us would have preferred this to be served 'family style' so we could serve ourselves (and avoid the belly aches that followed from over eating rich food!), but apparently they only do this in the roast room. Bursting at the seams but still facing gorgeous cheeses and dessert tart, we opted to taste just one more course - half of our group sharing each. It's safe to say we all rolled out of the place and were relieved to have walked there from the ferry terminal earlier...but all raving about what a gorgeous night we enjoyed.

I agree with Katie's "secret, exclusive club" comment. We showed up at 6:15pm last Thursday and…read morequietly asked for three seats at the Servery, suffered a mild panic when asked to wait so they could check remaining spaces, and then sweet relief when we were ushered up the narrow stairwell... through the Servery kitchen, into the Roast Room, as there were only two seats left at the kitchen counter. I was a bit sad, but also a bit relieved for my vegetarian dinner companion. The Roast Room ("R. R." emblazoned in gold on the door) houses one large, chrome-topped table. It's dimly lit, with piles of brightly-coloured fruit in the middle of the table, so even in here it's best for small groups of no more than four, preferably seated around a corner so you can all converse. We had this set-up for the three of us and it was great. Because of the way the room is arranged, it's very easy to converse within your little group and not feel rude to the other guests seated around the table - but it's also very easy to come out of your conversation and ask for someone to pass the olive oil! I suppose we must have looked a bit too comfortable with the situation, because the waiter assumed we'd been before and knew what the deal was. We had to nicely correct him and ask for the rundown! He also assumed that all three of us were after the Beast & Beaujolais, so it's a good thing my vegetarian friend spoke up. Apart from that slight confusion (and a bit more confusion over the bill at the end of the night), the service was absolutely charming - and it was also a nice surprise to find that the matched wine stretched out to "two and a bit" glasses. Our "beast" for the evening was goat leg (spotted as we walked through the kitchen), served with a stew and a bit of rich mashed potato. The slices of meat were quite gamey and chewy (not surprised, because... goat) but the goat stew was absolutely divine, as was the fresh bread and butter that was served as an appetiser. It was perfect stew weather, too, with light rain falling outside. Very French Provincial romantic. Dessert was a pistachio and quince tart. What a lovely evening.

On a friend's recommendation I gave Char Char Yiros a miss for once (still love you guys) in favour…read moreof this new kebab kid on the block. On walking into the place I got the sense it was still a work in progress, with some tradesmen on a ladder doing what look like some plumbing work. But it didn't get in the way of me making my order, which was one of their tasty sounding 'Shish tawouk kebab' -- chicken skewer, pickles, lettuce, tomato, onion & garlic mayo in Lebanese bread. I've never had a kebab with pickles on it before, and I have to say -- I'm converted! The tartness of the pickles and crunch of marinated mustard-seeds went well with the garlic mayo (a similar combination that you find in Western hamburgers). The chicken pieces were tender and expertly cooked. Their bread is good quality too -- chewy and strong enough to hold its contents; no fuss no muss. At $8 it's about the same as a yiros across the road (although you get a bigger portion for your money), and as the guy serving me pointed out, it's traditional Middle-Eastern cuisine, as opposed to the Greek take you get at Char Char. They have some really interesting looking items on the menu I'd like to try, such as their walnut labne, chicken fahita and charcoal-cooked whole chicken (served w/ garlic dip & Lebanese bread). They also have an outdoor courtyard (still having the final touches put on but operational nonetheless) where you can take your meal. You can even have a shisha (traditional Middle-Eastern water-pipe used to smoke flavoured tobacco) if you're so inclined.

A couple of friends and I went to Arabella's for dinner last night. After we'd finished our meals,…read morenone of us could say we were left satisfied. Up until the point where your food is placed in front of you, the experience is promising. The menu options sound delicious, and prices look more than reasonable. I also liked how I was able to sit in the window and people watch from my perch. My friend ordered the Lamb shish plate ($15) and my partner and I chose the Shata Chicken Wings ($10 for 12) for nibblies. Our wings came out on a small dish with some garlic dip, and two pieces of pita bread. The wings were in truth, quite flavourless. They had some heat to them, but I wouldn't count heat as 'flavour'. The Lamb shish wasn't a large meal as it suggests in the menu listing: "2 charcoal cooked lamp rump skewers, 1 vege skewer, creamy yogurt sauce, served with rice, garden salad and wood fired bread". It wasn't presented well, nor was it flavourful or filling. One thing I would recommend from Arabella's is the Charcoal Chicken. You can purchase a perfectly blackened chook here for $14 (a half is $8). I'm not willing to give up on this place just yet. I'm going to go back and try out the kebabs. I've heard good reports about this place from around the traps, and so I'll probably give it another go. I could have just caught them on a bad night.

The Wild Canary restaurant is located behind the Brookhaven nursery. It's such a lovely setup and…read moreyou'll even be greeted by beautiful birds and reptiles as you dine. My server was friendly and was ready to offer suggestions on the menu. Our food did take a bit of time to prepare but it may be because my breakfast dish included an entire chicken quarter. The ambience was quiet and serene. The noise level was average. I could barely hear any conversations going on around me at other tables. The Wild Canary did have a vast menu. It was difficult to choose as everything sounded delicious. I'd definitely like to go back before my visit is over.

Wild Canary has all the ingredients to make you forget that you are eating at a garden centre cafe…read more They use ingredients grown on site and if the constant flow of customers as we dined is anything to go by - they're doing something right. Our party of four arrived right on the cusp of the changeover between breakfast and lunch. We'd not made a reservation as our brunch adventures to Brookfield were rather ad hoc. If you take anything away from this review then let it be to make a reservation. We were thankfully seated quite quickly in the only table left without a "reserved" sign upon it. Even then, there was the definite feeling it was a table waiting for a party yet to arrive. As we had arrived in the changeover to lunch, service was a little distracted at first. The breakfast menu we'd viewed online was no longer an option but the specials our waitress told us about sang to us more than the standard cafe menu available for lunch. The special of pulled pork tacos with a corn and avocado salsa made it to our table for two of us (myself included), along with a seafood linguine and the Rueben. The tacos were grand. Three well sized corn tortillas stacked with meat, salsa and salad. Worth every penny. While I didn't try their coffee I did see a few AllPress take-away cups leaving with customers. And the best bit? Shopping in the nursery next door after you've had your lunch!

From the minute we walked in to La Via to the time we paid our check, the dining experience was…read moreexceptional. I was particularly impressed with the quality of the food and the excellent level of service. La Vie is one of the more satisfying dining venues I've been to at the Southbank. My friends and I shared a number of dishes, including a Gorgonzola and pear pizza and a delcious calamari entrée that was cooked to such perfection it literally melted in our mouths :-) Tip: If you're a lover of truffle oil, I particularly recommend the truffle oil pizza that comes with beet root goat cheeses and a rocket salad. I'm planning on returning sooner rather than later to try a bigger cross section of La Via's menu. Oh, and when you come to check this place out for yourself (and you really should!) don't forget dessert - the white chocolate pizza does not disappoint!

South Bank is pricey, let's face it, and La Via is no exception. But if you're going to dine at one…read moreof the eateries on the Little Stanley Street strip, La Via is as good as any, serving delicious gourmet pizza in a casual, but classy environment. At dinner time, a pizza will set you back from $19.50-22, but I recommend going at lunch time as they're drastically cheaper, only $10-13. They're pretty filling and two people could share one, provided those two people weren't completely ravenous. I tried the baby squid, truffle pork sausage, rocket and lemon pizza--sounds like an odd combo, but actually works really well. I probably wouldn't go here for a special night out, as I find South Bank generally overpriced and would rather go somewhere a little more intimate and unknown, but if you happen to be in the vicinity and in need of some food, a pizza from La Via will do the trick.

My son and I went for lunch we were sat out in the balcony the views are just stunning it was warm…read moreday but there were fans so was comfortable. initially the waitress Lisa was attentive and friendly.We ordered drinks which came promptly. We got our entree after half an hour of drinks. We waited hour and an half after our entree for main course but no sign, waitress had disappeared, when I Found her asked her for ice for our sparking water which had gone warm by this time!! She said she will get it and did not see her another 15 mins. So I went to the bar and got ice. When I spotted her she said Main course was coming yet no site of it!!! Finally I was exhausted of waiting and asked if the manager if we could take the Main course and desert home, which she complied. As it was set menu we expected that all was packed and did not check. When we came home 2 dishes were missing!! We had spent over $400 for our meal for poor and inattentive service. Lot of costumers had left around us, not having their meals and very disappointed with service.

Since there is usually only one restaurant at the Summit of any given mountain, you often expect to…read morepay a high fee to wine & dine with a view over the city. However, considering the popularity of this spot and its location over Brisbane, I was quite surprised to see that a three course meal for two could be had for less than $100. They offer a lunch and dinner special if you get there before noon or between 5-5:30pm with a shared menu of their featured offerings. While that drew us in, we ended up choosing the entree sample platter for two instead ($46) and sourdough bread starter ($6) with some cold hard cider ($7/ea) bringing our bill to less than $70 with a beautiful view in a breezy and intimate setting. I've included photos of our meal so you can have a look. The staff was very friendly and accommodating- keeping our water full at all times and kindly replacing the fabric napkin after I was clumsy. One important tip- do your best to get a reservation before you visit. We were lucky to find one table open upon our arrival on a Saturday evening- but you may not be!