Exquisite food in a wonderful setting!…read more We came here for a work Christmas party and we were allocated the table right in front of the kitchen. Every dish was a masterpiece - duck liver parfait, fried Jalapeno peppers stuffed with goat's cheese, piquillo peppers stuffed with salted cod and figs wrapped in jamon to start with followed by meltingly tender beef short rib. I chose the berry crumble for dessert which was amazing. The wine was delicious and the service was impeccable. This was a wonderful treat and a fabulous way to celebrate Christmas!!

Tuesdays are usually unimpressive, with lots of class and a workout of some kind, but not this one!…read more I was lucky enough to enjoy a fancy dinner date with a couple of friends at Moda, a beautiful restaurant located near Eagle Street Pier. We started the night with Mooloolaba Prawns, Half Shell Scallops, and Duck Liver Parfait (in a share plate for two). The prawns weren't extraordinarily impressive, but they were good, though I enjoyed the scallops and duck liver much more. The scallop was tender, but not overcooked, and paired perfectly with the jamon, cauliflower and saffron. My favourite of the three was definitely the duck liver parfait. It was a great flavour with the Pedro Ximinez Jelly, and was probably one of the best liver parfaits I've ever had! I was torn between the Duck Confit Leg (yes, I love duck) and the Beef Cheek, and ended up ordering the latter as a recommendation from our waiter. Naturally, beef cheek is very forgiving, but I actually did enjoy the flavour of the marinade and sauce itself. My biggest complaint was that the meat was way too salty (including the swordfish I had a bite of), which left me thirsty the rest of the night. The horseradish mash was also a great flavour, but also too salty. The swordfish was perfectly done - not overcooked, and crispy on the outside. I was impressed with the mains that night - both with the presentation and the taste. Of course, as with all dinners I have with Jo, we ended with dessert. Between the three of us, we had the Spanish Creme Caramel, Crema Catalana, and Valhrona Chocolate Fondant. I'm not typically the biggest chocolate dessert fan (more of a fruit tart kind of person), but I think the Valhrona chocolate fondant won my heart that night. The orange marmalade ice cream wasn't as orange-y as I had hoped, but the chocolate fondant spoke for itself. It wasn't overly sweet, and was both rich and fluffy at the same time. I also enjoyed the Crema Catalana for the honeycomb and the fruit, but we weren't a fan of the jelly. As a restaurant in Brisbane, Moda has actually impressed me with their food, service, and ambience. The food did take a while to come throughout the night, but to be fair, they were quite busy for a Tuesday night! The chandeliers, pretty plates, space heaters, and Spanish ambience only made me fall in love with this place more.

Intimate tapas bar in Bardon that serves a wonderful Sangria made from a family recipe. The tapas…read moreplates were full of interesting tastes and textures with several types of cheese and jamon.

From the owner: Spanish Tapas, Paella, Sangria, Spanish Wine, Spanish Food, Jamon, Manchegoread more

This place was nearby our accommodation and I fondly remembered my experience at MoVida in…read moreMelbourne so thought I'd give Espana a go. 1. Seared Hervey Bay scallops - nicely seared but the sauce was a little too buttery for my liking 2. Gambaro with chilli and lemon - this was one of the Specials but it was pretty simple. Tiger prawn chargrilled with some chopped chilies and lemon over it 3. Grilled quail with thyme and lemon on a bed of risotto - Shame our quail was over cooked as I was looking forward most to this dish 4. Pratata Brava - potatoes so crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Addictive! Avoid the bar counter seats unless you don't mind smelling like you've just finished a Korean BBQ meal

Us foodies have all had one of those experiences that makes your day just perfect. The sort of…read moreaffair you insist all your friends try and replicate. We had one of those experiences at Espana Tapas Bar. Initially, we were going to have pints and wedges at Broadbeach Tavern but thankfully it was full of loud beach-buff-bog... people... so we sought something a little quieter. A glimpse of Espana across the mall. That'll do. Service was sincerely friendly and knowledgable. The menu was too tempting - we wanted one of everything. We settled on the paprika spiced chicken skewers with mojo verde, slow cooked pork belly with lentils and quince alioli and tortilla with jamon. Exquisite. The wine list is entirely Spanish. The La Tremenda Monastrell (2008) from Alicante. My gosh. Liquorice. Coriander. A dusting of dried summer fruits (cherry and apricot and plum). A seriously beautiful wine that had me in a field tending to my seasonal food forest. Romantic stuff. If you are ever in the area, especially on a quiet Sunday afternoon, check this place out. You will not be disappointed. And do try the La Tremenda Monastrell.

We were looking for a good place to stop for lunch and grabbed a bit to eat. Food was good and…read moreatmosphere fun. It took a few minutes to locate the restaurant as it was down an alley lined with murals. Staff was pleasant and friendly. Would stop by again

Good halloumi! Get it on the eggs benny or on its own. They know how to grill it up good…read more I usually come for brunch it's a nice underground cafe in the heart of Brisbane. Counter service and find your own seats most of the time. Relax grunge vibes. Very unique. Come with friends and just have a great gab.

Public might be public enemy #1 for my waistline, but with truffle mac 'n' cheese that good, I'm…read morewilling to risk it. Oozing trendy loft style with a bit of ski château-chic, this swanky bar did nothing but impress from the moment we walked in. The exceptionally friendly staff, creative (and potent) cocktails, gorgeous fit out, and some really swoon-inducing menu items (think: Kentucky Fried Duck and the aforementioned truffle mac 'n' cheese) quickly proved that the substance matched the style. From the samplings I indulged in, I reckon I could have ordered page one of the gorgeous leather bound menu and been continually impressed - it's just a good thing that the menu items are all intended to share as the mysterious three letter menu descriptions piqued all of our foodie fetishes. Can't wait to see more from these guys!

Their website handle is lovepublic and from the minute I noticed the Sharon Montrose prints…read moreadorning the walls of George Street's newest urban hotspot, Public, I knew I would indeed love Public and that soon we'd be firm friends. Public continued to woo me with their gin cocktails (try the Space Gin Smash or Public Nuisance) and no one should leave this inner-city dwelling without trying at least a mouthful of their truffle mac 'n' cheese. The space is part city loft, part English manor and to their credit you feel comfortable enough in the high-back wicker "thrones", as I'll call them, to potentially outstay your welcome (not that the wait staff would make you feel that way. To be honest for most of the evening it was list we were talking to an old friend each time the waiter came around.) The menu is designed to be shared and on the night we visited became quite the conversation point between the group. With only three word descriptions your imagination is given permission to run wild as you concoct images of the food you will receive. The KFD (Kentucky Fried Duck) won a lot of admiration as did the simple and rustic baked beans served in a tin. This is one new Brisbane venue that is testament to our city growing up and coming into its own.

I've been sitting on writing this review for a few days. Trying to find the right words to…read moreadequately describe what a intimate and quality experience we had dining at Gerard's Bar,the little sister to Gerard's Bistro, last Thursday evening. For the uninitiated, this is a charcuterie and cocktail bar. There are no large plates piled high with food. You won't go hungry and if you do it's most likely down to not ordering enough or correctly. Harsh but fair. If you're still reading and still interested, what you will find is a menu carefully crafted with a variety of salumi, a handful of cheeses (no decision overload), a selection of small plates (don't question it and just order the Sobrassada with grilled Bee One Third Honeycomb) and a drink menu to whet any appetite. The seating is bar style so prepare to perch yourself upon a Tolix stool and as you do, take a moment to notice the Moroccan tiles beneath your feet. And then admire the concrete bar tops. The wow-factor is in the interior and restaurant fit-out as much as it is the menu. Nothing has been overlooked including the jars of made-in-house pickles. For my dining partner and I we left with a bill rounding out to approximately $55 each. If you've dined at Gerard's Bistro, you know head chef Ben Williamson is about quality food for affordable prices and doesn't believe in charging over and above what is necessary. This ethos has carried across the James Street laneway. That $55 each gave us a drink each and more salumi than we care to admit (it comes in 50g servings but even this is deceivingly large), 2 small plates, a cheese and a dessert. Our dessert, inched so close to overtaking the love I have for the Sobrassada. The chef said to us he'd recommend the frozen yoghurt mousse over any of the other desserts (I'm still planning to try the Sarsparilla granita on my next visit) for its palette cleansing properties. We agreed and before us was a liquid nitrogen science experiment. Given it was a reasonably quiet evening, he took showmanship to the next level and made the dessert right at our section of the back bar table. The texture of the frozen yoghurt mousse is one I still haven't found the words to describe. Suffice to say: just order it and prepare to enjoy. In fact, go to Gerard's Bar with no expectations. Switch off, talk to the bar tenders and the chefs, watch them cutting the Mahi Mahi in front of you, blow torch grill the patties for the cheeseburgers, talk to your dining partner or group of friends, savour each mouthful and walk out satisfied and recharged.

If I lived in Brisbane, this would be my local. Seriously, I would be here ALL. THE. TIME. I would…read moreask if I could salary sacrifice Gerard's Bar as a weekly expense. Why do I love thee? Let me count the ways... I have to start with the charcuterie. Oh my god. I mean, anyone can do 'wine and charcuterie' on a menu, but this is another level. The dishes served here are incredible - every morsel tastier than the next. Things like the spicy spreadable salami, the truffle salami, great cheese selection - the duck liver parfait with PX (YES!) ...just out of this world. We had the mackerel tartare too, which I can't even begin to describe, but it tastes just as good as the theatrics of having pork blowtorched over it in front of you. The wine by the glass list is excellent, good craft beers, and they also have a full cocktail bar. To top it off, the head chef is one of the nicest and most passionate guys around. Food nerds will walk away very satisfied having dined here. I found it to be great value given the exceptional food on offer too. Ok, so I forgot to count...but I think you get the gist of why this place is amazing. I'm ready to go back now.

Barcella's has a vast Menu something for all tastes. Friendly staff, nice position over the Lake…read more Good prices and food is fast to the table.

We were excited to try one of the many new restaurants at Chermside. Hermosa could fit us in…read morewithout a booking on a Friday night and it had been ages since we'd had Tapas so we gave it a try. We ordered crumbed olives stuffed with goats cheese, beef meatballs, paella bombas, croquettes of the day (pulled pork and caramelised onion), and beef tostadas to share. We also got two glasses of Earth Works Shiraz. The wine and olives came out very quickly, with the others dishes soon to follow. The olives and meatballs were quite nice. Unfortunately, the paella bombas were tasteless, and the croquettes were also tasteless and the filling was just mush. There was no sign that it was pulled pork and the onion was not caramelised, just translucent. The Beef tostadas were nice but the meat had a very weird texture. Perhaps after a few months when things settle down after the initial rush the food will improve.

I was excited to have a Spanish place close to home, I used to live there and love Spanish…read moreflavours. I was quickly disappointed... the staff all mumbled and I couldn't hear them, they bought out the wrong food because the server didn't listen. I ordered a classic bianco sangria that was supposed to have peach in it... basically was white wine watered down with apple juice and laden with dicedapple - no peach! The sandwiches were actually small baguettes with not much filling, not worth $16. The patatas bra as were nice but the sauce has no flavour. When we came to leave the girl said they only take visa... funny as we used MasterCard??? I wouldn't rush back.