These are the best restaurants in Brisbane right now

If you want to dine beside two Brisbane icons – the river and Story Bridge – the smorgasbord of dining at Howard Smith Wharves is a winner for locals and visitors alike.

Right on the riverfront, two-storey restaurant Stanley is inspired by the moody waterfront of Hong Kong’s picturesque Stanley Bay. Head chef Louis Tikaram combines Queensland’s best produce and traditional Cantonese flavours, which is why some of the most popular dishes feature Moreton Bay bug, banana prawns and coral trout.

The yum cha lunch – available seven days – is a fun way to explore Stanley’s punchy flavours, especially if you upgrade to the two-hour free flowing champagne service. But you can’t go wrong with a la carte either – unless you forget to order the legendary five-spice roast duck.

Where: 5 Boundary St, Brisbane City

Essa is more than a restaurant – it’s an experience. Head Chef and co-owner Phil Marchant expertly puts his fine-dining twist on the proud produce of Queensland, with an ever-changing menu that skews raw, pickled, smoked and wood-fired.

Beautifully presented plates and flawless service makes Essa the spot for a special occasion, but Marchant works hard to ensure his restaurant is a place diners will return to over and over again. Wednesday’s ‘Five Chefs/Five Plates’ menu offers diners a more budget-friendly evening – and it’s designed as a creative opportunity for Essa’s young chefs to strut their stuff and experiment with seasonal ingredients. They also host express lunches on Fridays, and a weekly family-style lunch menu each Sunday.

Good to know: vegetarians are well catered for here, with plenty of veggie alternatives and a fully vegetarian option for the set menu.

Where: 181 Robertson St, Fortitude Valley

Petite, Fortitude Valley

This new Brisbane restaurant has quickly become a favourite. A welcoming French-inspired bistro and wine bar, Petite has an ambiance that encourages guests to stay a while and savour, and a menu that pays equal thought to the food and wine – with each of the 20 dishes given a wine pairing recommendation.

Helmed by the team behind Fortitude Valley Asian favourites Happy Boy and Snack Man – expect a superbly curated European wine list that always offers something new to try. An extra excuse to linger over the cheese or dessert options.

Where: Corner of East St and, Ann St, Fortitude Valley

Searching for more romantic restaurants in Brisbane? Find your match here.

Agnes, Fortitude Valley

Slink into an undiscovered corner of Fortitude Valley for an evening that celebrates wood-fired cooking. Dining out is redefined at Agnes, where the entire menu leans on cooking over fire. No electricity, no gas. 

Acclaimed chef and co-owner Ben Williamson is at the helm of the custom-made stone hearth, whipping up creations that shine on local farmers and flavours. The set menu option is a great way to sample a bit of everything, otherwise go share-style on dishes like smoked potato sourdough, sourdough crumpet with yellowfin tuna, tiger prawns with fermented chilli butter and Angus ribeye with smoked mustard. 

Be sure to book in advance - Agnes' huge popularity has only increased since scooping up Gourmet Traveller's 2023 Australian Restaurant of the Year award - along with multiple chef hats. If you don't have a reservation, try your luck upstairs from the main dining room at the terrace, which is walk-in only and serves bar snacks and desserts. 

Where: 22 Agnes St, Fortitude Valley

Establishment 203, Fortitude Valley

Good food. Good wine. Good friends.

That’s the mantra of Establishment 203 – a sleek Fortitude Valley diner dedicated to steak and Italian cuisine. The restaurant has a partnership with Stanbroke, one of Australia’s premier cattle farms, and it takes farm-to-table seriously.

As for what’s on the menu? Establishment 203 is all about simplicity, and it’s executed brilliantly. The entrée selection will pull you in but be warned, you’ll need to strategically save room for their specialty: fine cuts of Wagyu and Angus beef and Italian-inspired dishes featuring homemade pasta whirled into the likes of lobster linguine and tonnarelli with Wagyu sirloin bolognese. Complemented with sophisticated cocktails and an Italian-heavy wine list, Establishment 203 accepts bookings up to 12 weeks in advance. Be sure to get one!

Where: 6 Marshall St, Fortitude Valley 

Supernormal, Brisbane City

It’s no secret Brisbane diners love the hype of a new restaurant. But when the new arrival is the first interstate expansion of Supernormal from the Andrew McConnell, fanfare dials up a few more notches.

Happily, the restaurant on every foodie’s radar has not disappointed – in large part to its deviation from its flagship, moody Melbourne residence to embrace a Queensland look, feel and taste. The sleek, textured fitout and palm-lined surrounds, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Story Bridge firmly embraces its place in Brisbane. And the menu strategically balances signature dishes Supernormal fans know and love (like New England lobster rolls and slow cooked Szechuan lamb shoulder) with a bright new offering of Queensland-inspired Asian flavours.

In a delightful double-dip into Brisbane’s food scene, McConnell simultaneously opened Bar Miette – a terrace wine bar with all day dining – just upstairs from Supernormal. Add it to your radar.

Where: 443 Queen St, Brisbane

Exhibition, Brisbane City

From the antique Japanese chefs knives on display to the bespoke, handmade tableware head chef and restaurant owner Tim Scott develops with Brisbane's Box & Ho Pottery, and the exquisite morsels served tableside - this dining experience is an exhibition in every sense of the word.

Exhibition feels right at home in its moodily-lit basement below Brisbane's old Metro Arts Theatre. An intimate 24-seater restaurant that pays attention to every detail, the short and long degustation menu is inspired by Japanese omakase. Which means, you'll be eating whatever delights Chef Tim and his team have prepared from their daily deliveries of local produce, meats and live seafood. The hyper-seasonal menu ensures even return diners will taste something new each time. 

Where: Basement 2/109 Edward St, Brisbane City

sAme sAme, Fortitude Valley

When Brisbane 's Thai-fusion institution, LoNGTIME, pulled up stumps to move to James Street's Ada Lane everyone was worried about what changes would be made and what would get lost in the move. Years later, sAme sAme has cemented itself as a jewel of The Calile Hotel precinct. All of Longtime’s hallmarks of upscale Thai – fragrant curries, perfectly roasted meats, and vibrant authentic salads – remain. In fact, their legion of fans has only grown. 

The whole operation is accompanied by a fabulous French-leaning wine list, creative Thai-inspired cocktails and delivered with the kind of Swiss-precision service usually reserved for fine diners. Make sure you preface dinner with a drink at Same Same’s upstairs tequila bar, LOS (Land of Smiles).

Where: Ada Lane, 46 James St, Fortitude Valley

Bianca, Fortitude Valley

One of Brisbane’s favourite Italian restaurants, Bianca fits like a glove in James Street’s chic cocoon – and it delivers on flavour too. The warm, pink-hued setting makes Bianca great for long lunches or date nights, while the menu leans into the beauty of classic, simple Italian dishes done well.

The burrata is legendary, and the house made pasta melts in your mouth, whether you order the beef ragu or spanner crab orecchiette. It’s best to share, so bring a group.

Where: Ada Lane, 46 James St, Fortitude Valley

Bosco, Newstead

If you like dark and moody date night destinations, but prefer fun over formal, Bosco is the place.

The latest venture from Simon Hill, owner of New Farm’s riverside long-lunch hotspot Bar Alto, Bosco is said to be inspired by the cuisine of the coastal and olive oil regions of France, Italy and Spain. Think unfussy yet flawless Euro fare – and a menu where you can pop in for a few snacks and wine, or really settle in for the evening.

Uniquely, Bosco is located within the bakery and warehouse of Hill’s long-time baker, Brewbakers – and it nails the industrial wine bar and grill. Fittingly, much of the menu heroes bread in some form, which the crew describes as ‘the essence of every great meal’. Pair with Bosco’s extensive and ever-changing wine list, packed with varietals from Burgundy, Provence, Piedmont and across Australia too. 

Where: 8 Austin St, Newstead

Southside, South Brisbane

Stroll down Fish Lane when hunger strikes and you can take your pick from Brisbane’s best restaurants and bustling bars. It’s hard to pick a favourite – but tucked under the railway overpass and enveloped in leafy greenery, pan-Asian restaurant Southside really does dress to impress. On a warm evening this is one of the city’s most unique alfresco spots, though inside every dining (and design) detail has been perfected, too. You’d expect no less from the team who brought legendary Rick Shores to the Gold Coast.

Tuck into creative dim sum, sizzling mains and noodles that nod to Queensland flavours – the char kway teow with Moreton Bay Bug being an essential order. After dessert, mosey a few steps away to Maker or Bar Brutus – both small bars slinging some of Brisbane’s best cocktails.

Celebrating? Southside is great place for dining with a group – just be sure to get a reservation well in advance.

Where: Fish Lane, South Brisbane. 

1889 Enoteca, Woolloongabba

Brisbane's love affair with Italian food continues. An old 1890s-era Moreton Rubber headquarters is now a brick, wood and marble-lined tribute to Roman cooking. This sub-genre of Italian cuisine isn’t often adopted by many restaurants, making 1889 Enoteca all the more special for their elevated Italian mains and exceptional pasta, such as a thick-cut pappardelle and the restaurant’s now iconic pork and fennel sausage gnocchi.

But food is just one facet. ‘Enoteca’ literally means ‘wine library’, so the restaurant is operated as half restaurant, half-wine cellar. Naturally, they boast one of the finest wine lists in the country, with bottles of natural wine sourced from centuries old wineries on the Italian peninsula. You can even book a private dining experience for a group in the cellar downstairs. 

Where: 10-12 Logan Rd, Woolloongabba

SK Steak and Oyster, Fortitude Valley

Tucked into the ground floor of Brisbane’s favourite urban oasis, The Calile Hotel, SK Steak and Oyster is simply stunning. An elegant space where old-world grill meets modern design.

Set in swanky surrounds – which includes a horseshoe bar, grand piano and intimate booths lining the window side of the restaurant – SK Steak and Oyster is a destination for long lunches, decadent dinners, or perhaps even popping in for a martini and prawn cocktail.

Start with a round of oysters or caviar, take your pick from the raw bar or hot seafood (baked Mooloolaba king prawns are a highlight), then make the tough decision between mouthwatering pastas or a cut from the extensive steak options. The latter might win out, perhaps just to select sides from the dedicated nine-dish strong potato menu, which boasts potato gratin, classic French fries, and rich bug and lobster mash – with the option to add caviar, of course.

Where: The Calile Hotel, 12/48 James St, Fortitude Valley 

Hôntô, Fortitude Valley 

Wander to the unassuming backstreets of Fortitude Valley and enter into the culinary world of hôntô - a dimly lit Japanese-inspired restaurant that quickly became a local favourite after opening in 2018.

From the brains behind LONgTIME and sAmesAme, hôntô blends vibrant flavours with a sleek, chandelier-accented atmosphere and the option to dine at a table, open chef kitchen or raw bar. 

The menu leans on local and Australian produce to reimagine Japanese cuisine. Let the chef select your feast and go for the banquet, or pick from the extensive menu that includes raw bites, sushi, snacks and grilled delights like baby snapper with mandarin kosho butter and Wagyu brisket with koji furikake. 

Where: Alden St, Fortitude Valley

Joy, Fortitude Valley

Tucked away in Bakery Lane in Fortitude Valley, this bolthole makes memorable experiences you won’t find easily elsewhere. With just 10 seats in the pocket-sized restaurant, Joy is a decidedly intimate experience. All dishes are prepared in full view by two-person team including chef and owner Sarah Baldwin, bringing guests closer to the process and merging front and back of house. This makes for a very different kind of dinner theatre, and that’s before you’ve had your first bite.

Joy's nightly degustations are constantly changing and responding to the seasonal availability of produce, ensuring diners have the best experience of the best ingredients. Being a passion project, every seating leads diners on a journey through flavour and providence.

Because of all the effort that goes into creating the Joy experience, they can only offer a limited number of seatings per night. Naturally, this means Joy books out months in advance so make sure you secure your spot well ahead of your visit to Brisbane.

Where: Bakery Lane, 694 Ann St, Fortitude Valley

If you’re in town to eat your way through Brisbane’s best restaurants, we’ve got you covered for where to stay and a full week of activities while you’re here. For the first-timer, this guide will help you out.