The Seven Best Degustation Restaurants in Brisbane
Good things come in small packages.
Good things come in small packages. Many small packages. Up to ten courses, in fact. This is the beauty of the degustation menu. Degustation is a fancy French word for tasting carefully in order to fully appreciate. It’s an experience, not just a feed, and it’s well worth the price tag. If you’re of the foodie persuasion, move with haste to get yourself in front of one of these fantastic Brisbane degustation menus.
Urbane
In Brisbane, Urbane is synonymous with the finest of fine dining. Executive Chef Alejandro Cancino (The Good Food Guide’s 2013 Chef of the Year) designs the five ($110) and seven ($135) course menus around the freshest local produce and his team’s favourite cooking techniques, resulting in an innovative and unique dining experience. Dishes may include octopus with green apple, avocado and rye, or egg yolk with watercress and leek. As an added bonus, both the five and seven course menu are available as vegetarian. Add matching wines to the five-course menu for $60, or to the seven-course for $100.
181 Mary Street, Brisbane
Esquire
Brisbane’s only three-hatted restaurant is adored by many, and its Campari, orange, curds and whey dessert is considered one of Brisbane’s iconic dishes. The degustation menu, ranging from seven to fifteen courses, changes daily depending on the freshest local produce and the whim of Executive Chef Ryan Squires and Head Chef Ben Devlin and will set you back around $130. Sample menu items include the aforementioned curds and whey, pork tail with malt, thyme and cabbage, suckling pig leg ham, and blue mackerel with cavolo nero, onion and juniper.
145 Eagle Street, Brisbane
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Sake
The contemporary Japanese dining menu at Sake is a big one. This is where the ‘Cherry Blossom’ ($88) and ‘Shinichi’s Spring Selection’ ($115) tasting menus come in handy. Crafted by Head Chef Shinichi Maeda, both are eight courses long, and dishes include the tender sunomono snow king crab on a fresh tomato consume & bonito jelly, an ever-changing sashimi selection, venison tataki, wagyu dumpling and more. Complement your meal with a little something from the cocktail menu, such as the ominously named Godzilla (absinthe, lychee liqueur, lime and shiso leaves, $22).
45 Eagle Street, Brisbane
Restaurant II
Restaurant II is another longstanding fine dining icon, having operated in the beautiful 2 Edward Street building under the watchful eye of Head Chef David Pugh for more than ten years. The ten-course modern Australian degustation menu is based on local produce, changes each month, and costs $150 (plus $60 with matching wines). Possible courses include seared scallops, smoked venison loin, roasted quail, and raspberry and lemon grass soup.
2 Edward Street, Brisbane
Deer Duck
Blink and you’ll miss this cosy nook on Milton Road, Auchenflower. Deer Duck offers old school decadence and is also the only restaurant on this list that offers BYO ($10 corkage) as well as matched wines. You can choose from a five-course ($75 plus $35 with matching wines) or eight-course ($120 plus $55 with matching wines) menu, featuring dishes including textures of beetroot with tomato and goats curd, pressed lamb with cauliflower puree, and chocolate forest. Head Chef Nicholas Cooper has also created equivalent vegetarian menus for the less carnivorous among us.
396 Milton Road, Auchenflower
Sono
Refined, elegant and delicious, Sono’s 6 course tasting menu ($88 plus $45 with matched beverages) is a tasty journey into contemporary Japanese cuisine. Fresh salmon sashimi, tuna belly sushi, seared wagyu, and the most delicious crab meat croquette all make an appearance along with expertly matched wine and sake, and the service is just as good as the food.
39 Hercules Street, Hamilton
Anise
With its intimate atmosphere, bar style seating, and hardworking record player, Anise is one of Brisbane’s best date locations. And what better way to while away a few of hours with the one you love than with Head Chef David Grant’s seven course degustation ($100 plus $55 with matching wines). Scallops, wagyu and duck liver parfait all feature on the current menu, and the matching wines are well worth the extra dosh.
697 Brunswick Street, New Farm
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