Overview
When Bisou Bisou opened its doors in 2021, the Fortitude Valley restaurant brought a taste of French fine-dining to Brunswick Street. Taking over the ground level of Hotel X, which also launched the same year, the eatery was all about letting patrons pretend that they were on the other side of the world. Two years later, change is afoot, with Ghanem Group revamping the venue's focus — and a more casual French experience is the end result.
Your tastebuds are still largely being spirited away to Europe, but the hospitality outfit behind Iris Rooftop upstairs in the same building — plus Byblos Bar and Restaurant, Blackbird Bar and Grill, Boom Boom Room Izakaya and Donna Chang elsewhere around Brisbane — is out to show that French restaurants aren't just for swanky outings. Steak frites remains on the menu, of course, and the freestanding rotisserie is still a big feature. Indeed, the brasserie is now heroing those kinds of French staples.
Accordingly, opt for rotisserie chicken — whole or half, or whatever the special is that day — and you'll be able to pair it with classic French sauces like bearnaise and beurre noisette. Or, tempt your tastebuds with another big standout dish: pot-cooked mussels, which come in half- and one-kilo serves accompanied by a baguette, and also with a range of sauces.
Bisou Bisou remains an all-day eatery, with catering for breakfast — especially if you're slumbering in the hotel — as well as lunch, dinner, snacks over drinks and just beverages all on its lineup. If you're just heading by for a bite, the new menu has exactly that in mind with its salted cod and herb croquettes with saffron aioli, whipped goat's curd and vegetable crudites, and chicken liver parfait with prune jam and toasted brioche. Or, you can choose any of those options as a starter before a main if you're settling in for the long haul.
Other food highlights to say bonjour to include warm custard-filled cronuts, loaded croissants, banana crumpets and croques both monsieur and madame on the brekkie lineup; charcuterie and ocean trout rillettes among the snacks; bacon cheeseburgers and pork schnitzel from the mains menu; and sorbet, dark chocolate mousse, and watermelon and strawberries in sparkling pinot shiraz for dessert.
Drinks-wise, the wine and spirits list remains hefty, and tap beers are poured from behind the lobby bar. The cocktail selection will change seasonally; however, taking cues Harry's New York Bar in Paris is a drawcard with Bisou Bisou's takes on the sidecar, boulevardier and French 75.
Find Bisou Bisou inside Hotel X at 458 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley — open from 6.30am–late daily.
Images: Markus Ravik.