Embers Is the New Grill and Rotisserie Restaurant Opening Inside South Bank's The Charming Squire

What's better than a microbrewery that serves both food and brews? A venue that pumps out its own beers and offers patrons two distinctive dining and drinking spaces. That's what's on the cards at The Charming Squire, with the South Bank venue splitting its floorplan to welcome in a new wood-fired grill and rotisserie restaurant.

Opening its doors on Wednesday, September 15, Embers is the fancier sibling to the existing Brewhouse. Where the latter skews casual, this newcomer is all about levelling up your lunch or dinner. And, while it's definitely located inside The Charming Squire, this space-within-a-space has its own entrance — and its own vibe and wood-heavy decor.

Able to seat 177, including in booths for five-to-ten people, at low tables and outdoors, Embers is filled with timber. Seasoned Charming Squire guests will recognise the layout, but the look has had a tweak — including via dashes of greenery. The look suits the culinary theme, given that Head Chef German Gonzalez is focusing on a fire-fuelled menu that heroes wood-roasted, smoked and grilled dishes, as well as meals finished over ironbark coals.

Standout options include dishes with lamb, given that a whole lamb is slow-cooked every weekend and then broken up into plates — such as the wood-roasted lamb with cucumber, mint, local greens, labneh and sumac salad. The grain-fed rib fillet is slow-roasted for 24 hours, then served with bearnaise sauce, carrots and jus, while the charcoal chicken comes with pickles, lemon and fattoush salad.

Other highlights span gnocchi with local mushrooms, truffle, stracciatella and sage butter from the vegetable-focused section of the menu, and half a Western Australian lobster that's wood-roasted with roe butter, tomato and olive from among the seafood dishes. Or, there's flame-seared hiramasa kingfish, mushroom and truffle arancini balls, and coffee cured and smoked duck breast, all from the small-plates range.

If you're after something sweet following your meal, dessert options include passionfruit souffle with mango sorbet, banoffee pie and an affogato with salted caramel ice cream.

Drinks-wise, more than 100 bottles of wine will tempt your vino-loving tastebuds, with Australian reds comprising more than half the list. James Squire's beers obviously feature, including tipples brewed in-house and tasting paddles — and five different boilermaker pairings.

And, the cocktail selection also skews towards the smoky, as seen in the Embers Manhattan (which is made with beef fat-wash rye whiskey, vermouth and chocolate bitters), as well as the Smoky Old Fashioned (with mezcal, orange bitters and house wood-roasted chilli).

Find Embers inside The Charming Squire, 3/133 Grey Street, South Brisbane, from Wednesday, September 15 — open Tuesdays from 5–9pm, Wednesdays–Thursdays from 11am–3pm and 5–9pm, Fridays from 11am–3pm and 5–10pm, Saturdays from 11am–3pm and 4.30–10pm, and Sundays from 11am–5pm.