Overview
When Brisbane's new Queen's Wharf precinct starts welcoming in patrons from the end of August, a culinary feast will await. They're not all opening upon launch, but this new riverside hub will feature restaurants serving up Indochine, Japanese, Italian, noodle, lamb, steak and seafood dishes — and that's just a taste of the eateries that'll call the site home. Add French fare to the list as well, courtesy of the just-announced Pompette. Escargot? Tick. Champagne? Tick. Oysters? Tick again.
Classic French menu items will be on offer at this restaurant and champagne bar, but with two guiding principles in mind. Firstly, Pompette's dishes are set to give traditional meals a modern spin. Secondly, if sending your tastebuds to Paris normally gets you thinking about extravagant fine-dining, this spot is aiming to be more accessible.
Tassis Group is bringing Pompette to fruition, with the hospitality group now boasting not one but two Queen's Wharf venues after the lamb-heroing Dark Shepherd. Both are set to open in September, the month after the precinct initially begins launching. For Pompette, you'll be heading to The Terrace on level four of The Star Brisbane.
Michael Tassis, Tassis Group's owner, sees the site as "the perfect opportunity to experiment with a fun and fresh venue concept." He continued: "we're so excited to expand on our offerings and bring a slice of France to Brisbane. French cuisine is renowned for its rich flavours and textures — but many people find it intimidating. The concept of Pompette is to make that French dining experience a little more approachable".
The restaurant will be located at at the end of the Neville Bonner pedestrian bridge, not only giving it views of the Brisbane River out over to South Bank, but continuing another trend for the hospitality company. Before 2025 hits, it'll add to its growing array of Brisbane restaurants — which also includes Longwang and Fatcow on James Street, both of which also opened in 2024, plus Yamas Greek + Drink, Opa Bar + Mezze, Massimo Restaurant & Bar, Rich & Rare and Fosh Bar & Restaurant — with two new venues as part of Kangaroo Point's green bridge.
At Pompette, regular Tassis collaborators Clui Design are responsible for the look and feel, too — taking inspiration from Paris here, of course.
As for what else the eatery will serve up under Head Chef Jean-Luc Morcellet, most menu details are still under wraps, other than the aforementioned escargot, oysters and champagne. You can start looking forward to steak au poivre — aka pepper steak — however, and all-day dining will be a big drawcard.
Find Pompette at The Star Brisbane, Queen's Wharf Road, Brisbane from sometime in September 2024 — we'll update you with an exact opening date when it is announced. Head to the restaurant's website for more details in the interim.
Food images: Markus Ravik.