The Best Places in Brisbane to Treat Your Mum on Mother's Day (or Any Day)

Try slightly harder than your favourite sticky dive bar.
Sarah Ward
May 10, 2023

Loving your mum might be an all-year-round affair, but that doesn't make Mother's Day any less special. Sure, you shouldn't need an official occasion to celebrate the woman who brought you into this world or any mother-type figure in your life — but you shouldn't pass up the chance to treat that pivotal person to a tasty feast, either.

Of course, trying to find the right place to head to is where things get tricky. Where do you take the person responsible for making you many a meal over the course of your lifetime? And can anywhere live up to home cooking? Any old burger or doughnut place just won't do, which is why we're here to help. We'd take our mums and maternal influences to these top Brisbane eateries, and we think you should as well.

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TILLERMAN, BRISBANE CITY

Why treat your mum to one course, or three — or even five — when there's eight on offer at Eagle Street's holiday-inspired seafood-heavy restaurant Tillerman. Views come with the territory, naturally, but you might be too busy feasting your way through this hefty banquet to notice.

For $120, the spread starts with Fraser Isle spanner crab, then includes dishes like seared kingfish crepes, crumbed lamb backstrap, salt-baked grouper, wagyu with steak fries and lemon meringue pie for dessert. You can add an oyster for $6, and a glass of sparkling to say cheers to your mum for $30.

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YOKO DINING, HOWARD SMITH WHARVES

Mother's Day doesn't just have to be about Sunday lunch. Treating your mum doesn't only need to occur on the designated date, either. At Yoko Dining at Howard Smith Wharves, this year's Mother's Day menu runs for three days, from Friday, May 12–Sunday, May 14 — and for lunch and dinner as well.

With excellent river views to peer out at, you'll enjoy some of the best Japanese fare in Brisbane thanks to a $90 menu. Inclusions range from kingfish and ceviche with pineapple through to miso-glazed eggplant, a wagyyu striploin set and raspberry mochi.

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SETTIMO, BRISBANE CITY

Do Guy Grossi's cookbooks line your mum's shelves? If she a fan of MasterChef? Has your mother had a chance to check out Grossi's new Brisbane eatery Settimo — and the Italian Australian chef's first in the Sunshine State capital at that?

A visit here for La Fiesta della Mamma means getting cosy at The Westin Brisbane restaurant over a menu curated by Grossi himself. Think: antipasto, pasta, carne and pesce, verdue and dolci, all offering the eatery's blend of Italian and Australian tastes and vibes. And, with the venue taking its cues from the Amalfi Coast, you'll be able to pretend that's where you are instead.

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MAGGIE MAY, NEWSTEAD

There aren't many drawbacks to Mother's Day, unless you and your mum aren't all that fond of catering to someone else's schedule. Can't make the usual breakfast, brunch or lunch timeslots? Maggie May in Newstead is a supper club — a 70s-inspired one, too — so it's big on options from morning through to dinner.

You can opt for a Mother's Day breakfast, of course. Also, the Longland Street eatery's usual bottomless brunch is on offer, should you fancy clinking glasses a whole lot. Or, go for the set menu for lunch or dinner, which includes two courses for $75 with choices such as vanilla-glazed scallops and crispy-skin Murray cod. There's a DJ spinning vinyl from 3pm, too, and cocktails like the Oh, Jane Fonda (made with vodka, passionfruit liqueur, Aperol, lemon juice and vanilla simple syrup) to purchase on top.

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BYBLOS, HAMILTON

Pick your river vantage, any river vantage — that's the Brisbane story, with eating in sight of the city's snaking waterway one of the easiest things to do in this sunny city. That includes in Hamilton, where Portside Wharf's Byblos is marking Mother's Day with a $75 feast from 12pm onwards.

As well as the river vista, you'll be working your way through Lebanese dishes, including falafel, fried filo pastries, minced lamb and grilled barramundi with roasted pepper ratatouille. For dessert, there's Turkish delight crème brûlée with orange and pistachio biscotti. Arrive hungry, of course.

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THREE BLUE DUCKS, BRISBANE CITY

For five years, Three Blue Ducks has been a key part of W Brisbane at Brisbane Quarter in the Brisbane CBD — yes, clearly, you're in Brissie — and an ace place for a bite with mum on any occasion. It's closing its doors when May comes to an end, so the restaurant's $175-per-person Mother's Day offering might be your last chance to tuck into its dishes, courtesy of a four-course lunch with river views, live acoustic tunes and a gift for your mum to take home.

Food-wise, a glass of sparkling on arrival will help wash down spanner crab with avocado mousse, burnt leeks with macadamia cheese and organic sourdough. From there, options include a beef tartare, wood-roasted half-shell scallops, half a rack of lamb and steamed baby grouper, too. And, dessert choices come in the form of charred and shaved pineapple, strawberry and lemon myrtle whipped cheesecake and dark chocolate mousse.

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GEMELLI ITALIAN, NEW FARM

If your mum loves Italian food — and, let's face it, everyone does — then a meal at Gemelli Italian is the perfect way to spend your Mother's Day lunch. The James Street venue is doing a sharing-style feast, with options including a fried mix of calamari, prawns and scallops; wagyu bresaola with buffalo mozzarella; crab ravioli; 800-gram t-bones; and a custard mille foglie with chocolate crumb and honeycomb. The word you're looking for: yum.

Yes, the dessert alone should get both you and your mum excited. If there's ever a day to eat an Italian custard slice, it's this one. You'll pay $90 per person for this Italian spread, with drinks costing extra.

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DONNA CHANG, BRISBANE CITY

When it comes to spending quality time with your mum and eating quality food at the same time, we can't recommend Donna Chang's Mother's Day yum cha offering highly enough. For $90 each, you'll get to dive into a menu of pork xiao long bao, Moreton Bay bug dumplings, cumin-spiced lamb buns, fried salt and pepper calamari, vegetable spring rolls, and white chocolate and raspberry eclairs with matcha. Well, that's just the start.

The vibrant restaurant is located in a heritage-listed sandstone building and was awarded our Best New Restaurant of 2018, too — so, you know it'll be good enough for mum.

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CLOUDLAND, FORTITUDE VALLEY

No one forgets a trip to Cloudland, one of the most eye-catching spots in Fortitude Valley, especially inside. This Mother's Day, your mum can fall into that category as well. The Ann Street spot is doing a buffet in its Rose Room, costing $79 each.

This feast comes complete with carvery and paella stations, where roasted pork belly, beef sirloin, and a land-meets-sea mix of clams, mussels, squid and chicken await. There's also a dessert cart, plus a stacked menu of salads and accompaniments — and you'll get full access to all of the above from 11.30am–2pm.

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THE TERRACE, SOUTH BANK

First, the bad news: if you still haven't reserved a spot for Mother's Day and you were hoping for a high-tea berth at one of Emporium's dining venues — aka Belle Époque, Piano Bar and Signature Restaurant — they're already booked out. But, up top on level 21 at The Terrace, you and your mum can spend an afternoon drinking cocktails, including in the lead up to Sunday, May 14.

The special menu includes the Sherry Cooler, which features juniper, sherry, strawberry gum, yuzu, rhubarb foam and more; and the Two-Fold Clover, where you'll be sipping vermouth, fresh raspberries and native hibiscus. If your mum is a bubbles type, go for the bottle of Mumm Grand Cordon and a twin pack of Koko Black chocolates, which costs $125 for two people.

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KICKIN'INN, SPRING HILL

Bibs at the ready, and gloves as well — at this Cajun-inspired seafood eatery in Spring Hill, things will get messy. That's always the case here. In fact, it's a point of pride. But on Mother's Day, you can crack into two special feasts: a $57 deal that comes with 20 prawns, ten baby octopus and two potatoes; and the $99 version, which adds two half lobsters.

This meal is on offer for three days, too, running from Friday, May 12–Sunday, May 14. It will also help make a difference, with Kickin'Inn joining forces with the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Whichever of the above specials you choose, $2 from each will go to raise funds for the organisation — so you'll be helping plenty of folks while celebrating your mum.

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Eat Street Northshore

EAT STREET, HAMILTON

Can't decide what kind of dishes your mum would like this Mother's Day? Know that she'd much prefer to pick herself — and browse and stroll while she tucks into a bunch of different things? Then Eat Street at Northshore Hamilton is your ideal go-to, in what it's badging 'Brisbane's longest Mother's Day lunch' from 12–8pm.

There's a $5 entry free, and then it's a pay-as-you-go affair as you and your mum hit up whichever stalls take her fancy. The added bonus: those river views. Well, that and the cocktails that'll also be available to purchase.

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VALLEY HOPS BREWING, FORTITUDE VALLEY

Taking your mum out for a Mother's Day lunch can still be a casual affair, especially if she likes cold beers, rooftop spots and impressive views. That's the combination on offer at Fortitude Valley's aptly named Valley Hops Brewing, which sits above Cloudland on Ann Street.

The brewery is running its usual menu while celebrating the date — so if your mother is a fan of pizza, as we all are, she'll have options. Bites from the grill include calamari, Japanese-style marinated chicken, and both lamb kofta and Aussie wagyu skewers, or you can both try out Valley Hops' mac 'n' cheese doughnuts.

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Nikki To

GRECA, HOWARD SMITH WHARVES

Maybe you and your mum share fond memories of a Greek getaway. Maybe she's always wanted to visit the Mediterranean, but just hasn't gotten around to it. Either way, you can help her pretend that she's on holidays by taking her to lunch or dinner at Greca.

Howard Smith Wharves' riverside eatery just has that feel to it, and that's before you even get to the food portion of its Mother's Day banquet. For $90 per person, you can the afternoon eating giant slices of honey-topped saganaki, taramasalata with fresh pita, octopus with pickled chilli, and oven-baked lamb shoulder — with halva for dessert.

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BISOU BISOU, FORTITUDE VALLEY

This year, take your mum to France — well, take her tastebuds there, at least. Bisou Bisou is one of Brisbane's recent additions from the past few years, with the luxe-looking French fine diner setting up shop on the ground level of Fortitude Valley's Hotel X. And, for Mother's Day, it's doing both breakfast and lunch.

On the menu first up: your choice of poached eggs over hashbrowns, eggs benedict croissants, vegan scramble and fairy floss-topped french toast — and the $50-per-person price is much, much more affordable than the plane ticket to Europe. For lunch, it's all about a Sunday roast banquet for $85, including rotisserie chicken and prime rib to share.

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BREWDOG, MURARRIE AND FORTITUDE VALLEY

If you've got a pile of gold coins burning a hole in your wallet, pockets or that void down the back of your couch — and you have a mum who likes beer — then BrewDog might just have the best way to combine all of the above. If you and your mother have always wanted to learn more about the amber liquid you're so fond of drinking, it's time to head to BrewDog's $1 Beer School.

The Scottish brewery wants you to hit up either of its two Brisbane locations and go to class. Beer class, that is, aka the best kind of learning there is. For less than the price of a coffee (or just about anything for that matter), you'll taste four BrewDog sips and boost your beer knowledge via a self-guided online tour. The two caveats: you do need to book in advance, meaning that you can't just walk in and decide it's time to go to beer school; and you can only have a maximum of eight people per booking.

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COVENT GARDEN, WEST END

If sampling gins from around the world is something that appeals to you — we mean, your mum — we suggest you book a Mother's Day table at Covent Garden. It's doing its usual gin-fuelled brunch from 11am–3pm, which'll set you back $49 complete with two hours of unlimited cocktails.

Also on the menu: red or white wine sangria, and a grazing-board spread featuring cured meats, cheeses, pickled vegetables and crackers, plus that breakfast and brunch staple, aka bread, too. Our advice: don't plan a big afternoon afterwards, so that you and you mum can kick back and make the most of your boozy meal.

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IRIS ROOFTOP, FORTITUDE VALLEY

By now, you've probably realised that there's a Mother's Day option for your maternal figure no matter what type of cuisine she favours — and which country she'd rather be in. Iris Rooftop atop Hotel X on Brunswick Street is going with Spanish fare, thanks to an $85 banquet lunch that ends with Basque cheesecake-filled doughnuts.

Or, make a date for morning tea instead and you'll get a Sunday-morning favourite, aka bottomless mimosas, to go with your food. That option costs $80, and runs till 11.30am.

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Top image: Greca, Nikki To.

Published on May 10, 2023 by Sarah Ward
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