After working across a range of Australian restaurants, including Urbane and Gerard's Bistro in Brisbane, plus Sepia, Automata and Sixpenny in Sydney, chefs Tim and Sarah Scott branched out on their own in 2019. Since 2020, Sarah has been flying solo; however, the concept behind the Fortitude Valley restaurant couldn't be more straightforward, which suits its cosy Bakery Lane space: it only seats ten people. At Joy, customers perch themselves at the laneway eatery's chef's table. On the other side, the food is prepared and cooked, all in plain view of their hungry diners. The restaurant is basically welcoming its patrons into the kitchen while it puts on each night's set menu, offering one of Brissie's more intimate and atmospheric culinary experiences. Although the menu changes regularly, Joy only offers one dining option: an eight-dish tasting spread for $175 per person. Some dietary requirements can be catered for, but you will need to let the team know ahead of time. Otherwise, you simply let them feed you all manners of creative dishes. Egg custard with truffles, cured scallops with dashi, zucchini with confit squid, venison tartare paired with sesame and herbs, king prawns with fermented chilli, and a soft cheese, white chocolate and matcha combo have all ranked among Joy's previous dishes — with the restaurant whipping up food with Japanese, Nordic and modern Australian. Top image: Joy. Appears in: The Best Restaurants in Brisbane
