When Stokehouse Q sparked up in 2011, it was viewed locally as a northern branch office for its more sophisticated Melbourne sibling. Eight years on, the glamour spot has flourished. It’s now a bona fide Brisbane institution – somewhere to bring visitors to show off not just commanding rivers-edge city views but also a local, elegant take on contemporary fare. Catch the fleeting sunset with a flute in hand (cue a broad-ranging drinks list with a stash of vintage and small-grower sparkling wines) and nab a plate of crudo, perhaps riberry gin-cured slivers of black kingfish finished with desert lime dust and oil. Or opt for simplicity – garfish and triple-cooked chips, pimped with seaweed salt. Amaebi prawns are a neat addition to squid-ink spaghetti, slicked with fermented chilli and cultured butter. And barramundi belly shines topped with sea purslane and supported by garnet-hued Davidson’s plum oil and seaweed dashi. Floor staff may fade during hectic periods, but the Jenga-like tiles of a refined Neapolitan dessert – a base square of chocolate mousse topped with rosella sorbet and offset by vanilla semifreddo – will leave you totally stoked.
This review was made independently for the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. The guide’s reviewers visit unannounced and pay their way.
Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide
Our guide gives a yearly snapshot at the best restaurants to eat at right now. The best-rated restaurants, as judged by the reviewers’ first-hand experience, form our national Top 50.
