Wooden Horse

You might not expect to find a cosy fine dining spot tucked away in Clayfield, but that’s just the first of many surprises being offered up by Wooden Horse. Though the neighbourhood favourite has been around for quite some time, it recently saw a change in ownership, with Executive Chef Nick Alba and his wife Ruby taking over and adding their own distinct flair to the restaurant. 

The warm, cottage-like interiors haven’t changed—why fix what isn’t broken, after all? What has changed is the line up of eats—with a background that includes tutelage under Gorden Ramsey and several years working in some of New Zealand’s best restaurants, Alba has swapped out Wooden Horse’s former Mediterranean menu for one that leans more towards modern Australian, blending French cooking techniques and European inspiration with sustainable ingredients sourced exclusively from South East Queensland. 

Start with snacks like a crisp seasonal tart filled with smoked honey, goats cheese and stone fruit before moving onto larger mains of golden spatchcock served with a corn and buckwheat salad and creamy burrata paired with basil marshmallows and juicy tomatoes—a unique combo that somehow works. Options for mains include a classic steak and chips, a melt-in-your-mouth short rib with potato mash that’s more butter than potato, and crispy pork belly with pickled cabbage. 

There’s a short list of creative cocktails to kick things off—or end them—plus a curated selection of Australian and New Zealand wines, beers and mocktails for the non-drinkers. 

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Image credit: Anastasiia Baranets