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Food & Drink

9 Unrivalled Brisbane Dining Experiences All Foodies Must Try

By Annabelle Allpass

15th Apr 2025

If you’re feeling like you’ve eaten your way through your home city and you’re after something completely different, we've teamed up with Visit Brisbane to bring you Brisbane's best—and we assure you, its dining scene is pumping. 

 Proudly claim the food connoisseur title and check out these nine reasons to pull up to Brisbane. 

Experimental Dining at Essa

Pushing boundaries in every dish, Essa is known for its ever-evolving dining experience crafted in collaboration with local farmers, hunters and providores. Bonus points if you pop in on a Wednesday evening for their Five Plates sessions, where young and guest chefs are giving the opportunity to showcase their ideas and experiment with seasonal ingredients. Book your spot at Essa here.

Takashiya's 20-Course Omakase  

Yes, you read that right. An award-winning 20-course omakase awaits you at South Bank's Takashiya. ICYMI, omakase is a Japanese phrase used when ordering food in restaurants meaning 'I'll leave it up to you'. Here, you'll find yourself in an intimate 12-seat dining room to indulge in incredible delicacies like wagyu, truffle, fresh caviar, sea urchin and more. Book the experience here.

Wood-fired Eats At Agnes  

a plate of beautifully decorated wagyu
Image Credit: Agnes | Instagram

In a revamped warehouse in the Valley, you'll find Agnes Restaurant. Everything here is all about smoke and fire—mainly, how it can be harnessed to create out-of-this-world dishes without electricity or gas. The venue is moody yet sleek, with exposed brick, hanging pendant lights and even an olive-tree-dotted rooftop terrace. The venue's centrepiece is the open kitchen and its glowing fires, where everything on the menu is prepared over coal, fire and smoke. The ever-changing menu utilises the best goods of the season to serve up incomparably delicious bites—think wood-roasted duck, yellowfin tuna and a dreamy wagyu sirloin. Book here.  

Dine 17m Above The Ground At Vertigo

Take your meal to new heights at Vertigo—the heart-pounding restaurant perched 17m above the ground on the edge of the iconic Brisbane Powerhouse. Paired with stunning 360 degree panoramic views, enjoy a three-course meal for brunch or dinner before droplining four stories down to get back to the ground. Get your adrenaline pumping and book now here. 

Baked Masterpieces At Agnes Bakery  

The baby of Agnes Restaurant, Agnes Bakery in Fortitude Valley is Brisbane's answer to your mid-morning pastry craving. Score everything from perfectly crafted danishes to the most decadent ham and cheese croissant with Byron Bay ham, gruyère, and a kick of fermented chilli. Found on a bright and breezy corner, Agnes makes for the perfect people-watching spot and is only a short distance away from New Farm Park for ultra-lax weekend vibes. Check them out on Instagram here—cue the drool. 

Decadent French Cuisine At Montrachet  

a plate of beautiful French food
Image Credit: Montrachet | Instagram

When it comes to decadence, the French do it best—and Montrachet in Bowen Hills is the perfect example. The staple recommendation of both local foodies and hospo pros, this award-winning French restaurant is renowned for being the cream-of-the-crop lavish with traditional dishes and innovative interpretations. Whether you opt to go à la carte with their seasonal menu or try the six-course degustation crafted by executive chef Clement Chauvin, you're in for a treat. Book here. 

Japanese Feasting At hôntô

Find the discreet entrance to hôntô in Fortitude Valley and be rewarded with an unforgettable moodily-lit dining experience. hôntô serves up contemporary Japanese cuisine best shared, like their pork katsu with karashi and smoked tontaku or the Stockyard Wagyu striploin with garlic soy and BBQ onion. Needless to say, you meal will be well worth the initial game of hide and seek. Bookings are essential, so be sure to nab your spot here. 

Fresh Seafood On A Fishing Trawler At The Prawnster  

There is no dining experience like visiting The Prawnster in Brisbane. Climb aboard an actual prawn trawler from the City Botanic Gardens River Hub to cop some of the best freshly caught seafood in town. From oysters to Moreton Bay bugs, and (naturally) a whole lot of prawns, a visit here is sure to be a catch. You're also welcome to BYO wine and beer, with non-alcoholic options on-board. Book here. 

Impressive Degustations at Restaurant Dan Arnold 

a plate in a degustation
Image Credit: Restaurant Dan Arnold | Instagram

If you can't look past a degustation, be sure to add Restaurant Dan Arnold to your itinerary. Bringing his experience working in Michelin-starred kitchens across France to the Brisbane dining scene, you can expect elegant and thoughtful fare in a blend of modern Australian flavours and French techniques. Bookings for the experience are essential, reserve your table here. 

Ready to take your tastebuds on the road? Head to Visit Brisbane and book your next getaway. 

Editor's note: This article was produced in partnership with Visit Brisbane. Thank you for supporting the partners who make Urban List possible. To read our editorial policy, click here.

Main Image Credit: Essa | Instagram
 

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