Have a limited time to explore Brisbane and only want to eat the best? We’ve narrowed down a selection of the city’s best dishes, from breakfast carbonara (yes, it’s true) to the best dumplings in the city.
Brisbane has an array of fantastic restaurants that pack a punch with their offering. It wasn’t easy to choose but here are the 10 must-eat dishes in Brisbane.
1. Saganaki, Greca
Fried cheese with honey? Yum.
This dish is something else. It comes to your table sizzling in the pan and you’ll devour it in seconds. Not to mention you’re eating it with Greca ’s stunning waterfront view from Howard Smith Wharves. Chef’s kiss.
2. Breakfast carbonara, Morning After
Why has no one thought to serve pasta at breakfast before?
Carbonara is a natural extension of bacon and eggs with toast: pappardelle provides a dose of carbs, guanciale (cured pigs cheek) adds that meaty umami hit, and a 63-degree hens egg stands in for the requisite yolk.
If you are having one of those morning-after moments, bring a pair of shades to Morning After .
The all-white, timber and green cafe is bright and breezy, and one of the best in Brisbane, but a bowl of that pasta will have you feeling human in no time.
3. Gnocchi with pork and fennel sausage, 1889 Enoteca
Arguably one of the best-known dishes in Brisbane, 1889 Enoteca’s ridiculously rich gnocchi has been the restaurant’s bestseller for seven years straight.
When the weather gets cool, head to this moody Roman-style trattoria, housed in an elegant heritage-listed space, for handmade gnocchi, folded with truffle and Parmesan cream, and fennel-flecked pork sausage.
The dish begs for a good glass of vino and, happily, the restaurant happens to have one of the best wine lists in town.
4. Tonkotsu ramen, Taro’s Ramen
Bow down to Brisbane’s undisputed ramen king. Formerly in the city, this casual-style ramen shop holds an unassuming position on Racecourse Road, with bare tables and a basic fit-out, save for the new addition of tableside touchscreen ordering.
Taro’s noodles are made by hand in-house, and shoyu and shio ramen are both based on ‘golden triple soup’ (a blend of chicken, seaweed and vegetables) but the tonkotsu ramen is really special.
Bangalow sweet pork bones are slow-simmered for two days to create the rich, cloudy soup, which comes topped with two slices of char sui pork, soy-cooked soft egg and nori.
Add in some pickled ginger to cut through the richness, and, if you’re a heat-seeker, go for the fire tonkotsu, with four types of chilli added in.
5. Goat ragu pappardelle, Bar Alto
Bar Alto is located in the Brisbane Powerhouse, which is a contemporary multi-arts, dining and conference venue nestled on the beautiful banks of the Brisbane River beside New Farm Park.
While overlooking the river try Bar Alto ’s goat ragu pappardelle. You won’t regret it. This dish is comprised of house-made pappardelle mixed with a slow-cooked baby goat shoulder ragu. Packed with flavour, it’s not to be missed.
6. Kouign Amann, Agnes Bakery
Starting as a pop-up during lockdowns Agnes Bakery now has a permanent venue on James Street.
Agnes Bakery does a weekly Kouign Amann special where they experiment with flavours and make you salivate for days. Kouign Amann means “butter cake" in Breton, a Celtic language spoken in Brittany. They are dense, sweet, salty and wonderfully buttery. Yes, please!
7. Kentucky fried duck, Detour
Once an icon at Public, Detour ’s head chef and owner brought the recipe with him when he left their kitchen.
These deep-fried duck nuggets served in a paper bag are a customer favourite that are so unique and delicious, that you won’t find them this good anywhere else.
8. Dumplings in sweet soy chilli sauce, Little Red Dumpling
Little Red Dumpling prides itself on preparing dumplings in-house daily, using only locally sourced ingredients — ‘just like mama used to’.
They dish up the best dumplings in town, and nothing beats their dumplings in sweet soy chilli sauce.
9. Gonuts, Flour and Chocolate
Flour and Chocolate is a series of low-key stores that serve up some of the city’s best patisseries.
On Thursday, the daily special is gonuts (a version of the croissant-doughnut hybrid, the cronut) and crowd-sources flavour ideas via social media.
Think delicate layers of croissant pastries, fried until crisp, and topped with white chocolate and pistachio, or sandwiched with vanilla custard.
