brisbane CBD restaurants

Beneath the old Metro Arts Centre building, chef Tim Scott explores not just his love of cooking (with an evolving menu of around 15 to 20 courses) but also art, artisans and producers – from hand-forged cutlery to a display of antique Japanese knives and shelves of fancy recipe books.

A 120-seat modern-Chinese restaurant.

Polished, old-school service and European-inspired dishes are the pillars of this elegant bar and grill in the former Jamie's Italian space. Visit for stellar seafood dishes, a tight selection of pastas and a roving Armagnac cart with bottles dating back to 1931.

A two-storey Japanese izakaya with a beautiful bento box-inspired fit-out. Upstairs in pride of place is a pair of turntables, ready to spin vinyl tunes late into the night.

A two-storey Cantonese eatery with a star chef at the helm.

Family-style Greek from Jonathan Barthelmess, one of Sydney’s favourite restaurateurs.

Alice is a rocker’s reverie. There are ’80s TVs, a lucky-dip machine, and a jukebox playing hair metal hits – and it’s open til 3am every night.

The W Hotel's sophisticated NY-styleThe W Hotel’s sophisticated NY-style grill sees an ex-Noma chef serving elevated tater tots and dry-aged Warwick Wagyu. Plus, find classic sides like mac’n’cheese and a caesar salad plated tableside.

Dan Arnold and Matt Blackwell have imbued the old Greenglass space with all the flair and ambition you’d expect from the pair. Come for highlights like mussel beurre blanc, and a wine list heavy on French and Aussie drops.

Celebrity chef Guy Grossi's 150-seat restaurant serves up the traditional dishes you'd find along Italy's Amalfi Coast. Go for gnocchi alla Sorrentina, pasta al limone and scialatielli all’amalfitana. Plus, a whole heap of wines from the Campania region, including fiano and aglianico.

This flash Greek restaurant has a live shellfish and oyster bar plus over 20 mezze plates. Expect moussaka, pastitsio and lamb on a spit alongside chargrilled lobster, chocolate baklava and lesser-known Greek wines in beautiful, island-inspired surrounds.

An all-day Italian eatery inspired by the breezy, seafood-forward diners of the Amalfi Coast.

From the team behind Naga Thai, this seafood-focused restaurant’s beautiful design plays second fiddle to priceless Story Bridge views. On the menu you might find salt-baked Murray cod, Fremantle octopus carpaccio and a hefty Wagyu flank steak. Plus, Coravin wines by the glass and a sophisticated sherry program.

A fun, modern take on traditional izakaya.

The Coffee Anthology team’s sophisticated eatery is set within Midtown Centre’s Intersection food and drink precinct. Ascend the steps for sharp, Asian-influenced dishes and Anthology’s regular rotation of top Australian coffee roasters. Plus, craft beers and wines by the bottle and glass.

Contemporary yum cha in Brisbane Quarter.

Get a taste of Brooklyn’s multicultural street food scene.

It took 12 months to perfect these burgers.

A heritage-listed warehouse hosting a beautiful Malaysian teahouse.

A hole-in-the-wall sandwich shop dedicated to on-the-go lunches. And a contender for best Vietnamese rolls in the city.

Open now. The new menu is all about pasta and wine.

A whopping 150-dish menu drawing on Taiwan and mainland China (plus enormous servings) made the first Kingsfood, in Sunnybank, a crowd favourite. This newer al fresco counterpart repeats the formula, but adds beer, wine, sake and shochu.

A Latin American and Spanish inspired diner in the space that formerly housed Aria.

It may be located in a shopping centre, but the dumplings are superb.

Australian fine dining at its best.

An all day cafe, restaurant and wine bar in the basement of Rowes Building.

A Thai diner looking to capture the spirit of some of Bangkok’s best modern restaurants.

A neon-lit stunner from the owner of Phat Elephant and Chai Thai.

Burgers and concretes by the water, just how it should be.

BYO bib, or prepare to get wonderfully messy.

A beautiful light-filled, leafy gastropub.

The restaurant inside Customs House concentrates on small wine producers and share plates inside a modern dining room.

An American-inspired bar specialising in hot chicken, whiskey and bourbon.

A brasserie with seriously good service, a list of Martinis and specialty Australian grain-fed porterhouse beef in a heritage area.

Forget a room with a view, try a meal with a mood.

Gourmet burgers flipped in a shipping container.

How much flavour can you hold in one hand?

Traditional ramen with a pan-Japanese focus.