The Brisbane Hotel
The Brisbane Hotel was the venue of choice for my friend’s 28th birthday. The day was hot, dry, and sweaty – it was a stinker. Perspiration was at an all time high – so profuse in fact that the “Cadbury kids” among us would have found it hard to get drunk.
Many of us ordered the same dish off the lunch menu. The common themes were the Salt and pepper squid with lemon aioli ($14.50), Roasted pumpkin, caramelised onion, and goat’s cheese pizza ($19.50), Grain fed scotch fillet 300gm, fries, and bearnaise ($35.50), Homemade tagliatelle with chicken, asparagus, saffron, and tomato ($26.50), Linguine, prawn, chilli, and garlic ($23.50), and Crisp beer battered snapper, chips, and tartare sauce ($22.50).
With the beer garden full, there was a substantial wait, but once our plates arrived, we got started…
Looking like Cheerios, the salt and pepper squid were small, with a thin crumbly outer texture lacking crunch. However, they melted nicely on the tongue, with the aioli sauce suiting them well.
Salt and pepper squid, lemon aioli
Salt and pepper squid
Lemon aioli in a spoon
With a wedge of lemon…
The roasted pumpkin, caramelised onion, and goat’s cheese pizza was far from mellow, coloured in a nice bright orange with balls of white. The pumpkin was wonderfully caramelised and gave off a sweet smelling aroma. My gripes about the dish were the rather boring pizza base which didn’t have that nice, full, doughy texture, and the burning of some parts of the topping.
Roasted pumpkin, caramelised onion, and goat’s cheese pizza
The pizza in all its glory
The scotch fillet steak was nicely marbled and quite fatty, which made it juicy. I ordered it medium rare but it arrived as a medium. There was nothing to get overly excited about the steak. Overall it was okay.
Grain fed scotch fillet 300gm, fries, and bearnaise
Scotch fillet steak
Bearnaise on scotch fillet steak
The tagliatelle was a wonderful dish, with the standouts being the crisp perfect asparagus, and the shredded chicken, which had a nice dense flesh.
Homemade tagliatelle with chicken, asparagus, saffron, and tomato
Top down shot of the tagliatelle
Side shot of the tagliatelle
The linguini dish was light and fresh, with hints of red chilli and garlic throughout to give it a little kick.
Linguine, prawn, chilli, and garlic
The snapper had a crunchy textured batter which was in contrast to its delicate and mild white flesh. Yes, beer always helps with the crunchiness.
Crisp beer battered snapper, chips, and tartare sauce
Beer battered snapper
Personally I thought that the fish & chips, and tagliatelle were standouts, while the rest had both goods and bads.
The Brisbane Hotel serves up modern-Aussie pub grub that will appeal to almost every type of person. With Chef Anthony Schell at the helm introducing specials and new takes on dishes in his ever changing seasonal menu, this gastropub sits above most others on the list.
The Brisbane Hotel
Address: 292 Beaufort Street, Highgate
Tel: +61 8 9227 2300
Opening Hours:
Monday – Saturday (11:30am – late)
Sunday (11:30am – 10:00pm)
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