The award-winning Circa closed to an audible sigh from its numerous fans, but luckily owners Bob and Brad Hamilton barely paused for breath before opening their latest and greatest (certainly in scale, anyway) venture in South Brisbane.
Era Bistro is the dining centrepiece in a monolithic entertainment complex, which includes a lounge, a public bar, a cafe and an upmarket bottle shop. This is not by any means a bistro in the pub-diner sense. Rather it takes the fine-dining formula and relaxes it just a little, shedding the linen tablecloths and upmarket attitude like tight shoes after a long day, but still maintaining the sense of occasion of quality dining.
The bistro occupies a prime corner position, with loads of outdoor seating offering views of the vibrant street scene. Inside, the modern space is decorated in bright seaside shades of lime, aqua and crisp white. Look out for such dishes as roasted barramundi with gnocchi and a saffron and mussel sauce.
Open
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Breakfast
Lunch
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Dinner
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Late
Daily 11.30am-2.30pm Mon-Sat 5.30pm-10pm
Modern Australian
Cuisine notes: Modern international
Entree: $17-$35
Mains: $29-$39
Dessert: $15
Degustation menu:
7 courses,
$89
Set menu:
3 courses,
$69
Payment accepted: MasterCard, Visa, Diners Club, American Express and EFTPOS
Licensed with bar. Wine is available by the glass.
This venue accepts bookings. It is advisable to make a reservation ahead of time. Group bookings are supported.
Seats 200
Outside dining area
Wheelchair access
and wheelchair-accessible toilets
Gourmet Travller 2009 Australian Restaurant Guide - "The service here is attentive and knowledgeable, as you'd expect from a team that's been in business as long as the Hamilton clan, owners of Era."
All reviews and ratings are the expressed opinions of our users, and in no way reflects the opinions of yourRestaurants, its staff and its affiliates.
Posted by:
IMT
|
28 August 2008, 2.22pm
Having been to Era Bistro several times before it is amazing that I am still surprised by the quality of food and service offered there. Our last visit, a family reunion of sorts, with 5 people on a Wednesday evening was confirmation of my belief that this is indeed one of Brisbane's best. We arrived 10 minutes early and were thus prepared to wait for our table to become available over a pre-dinner drink in their adjoining bar area, but were surprised to be instantly escorted to our waiting table. Our friendly waiter already had the most important document in hand - the wine list, while our menus were brought separately after a few minutes, along with a basket of warm olive bread.
While offering the standard range of fare, Era takes its food to the next level with the subtle nuances in each dish evidence of an inspired and creative chef. My starter of scallops was spectacular - 3 scallops, huge enough to make me question their genetic integrity, were pan seared and teamed with crisp jamon, parmesan gnocchi, and a few swirls of pea puree. I was told the quail with tomato tart and asparagus was also spot on. After our plates were efficiently whisked away our waiter, unprompted, returned with the wine list. Although the gap between entree and main was a little longer than ideal, this becomes less of a problem when relaxing in calming and elegant surroundings such as these.
The magnificent ambiance melted away into insignificance however with the arrival of our mains, which instantly absorbed each of us with little being spoken until the cutlery was crossed. My duo of roasted saddle and braised neck of lamb was moist and flavoursome, perfectly complemented by the liberal puddle of marsala jus on which it sat. Our other meals were reportedly equally good and I was privileged enough to taste a morsel of pork from my neighbour's duo of cutlet and loin with an apple relish and mustard sauce. Again, our plates were efficiently cleared, only after the last had finished eating and was emitting satisfied murmurs of appreciation.
Though satiated by the generous portions atypical to fine dining restaurants we felt the need for something to complement our icy cold, sweet Semillon and decided on Era's interpretation of the Banoffi tart. We were surprised to find the filling was not the typical condensed milk reduction, but instead a concoction of sweet caramelized bananas and chocolate. Teamed with a rich chocolate sorbet and Pedro Ximenez syrup it was a decadent take on the British classic, and portioned large enough to share.
Era's consistently excellent service, simple but perfectly executed fare, and elegant modern surroundings fills a void in the abundant but often second class dining options in West End.
Food:
Visit: Wed 27 August 2008
Mealtime: dinner
Service:
Atmosphere:
Posted by:
foodie_girl
|
12 August 2007, 4.51pm
Reliably good
I have visited Era many, many times since it opened. I have to say Era is one of my favourite restaurants in Brisbane. It is reliably consistent. The food is always interesting and well presented, the service prompt and friendly. I have recommended Era to many friends and they have always been happy.
Food:
Visit: Sun 12 August 2007
Service:
Atmosphere:
Posted by:
J.T.
|
6 January 2007, 10.47am
J.T.
Went for dinner and found the meal to be exquisite and the service professional, friendly and very helpful. The only down point was that the venue, while nicely decorated was very noisy and it was almost impossible to hear the other people at the table
Food:
Visit: Fri 5 January 2007
Mealtime: dinner
Service:
Atmosphere:
Posted by:
after_dark
|
2 January 2007, 5.32pm
Perfection
Perfection is all I can say about the dining experience at Era Cafe. I discovered the restaurant in late November and have returned 6 times for the breakfast. My favourite dish - Portabello mushrooms with blue cheese and polenta. Perfect portions, perfect taste.
And the service... exquisite and ALWAYS with a smile! How can you not return to beautiful coffee, friendly service and a perfect meal. I can NEVER say no to Era Cafe. Keep it up!
Food:
Visit: Sat 27 January 2007
Mealtime: breakfast
Service:
Atmosphere:
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