Brisbane:
The ultimate guide to the best degustation
Unbuckle your belts – we've discovered Brisbane's best degustation’s. Let the city’s star chefs lead you through a gastronomic adventure where each small but carefully designed course strives to achieve the perfect flavour, texture and colour. Go for broke and indulge in paired wines!
The Balfour Kitchen & Bar, New Farm
The Balfour Kitchen & Bar offers a five-course degustation, created by head chef Lachlan Horstman. This menu will showcase sustainably sourced seafood, ethically farmed meats, hero vegetables, and self-grown citrus and herbs with beautifully balanced Asian aromatics and distinctive flavours of Vietnamese cuisine.
Exhibition, Brisbane City
They do things differently here at Exhibition. With no menu provided, their dishes are focused on their access to incredible live seafood, benchmark meat, and fresh produce from Queensland’s best biodynamic and sustainable farms. Exhibition aim to bring you a menu that takes inspiration from a Japanese style omakase – meaning the chef will choose what’s being served each evening for the 24 guests, you being one of them of course!
Honto, Fortitude Valley
This banquet-style menu is designed to share, with carefully curated large plates, side dishes, dessert and appetisers for you to enjoy. There are 10 courses so don't expect to go hungry but make sure you leave room for winning dishes including the Honto salmon taco, and the soy glazed charcoal chicken.
Joy Restaurant, Fortitude Valley
This tiny space (we're talking a total of just 10 seats) has an ever-changing 9-course degustation depending on inspiration at the time. Joy Restaurant is not like other fancy restaurants. Owned and loved by husband-and-wife duo Tim & Sarah Scott, you can expect to get to know them as they cook your food, pour your wine, and wash your dishes – this is definitely not your average up-market venue.
Tartufo, Fortitude Valley
With a motto of ‘come for a meal, leave with an experience’, you don’t want to miss out on a visit to Tartufo. Inspired by the owner’s hometown of Naples and the surrounding regions of Tuscany, Tartufo’s mixed degustazione menu offers sumptuous authentic Italian with the perfect wines to match.
Perspective Dining, Fortitude Valley
A dining experience like no other, Perspective Dining is an intimate space that seats 12 people in the kitchen where your food is being prepared. You have the unique opportunity to watch the entire process of the daily degustation menu being created. Did we mention that the head chef is legally blind? With only 6% sight, Andrew McCrea has a unique expertise in understanding flavours and textures. Prepare your tastebuds to embark on a journey.
Restaurant Dan Arnold, Fortitude Valley
After spending seven years mastering the fine art of French cuisine, you can be sure that Dan Arnold knows what he is doing. At Restaurant Dan Arnold, you are invited on a culinary journey of Australian flavours and techniques with inspiration coming from Dan's travels from across the globe. With three strands of degustation, diners will be delighted by the journey of Australian flavours and techniques, all sourced from small producers and local farms.
Signature, South Bank
Located within the Emporium Hotel, Signature upholds to the high-end quality of the venue. Decorated with their 6000- bottle wine library, there is something to suit everyone's taste, and the delectable food is no different. The degustation menu will have your tastebuds dancing for more, this award-winning restaurant is perfect for your next date night or celebration.
Bacchus, South Bank
Indulge in an eleven-course degustation at highly regarded Bacchus in the heart of South Bank. Choose from food only, matched wines, or the sommelier’s selection. If there’s one to splurge on, this is it – their wine list is award-winning! They also have a vegetarian degustation menu available.
Takashiya, South Bank
For a degustation with a difference, head to Takashiya in the Emporium Hotel at South Brisbane. Indulge in gourmet Japanese ‘omakase’, which means the chef chooses what to serve for each course. Choose from their mini (9 course), standard (16 course) or premium (19 course) options, with the latter two served in their gorgeous private dining room while the chef cooks in front of you.
Degustation in the Outer City
C’est Bon, Woolloongabba
There is something about French cuisine that feels particularly fancy. A luxurious degustation experience is to be had at the charming C’est Bon with their seven-course chef’s tasting menu full of modern French morsels and based on only the best and freshest local produce. You can also opt for matched wines.
Rogue Bistro, Newstead
If you’re accommodating allergies and dietary preferences, you really can’t beat the degustation at Rogue Bistro. Their five-course ‘dego’ menu changes monthly and features beautifully plated delicacies made with local and fresh produce. Visit the website to peruse the vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, no seafood, gluten free/dairy free and standard menus. The only trick is getting a booking in amongst regular clientele with monthly bookings!
E’cco Bistro, Newstead
E’cco Bistro is renowned for their delightfully flavourful farm-to-table fare. Swing by between Wednesday and Saturday to be treated to their four- or five-course chef’s tasting menu that caters for both vegetarians and vegans. Wine aficionados will be pleasantly surprised with the variety of vino on offer.
Deer Duck Bistro, Auchenflower
Fall in love with Deer Duck Bistro’s moody atmosphere and vintage charm. With a focus on foraging, Deer Duck prides itself on sustainable food with their constantly evolving degustation shaped by the local seasonal produce. While there is an à la carte menu, it’s the degustation that they are famous for. Choose from five-course, short-course, and long-course options, as well as vegetarian alternatives.
Da Biuso, Hamilton
A fine-dining restaurant but on a school bus, this is Da Biuso. A completely mobile restaurant that is serving an intimate Italian-inspired degustation dining experience. A seasonally changing menu and an alternating location, means you can go more than once and have a completely fresh experience. Pairing with the perfect Italian wine, this is a foodie experience ought to be remembered.
Sono, Hamilton
If you are a fan of Japanese cuisine Sono's premium six and ten-course tasting menus are a must try! From melt in your mouth sashimi to flavour packed dobinmushi, you will be treated to stunning views whilst you enjoy the traditional dishes at one of Brisbane’s finest award-winning Japanese restaurants.
