#BrisbaneAnyDay is the marketing phrase of Brisbane Tourism. It’s not the catchiest slogan in the world but is does define how I felt sitting at The Jetty restaurant in South Bank last weekend. A gloriously sunny day, ferries hopping across the river, families riding past on bikes and Segways, summer sounds from the amphitheatre, the dinosaur bones blooming with Bougainvillea, dogs, birds, picnic blankets – what’s not to love?
I had been asked* to choose from a variety of venues to write about. We decided on the spur of the moment to visit The Jetty at River Quay and were lucky enough to jag the last prime seats overlooking the river. The restaurant is open air with a mix of small tables and a couple of larger tables for group dining. It’s bright and breezy featuring chunky mango wood furniture with a lime finish. A mix of Cape Cod beach house and Balinese pavilion, it was relaxed and stylish, creating a coastal feel without the need to string up fishing nets or life preservers.
A dish of Crumbed Green Jumbo Olives filled with goat’s cheese provided something to nibble on as we perused the menu. At $9.50, they were on the pricey side for their size (and certainly weren’t jumbo as billed) but none the less enjoyable and consumed all too quickly, accompanied by couple of generous pours of wine by the glass. A shared summer salad ($18) of Chilli Salt Spiced Calamari and Asian inspired red paw paw and mint was light and refreshing on a warm afternoon. The chilli mixed into the sweet salty dressing gave a hum to the dish but the snow pea shoots left a slightly bitter metallic aftertaste that overpowered the other elements of the salad.
Regular readers would know we are doing a house renovation. Where once we may have admired the view, we spent our time between courses admiring the beaten copper lights over the bar and huge industrial light hanging nearby, discussing whether they would suit our decor and wondering where we could lay our hands on something similar. When my main of Moules Marnieres ($22/34) arrived, I was disappointed. The mussels were small and bland, lacking the distinct mussel flavour. The mussel cooking liquor was under seasoned and not at all garlicky so overall, this perennial favourite was not a highlight. The generous Black Angus Fillet ($39.50) with smoked bacon and fondant potato did a much better job of matching expectations. The beef was cooked as ordered (medium rare), had a good crust from being finished in the pan and it cut like butter. The lightly smoked dry cured bacon was excellent and the accompanying broccolini was delicious, also with a slightly smoky taste.
We finished our meals and lingered over the last of our wine. The desserts we saw going past looked good but that was just a little too much food for a Sunday afternoon. The visit had been a mixed bag for us but there was enough that we enjoyed to possibly drop in again for another afternoon drink and sample some of the other snacks on offer. The killer location and pleasant surroundings certainly make it an enticing place to return to. #BrisbaneAnyDay
Visited: Sunday 10th October 2015 – Lunch Service
*TIFFIN was invited to enjoy the elegant surrounds of The Jetty as a guest of Search Factory and Tu Projects. TIFFIN received payment for this post, using original content.
The Jetty South Bank
Shop 4 River Quay
South Bank Brisbane 4101
www.thejettysouthbank.com.au
What a lovely Sunday afternoon. I often look at things in places to see what will work in our new home 🙂
I know you’ve had some trials fitting it out too.
we have been to the jetty bulimba a few times, also with mixed results. much of the food was really tasty but some was lacking- too much or too little of whatever. obviously southbank is a lovely location to sit and have a meal and/or a drink. sounds like a pleasant arvo.
Beautiful location and reasonable prices but given your comments, there is clearly a theme. I live quite near Bulimba so I’ll take your thoughts on notice.