Feel The Heat At Brisbane’s Best Woodfired Restaurants And Grills
Fire power
When man made fire, they probably didn’t realise they kicked off a butterfly effect that would lead to epicurean delights sending our taste buds into a tizzy, but here we are. Grilled, smoked, roasted, seared, charred – the possibilities are limitless at Brisbane’s best woodfired restaurants and grills.
Using one of the most basic cooking methods to create truly exceptional flavours, many Brisbane kitchens have turned up the heat with fire at the heart of their offerings. From traditional dishes of regional cuisines to contemporary takes on the classics, these chefs prove that sometimes it’s okay to play with fire.
Below, discover Brisbane’s best woodfired restaurants and grills to set your senses alight:
Agnes
The 2023 Restaurant Of The Year is built entirely around the concept of cooking on an open fire. Pull up a seat in the main dining room and peer into the open kitchen, where you’ll find two charcoal pits and a woodfired oven that work with culinary ingenuity to produce charred, grilled, smoked, and braised masterpieces. The restaurant itself offers a hearth-like aesthetic, inside an unassuming heritage building that you’ll be dreaming about long after the meal is done.
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Blackbird
Sitting on the riverside, the Blackbird menu is an ode to Australia’s oceans and rich pastures, with their Argentine-inspired and US-imported Infierno 96 woodfire grill at the centre of what they do. Revel in the mouth-watering smoky and fragrant aroma, before digging into the distinct flavours this one-of-a-kind grill infuses into Blackbird’s premium quality dry-aged beef. Can’t pick a cut? Then opt for the signature steak board, with the head chef’s premium selection served to the centre of the table, accompanied by Blackbird coleslaw and house-made sauces.
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Bosco
This Newstead newcomer from the crew behind Bar Alto and Brewbakers dishes up Basque classics and simple seafood prepared over a rustic wood fired grill. Moody and industrial in nature, the open kitchen means you’ll be treated to dinner and a show, as Bosco’s pared back approach focuses on cooking done well with influences from Spain, Italy, and France. From ember-hung whole Bannockburn chicken served with vadouvan jus to squid ink risoni, prawns, and scallops in a clay pot, expect a flavourful journey on Austin Street.
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Calida Argentinian
Diverse Latin flavours are brought to life in a modern Australian setting, where the parrilla grill serves as both a cooking method and a celebration of cultural tradition. Calida is a vibrant new steakhouse in South Bank, with a particular focus on meats from the grill served with their signature chimichurri sauce and Australian red gum smoked salt. With the likes of grain-fed sirloin steak, marinated lamb skewers, chargrilled semi-cured chorizo, and grilled pork belly with morcilla, Calida truly is as authentic as they come.
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Cloudland Garden
ICYMI, Fortitude Valley’s lush playground for dining, drinks, and celebrations is now home to a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant, where the art of cooking by fire is their specialty. Cloudland Garden champions local produce in seasonal share-style dishes enhanced with their charcoal grill and wood oven, from wagyu tri-tip with bordelaise, Jerusalem artichoke, and artichoke crisps to charred pineapple with spiced rum and coconut ice cream for dessert. Their cocktail menu also boasts smokey flavours, sure to have you lingering awhile.
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Donna Chang
Drawing inspiration from Sichuan and Cantonese cuisine, Donna Chang’s melt-in-your-mouth modern menu features elevated BBQ fare transformed through the primal method of cooking with fire. Their wood-fired oven and open flame grill utilises a combination of naturally aromatic wood, smoke and slow-burning charcoal to serve up a superior roasted and grilled flavours. The best part? Donna Chang now offers takeaway so you can indulge in the good stuff from the comfort of your home.
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Embers
Inside South Brisbane’s The Charming Squire is Embers: a sophisticated yet simple fire-fuelled experience drifting from the ocean to the paddock. Designed to tantalise the senses, the menu brings together dishes from the custom-made wood-fired grill and rotisserie across small plates and hearty mains. Whether it’s wood-roasted, smoked, grilled, or finished over ironbark coals, your spread will feature the best from local suppliers and elevated techniques. Likewise, the wine list is curated to please and as a resident of the Squire, Embers has house-made beer on tap.
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ēmmē
James Street’s latest locale is an all-day woodfired eatery igniting the senses where Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavours meet. From smoky meats to charcoaled sourdough, ēmmē’s custom oven is heating up the kitchen from 7am, offering a carefully crafted menu of the finest ingredients and inspired recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Basked in orange hues and raw edges, the warm and welcoming atmosphere complements seamlessly with the tantalising fare.
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Establishment 203
In a world-class fusion of steak and Italian cuisine, Establishment 203 has quickly made a name for itself through its farm-to-table concept showcasing Australia’s best beef. Top-quality produce deserves premium cooking, which is why the steaks here are cooked atop Gidgee Wood to bring out an unmatched flavour profile – while doubling as a bit of theatre for guests. The results? Delicious, tender, and made even more decadent with the option to add on black truffle or seared foie gras.
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The Lex
Channelling a NYC state of mind, The Lex combines natural cooking techniques and time-honoured traditions with a playful twist on classic grill dishes. The Lex’s charm is in its details, whether it be caramelised onion purée, smoked bone marrow, or the dry-aged tomahawk served tableside to enhance your dining experience. The W Brisbane restaurant also honours the flavours of our humble River City, with the likes of Mooloolaba BBQ prawns in fermented garlic butter and finger lime, pairing with soaring river views.
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Pilloni
Approaching traditional Sardinian cooking with an open mind, this West End restaurant uses the touch of wood fire to honour and heighten Italian regional cuisine. Every ingredient that meets the plate at Pilloni comes from sustainable farms, hunters, and fishermen around the country, meaning the menu changes frequently, but you can always expect exquisite dishes prepared with the utmost care. In particular, the traditional Sardinian style suckling pig which is spit roasted for five hours, and requires 24 hours notice to order.
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Rothwell’s Bar & Grill
Timeless and exceptional, Rothwell’s Bar & Grill oozes sophistication in every curated detail. Although most notable for Chef Ben Russell’s beef wellington bathed in rich red wine, the Rothwell’s grill offers a knockout selection of cuts, from wagyu to grass-fed rib eye. Each dish is served with onion rings, celeriac remoulade, and a selection of mustards, horseradish, or bearnaise sauce in the elegant dining room, as the hustle and bustle of Edward Street passes you by.
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Header image: @agnes.restaurant / @emme.jamesst / @pilloni.restaurant
