Blackbird Bar, Dining & Events — Restaurant in Brisbane City

I went to Blackbird for the first time 4 years ago and enjoyed the experience. So we decided to book for my step daughter’s graduation. My husband booked the table and confirmed they have highchairs. We were also told we would have a nice table with a view.

Upon arrival we were seated at an awkward table right infront of the kitchen and where people walk in. No highchairs available and no view. Not a good start.

We started noticing that our server was absent when we wanted to order things. As the night went on we waited a long time, almost one hour for our main dishes. My stepdaughters meal never arrived so I had to wait until the server came, she told us some lie about how the kitchen had issues. This was odd because someone else at our table ordered the same meal so I suspect she forgot to ring it in. Then at some point I had to stand up and ask someone else who looked like a manager for a glass of wine. I also told him the service was not good. He didn’t seem to care and rudely brought me wine.

We wanted to have a special dessert for my step daughter so my husband had asked our server if they could write happy graduation on it for her. The server said don’t worry they have something arranged for her. What came was a little one bite cone with cream in it placed in a bowl of dirt or something. We were willing to pay for something special but definitely did not expect that.

We decided to have dessert somewhere else because the evening was not what we thought it would be.

I went to use the toilets and they were absolutely disgusting!!! Looked like they had not been properly cleaned in a very long time. My first experience was nice as they have heated toilet seats etc but they have not been maintained at all. Filthy and not what one would expect at a nicer restaurant.

Our bill was almost $900 and the whole experience was as very pathetic and underwhelming. The food didn’t even make up for the other things. It was very mediocre. The only thing we enjoyed was the chilled seafood platter. The coral trout I had was swimming in watered down chicken broth, bland flavour. It was served with 2 giant pieces of friend chicken skin.

I regret choosing this place. I didn’t realize it has gone so downhill in the past 4 years.

This was also our first time back in Australia to see my husbands family in over 3 years. We were celebrating with his family so it was supposed to be a special...

Arrived 30 mins early, checked in with the restaurant and they noted we could either go straight in or have some drinks at the bar looking over the river first.

Had a drink out at the bar and relaxed.

Came back for dinner and shown to our table. Bridge views was a great position.

Presentation of table was good with everything set out well. Offered water and drinks first up. Gave us time to select carefully.

Drinks were put together ok, they need a little more refinement, finesse in drink construction and presentation.

Main meal was dinner, both meals paired well with condiments on offer. Steak was med rare and cooked almost perfectly. I would say the steak was a 4 out of 5. Not rested enough or turned when should have been left to sit. Just slightly dry. Both mains 5 out of 5 presentation.

Sides were nice but presentation was a 4 out of 5.

Dessert was the show stopper, presented really well. Taste profile was an explosive treat packed with flavor.

Restaurant wise I feel some care in the decor needs to be taken with our dessert cutlery a little tarnished and not quite there.

Restaurant presentation generally was ok with an intimate table placement. I'd like to see options when booking online as to.where you can sit.

Toilets were not quite on point. Clean enough but in need of more regular attention just for the finer details you'd expect for the price of admission.

Staff all friendly enough but need to smile a bit more. Our table waitress was quite nice. The little details with smiling, quick to move plates on (even if it's not your table), finesse on the smaller ticket items like drinks etc could move this from a must visit place to something really special.

The chefs in the kitchen were all friendly and smiled which is great. Some of the wait staff need a little more work.

In rounding out, 2 drinks, table water, 2 mains (one a steak meal) and two desserts was $140.00 for two people.

Worth a visit but a must...

Mixed Experience at Blackbird Brisbane

I recently visited Blackbird Brisbane with my son for a Saturday afternoon meal, and while the setting was beautiful, the overall experience was somewhat disappointing.

The restaurant's location is undeniably one of its strong points. With panoramic views of the Brisbane River and Story Bridge, the atmosphere is both elegant and serene. The interior is stylishly designed, making it an attractive spot for dining. However, despite the lovely surroundings, the overall experience fell short due to the service.

The highlight of our meal was undoubtedly the steak. Cooked to a perfect medium, it was tender, flavorful, and exactly what we hoped for. We had no complaints about the quality of the food—it was top-notch. However, despite the restaurant being nearly empty, the time it took for the steak to be served was surprisingly long. It made us wonder how the kitchen would handle a full house if service was this slow with just a few occupied tables.

The service was surprisingly average, especially considering the limited number of guests at the time. We had to ask twice for the bread, which arrived late and in a minimal portion. To add to the frustration, the table beside us, which was seated after us, received their bread before we did. The staff seemed disengaged, and the slow service was disappointing. It lacked the warmth and attentiveness one would expect from a restaurant of Blackbird’s caliber.

Overall: While Blackbird Brisbane offers a visually stunning dining environment and serves an amazing steak, the service we received did not match the expectations set by the restaurant's reputation. Dining out is about more than just good food; it's about the entire experience, and unfortunately, this visit left much to be desired. I hope this was an isolated incident, but it did take away from what could have been a...