Clarence Restaurant — Restaurant in Brisbane City

Flawless. Every single element of this "neighbourhood bistro" is flawless.

Food, service, ambience, value, play list and interior decor - all faultless. From the warmed house-made bread with whipped butter to begin to the final act of the meal, a rich, unctuous chocolate nemesis and a ripe nectarine with honey granita and a thick, rich yogurt cream.

Service by the wonderful front of house owner, Frank, together with Asha (sp?) was attentive, unobtrusive, and gracious as they glided around the floor ensuring that no one was left wanting for water or wine, as well as working seamlessly with the maestro/s in the kitchen to ensure the pace of the meals progression was perfect.

The food honestly blew me away, it was so skilfully executed with perfectly selected seasonal and local produce ingredients, flavours so elegant, well balanced and every morsel in perfect harmony. Each dish was very different and each sauce in particular was outstanding. I don't want to spoil the surprise, but the duck terrine with crispy parts of confit duck, squid served in long strands was so tender, the duck fat potatoes impossibly crunchy, the coral trout sauce of sweetcorn and zucchini so sweet and the venison with tomato butter and charry shisito peppers so perfectly cooked.

It is a hidden gem, housed in a heritage style building with exposed brick with a playlist ranging from 80s to classic jazz.

The value here is outstanding. A prix fixe dinner meal, on new years eve no less, with 3 (multi dish) courses costing $75 pp, with an all Aussie wine list also very good value and with something for everyone.

At this quality, overall experience, exceptional food and service, and price point together with a regularly changing seasonal menu, we will be back regularly - again and again.

Thank you for a beautiful evening, we will see you again soon,...

Tricky to keep this short enough for someone to bother reading but still do justice to our wonderful experience. Basically, had heard good things, so went for lunch with my wife on a Friday. The whole kit and caboodle - food, wine, service, value - was so good we booked in for dinner for 4 hours later and asked my parents to join us (we live close, so the return journey wasn't epic). So I can 100% confirm that lunch wasn't a fluke! With a menu that truly exudes the commonly espoused 'seasonal freshness' philosophy (think they source from a handful of farms/suppliers and update menus/dishes based on what the star daily arrivals into the kitchen are), a wine list that, from reading it, wasn't straining to impress with novelty or obscurity, and (from our choices anyway) delivered on quality, and a host with a perfect sense of attentiveness and discretion, I thought I owed it to the good users of google to spread the word. In summary: twice in one day we ate memorable food, drank memorable wine, and felt like special guests, all for around the same price you'd pay at the multiple upmarket "steak" pubs in the area. I also discovered that white asparagus was my favourite vegetable. If we do a few more double-headers there I'll ask them for...

We had the three-course lunch menu at Clarence today with my partner, and it was a very enjoyable experience. This spot has been on my must-visit list since I arrived in Brisbane, and it didn’t disappoint — we’ll definitely stay in touch.

The menu was elegant, simple, and thoughtful. We started with warm, homemade brioche-like bread rolls that were rich and buttery, served with house-cultured butter and Fleur de Sel — such a lovely detail. The house pickles were a great touch too, refreshing and palate-cleansing; I would’ve loved to take a jar home.

The oysters with calamato granita tasted just like a beautifully balanced Bloody Mary — such a creative and delicious start. The confit duck paired with yuzu kosho had a lovely contrast and harmony, and the fish was delicately cooked with a pearly texture. The vine butter sauce with dashi brought everything together really well.

Desserts felt natural and honest, highlighting good ingredients without overcomplicating things. The homemade cardamom ice cream was a standout — subtle, aromatic, and exciting.

We left with full stomachs and smiles on our faces. A great meal and warm service — thank...