Hotel West End — Restaurant in Brisbane City

My wife and I had a pleasant and relaxing eve here on a quiet Sunday night in Feb. We took the precaution of booking ahead via The Fork but it wasn’t necessary, as there were plenty of tables available. Having just seen this place from the outside, I wasn’t aware how big it was inside. There are multiple dining areas, all beautifully decorated in a trendy and modern style with plants hanging from the ceilings, low mood lighting, timber or carpeted floors and oodles of space to spread out and get comfortable. This is what I really like in a restaurant or pub bistro, airy and spacious, with comfortable furniture, fantastic acoustics and plenty of room between you and your neighbours.

When we arrived, we were warmly greeted by a friendly young waiter in a white coat, and made to feel welcome. We were spoiled for choice as to where we sat, selecting one of the inside dining areas, just underneath a huge TV screen showing sporting programs, which was of little interest to us, but fortunately, the sound was turned down pretty low, so it wasn’t a problem, and the vibe was super chilled, casual and relaxed, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

We choose to order via the app, which requires you to scan a barcode onto your phone from a little disk on the table, which has your table number. I’m starting to warm to this kind of ordering, mainly because you can see a running total of the cost so you don’t get any big surprises at the end of the night, and of course, you can tweak things to stay within your budget. The drinks and food came out fairly quickly, and in the correct order, which is another handy feature of this app system whereby you can specify if you want your starter brought out first, or if you don’t mind if everything is brought out at the same time.

All the staff were friendly, helpful and efficient, and it’s good to see them neatly turned out in smart uniforms, which in itself always gives me confidence that these guys are properly trained and know their jobs.

Being just two of us, we stuck to a fairly simple ordering protocol, with a calamari starter, a salmon teriyaki off the specials board for my wife, and the rump steak for me, with chips, and coleslaw. The standout dish of the night was the calamari. It was soft and chewy, lightly flavoured with garlic and paprika, and served with fresh lettuce leaves and red peppers. It was beautifully presented to the table on a stylish white plate with a slice of lemon and a little bowl of aioli sauce. According to my wife, this was the best calamari she’s had in Brisbane. But the main dishes didn’t disappoint either. My rump steak was well cooked just the way I like it, but still tender and flavoursome, and the accompaniments were just right to complement the meat: a generous serve of creamy coleslaw and lashings of crispy chips with a slightly spicy flavour. A perfect dish for a steak-lover. My wife’s salmon was succulent and tender and served with lettuce, mayonnaise and a slice of lemon. We both enjoyed our meals.

We paid 65 pesos for that lot, which, given the high quality of the food, was a fair price to pay. A small bottle of Peroni cost 8 pesos, but this is what we’ve come to expect in these times of hyperinflation.

Toilets are situated at the back of the venue behind one of the dining areas. They’re clean and well provisioned. The male bathroom had sparkling new fixtures, a mod and chic design and ample cubicles.

We found easy parking in nearby Russell Street, just a few metres from the hotel, where there are no weekend or after hours restrictions.

Overall we had a super nice time here and everything ran smoothly. We loved the spacious, modern and airy style and layout of the place with masses of seating choices, both inside and outside. Service was friendly, efficient and polite. The food was fresh and tasty and served in generous portions. Add to that, easy street parking and ample, clean and well stocked toilets, and you have all the ingredients for a top night out with...

Wow what a terrible meal!! Actually annoyed I didn’t have pics but was so busy trying to keep the babes occupied. After waiting about 30 mins for food despite the place being pretty quiet on the restaurant side it was a severe disappointment. We used to come here all the time as my in-laws are locals and yes it’s been a while but gosh we definitely won’t be hurrying back!! The prices have increased dramatically and the meal sizes have reduced to basically entree size! And the flavour was just so bad!! I queried wait staff multiple times about the size of my seafood basket special as it was like a child’s sized portion (and I’m a slim female with a normal appetite) then we also asked for a side of coleslaw and steamed veg for the baby to have which was an “issue” as it was only meant to go either the steak…we happily paid for the addition only for them to be about a tablespoon worth of each so a total waste of money! The fish and seafood were more batter than seafood and even my son who loves fish and chips refused to eat it. They totally didn’t taste fresh and honestly if it wasn’t that we were all starving and needing to eat before racing back to the northside for the kid’s bedtimes we would have just left and asked for a refund. The food was nothing like we used to enjoy and honestly I’m not surprised it was so quiet for a Saturday night if this is the food that’s being served especially when we paid over $100 for 2 mains, 1 kids meal, (and a few entrees for my in-laws.) Won’t be recommending this place to...

Surprisingly good!

Been past outside many times and never ventured in. I had no expectations but it’s actually very nice inside - clean, lots of fake plants for a vibe, comfy chairs.

Food was also good. Steak was ACTUALLY medium rare (wow) and the mushroom sauce was light from a mushroom flavour but really creamy and delicious (I couldn’t quite place the flavour but it must be deglazed or something with an alcohol). Veggies were on the crisp side which is nice if you like the crunch (I liked it) but I can imagine my stepdad wishing it was softer. Salad was generous (half an avocado in there!) and fresh.

Meals came out quickly.

Lunch prices are good value.

Good atmosphere with the lunch crowd.

Staff were efficient and polite.

We were sat near the kitchen and it looked well run. Firm but nice. Everything going smoothly. Much better than the feels you get from some open kitchens!

Would happily visit again.

SIDE NOTE: The attached café out the front however was just “ok”. Orange, raspberry and apple juice was nice. I asked for warmed milk (like the frothed milk from a coffee) to go with my tea and I got a jug of cold milk. On the plus side they do have all sorts of milk at no extra charge. The Ham & Cheese Croque was pretty bland - filling, but not noteworthy. Staff were LOVELY though! Does a roaring trade on coffee by...