Libertine Restaurant & Cocktail Bar — Restaurant in Brisbane City

I haven’t had a chance to write about this yet perhaps it’s because I was a bit overwhelmed with emotion and perhaps because I was so used to experiencing an air of discrimination when dining with a small very loud human who arrives to any venue with endless stims and a very loud iPad presence.

A couple of weeks ago we wanted to do something special to farewell our long term support worker who moved up to Brisbane with us to help Charlie settle in to his new life.

We walked around and no venue felt quite right for such an occasion (lots of burger places).

Eventually we ended up at the Barracks and walked into a place we had thought we might pursue as a date night - but never a family occasion - especially our noisy little family.

As soon as we walked in to Libertine there were two things that were apparent - it was classy and refined as to be expected but also it was extremely comfortable. The wonderful human that helped us throughout the night was immediately intuitive finding us a comfortable table to sit out with enough room for Charlie to stretch up and enjoy himself - sufficiently away from first dates but also close enough for us all to enjoy the beautiful historic building we were immersing ourselves in. Our new friend began by engaging Charlie and asking what he would like - to which Charlie replied “chocolate milkshake and potato”. There were no chocolate milkshakes on the menu but at that point suddenly there were and within minutes our little human was immediately satisfied - milkshake after milkshake appeared as well as all the potato he could dream of and some recommendations for some mild things he might like - which surprisingly were a big hit.

Our palates were not disappointed either, fine wine and a banquet of vibrant French-Vietnamese flavours.

We chose the “I’m hungry” banquet - Hiramasa Kingfish Ceviche, BBQ Duck Crepe, Lamb Boulettes, Truffled Brussel Sprouts, Pork Belly - the food just coming and coming.

It was a perfect night, perfect food and perfect interaction to ensure that my family was catered for - a splendid example of disability inclusion.

That wasn’t the end of it either - on receiving our bill the restaurant had taken a significant portion off as we are locals now and they wanted to welcome us to the neighbourhood.

It’s this type of hospitality that has been part of how our lives have changed - kindness , warmth and support to celebrate in simple ways like with a moment to enjoy all the food and drink we could crave. We will definitely be back to Libertine some time soon and I honestly feel like we’ve won the lotto.

This time last year our lives were all about hospital walls and clinical interactions - I would never had dreamed would could be out at a refined French restaurant with Charlie just living...

Booked a group for a friends 30th Birthday. The food was amazing, however the service was very disappointing. Reservation was at 745pm, but the taxi was running 5-10 mins late, so we gave them a call. They were fine with this as the earlier seating had arrived late anyway so they pushed us back to 8pm. However, when we arrived at 8pm, the table wasn't ready and weren't seated until 830pm. Once seated, the waitress took our order and confirmed multiple times that we were all ordering the 5 course banquet.

On top of being seated late, the first course did not arrive until 930pm. Ordered 2 G&Ts and recieved the wrong drink.... we work in hospitality, mistakes can happen, so we politely requested that the correct beverage be brought out. We then had to wait 25 mins and after asking 2 more times where our drinks were, we were informed that the particular gin we ordered was out of stock...

The issues don't just stop here... Once the third course came out, we realised straight away that it was not part of the 5 course banquet. We notified the waiter who then stated the 7 course banquet had been ordered through to the kitchen. Not sure how that could have happened because the order was confirmed multiple times in the beginning... We were happy to drop 2 items and the dessert from the banquet to stick with the 5 course pricing. The floor manager then came out and was beyond unreasonable. She did not seem to care about the multiple service issues we had already encountered up to this point. After some back and forth interactions, she reluctantly discounted our meals from the 7 course to the 5 course and stated * please finish your food and drinks and leave* and put the bill on our table. This is while we are STILL EATING, not even close to finishing.

It is also important to note, that we specifically requested that the Birthday girl not be spoken to, as we didn't want her to stress over the customer service issues that were being caused by the restaurant. It is unbelievable and unacceptable, that even after being requested to not bother the Birthday girl, the floor manager hunted her down in the BATHROOM, to speak to her and make her feel bad about the customer service issues. It is so disappointing as we all really enjoyed the great food, but the service was just so terrible.

We should note though, that there was a tall male waiter (should have gotten his name), who was very hellful and attentive.

We had friends who were waiting to hear how our experience was as they were wanting to try this place out. Needless to say, we will NOT be recommending this...

Libertine scores a 5 out 5 for me. We had the most wonderful group dinner there on last Saturday night and everything was perfect. We arrived early for pre-dinner drinks and we were greeted by friendly and professional staff who ensured we were kept hydrated, and who managed to organise numerous drink orders as various people arrived. They did so while keeping their cool and never making us feel as though we were a bother. This is what good service should be, but seems difficult to find in Brisbane.

We then went over to our tables for dinner, and despite several last minute cancellations and having a number of people with particular eating requirements, the waiting staff took our orders and accommodating every request, again while making us feel as though nothing was too much trouble.

The food when it arrived was just magnificent. We had the $55 Banquet and the food was plentiful and delicious. I never thought a salad could be healthy and delicious before my night at Libertine. I left feeling quite virtuous. The chicken and pork belly dishes were magnificent. Everyone at the table was making contented noises about the food and everyone ate more than they needed to. The food was that delicious. One or two of our guests managed to squeeze in dessert, the Mandarine Creme Brûlée. It was apparently delicious. It was hoovered up before it made it to my end of the table.

The restaurant has such a wonderful atmosphere; the paper lanterns provide a beautiful ambience and the the little covered areas create a market place/village feel, so that even though there are people all around you, it feels quite private and cosy.

The drinks list is extensive and delicious. I loved how they take old favourites and play around with them to bring them up to modern palate sensibilities. There is a drink here for every tastebud.

The crowd seemed to be made of people of all ages and all seemed to be enjoying themselves. We had the best night, and came away feeling as though we could do it all again the following night. I will be returning to try Happy Hour on a Saturday afternoon; I need to work my way through their extensive cocktail list.

Thank you again Libertine and your...