Restaurant Dan Arnold — Restaurant in Brisbane City

Seriously one of the best degustation menus I've ever had, and we've tried a fair few now. We went tonight to celebrate my 40th, and I couldn't wait to review this place.

First, I'm a coeliac, so dining out is a constant source of anxiety for me. The risk of the aftermath of a meal without my dietary needs taken seriously is often not worth the risk. However RDA made me feel safe and taken care of from the moment we sat down. Within minutes of being seated, we were presented with our first items, mine prepared and specifically created with coeliac safe standards. It genuinely brought tears to my eyes because normally I feel like such a burden asking questions and making sure that things are prepared in a way that won't make me sick. I was reassured instantly that it would be a stress free dining experience. I can't express how much that meant to me.

Now, onto the food. Sweet Mary mother of God, where did they come up with these amazing flavour combinations? Every presentation was amazingly balanced and perfectly proportioned. Don't be fooled by the small portion sizes. I've learnt my lesson in the past with degustation menus, never to underestimate the sizes. Everything tonight was just the right amount. I tasted things I've never dreamt of before, and I fully enjoyed every bite.

We went all in, with the carte blanche menu. I lost count of how many courses we had. And some courses had multiple dishes. All were divine. Really there was only one dish that I felt was slightly off balance for me, perhaps it was the GF version didn't created the robustness needed to balance it because my husband said his was perfect.

Service was outstanding by all staff who interacted with us, and they answered all our questions, although one girl gave us a little too much info on how a particular dish was prepared. Normally I don't eat foie gras, or any pâté for that matter, and although the taste was amazing, her detailed information about it reminded my of why I don't usually eat it. Other than that, top notch.

Overall I highly recommend and will most certainly be back. If you choose to do the carte blanche, come hungry. One server said she was impressed we were able to finish what we did as some couples struggle to get through the final main dish, and then have cheese and dessert still to come. I however skipped lunch so I was huuuuuuungry!! I left feeling full, but not uncomfortable, which is rare at a degustation, especially one of 7 courses or more, yet tonight I regret nothing! Not...

The restaurant has three menu options varying by the number of courses and price points; three course, five course, and a Carte Blanche. Had the latter course which is left up to the chef and included two savoury dishes and a dessert in additional to the five course experience outlined in the menu. The dining experience took a little over three hours with the following:

Three crispy snacks followed by three cream filled bite size starters; each piece was well crafted and tasty Fresh oyster; very refreshing with the citrus finger lime Bread and butter; sourdough, rye and milk bread was accompanied with two flavoured butters; herb and citrus. Really liked the variety of bread and butter provided Scampi; nice soft crunchy textures of the green beans and nuts, scampi was soft and sweet Textured carrot dish; very creative dish using carrot as the main ingredients, sweet and tasty with a bit of nutty flavour from the sesame. The carrot broth was very creamy and delicious Coral trout; a mild flavoured dish highlighting the natural flavour of the fish, delicate and flaky, paired with a soft and smooth scallop mousseline Roast pork; tender and a little fatty topped with fried kale for some texture. The horseradish sauce and the sweet and slightly tart apple and cabbage goes well with the savouriness of the dish Duck breast was lean but not the most tender. There was also some shredded duck leg meat which was concentrated in flavour and paired well with the sweet beetroot ribbon and puree Grilled steak was cooked medium rare, served with some peas, grilled spring onion, sesame soy dressing and beefy mince ravioli Mango sago; sweet, creamy and delicious manga ice cream. Nice soft mochi like texture from the sago pearls Strawberry dessert with a chocolate crumb base, filled with strawberry jam, mousse, and topped with diced strawberry fruit and a scoop of strawberry sorbet. A lot of components but was balanced and not too sweet Petit four; jelly with sweet and a little sour, muffin was moist and the toffee was soft and melty without sticking to your teeth and gum

Overall enjoyed the dining experience; definitely a lot of food, well executed dishes and very tasty. The main protein dishes including the fish, pork, duck and beef were pretty solid but what stood out was the starters and desserts, and especially the carrot dish. Service was really good, staffs were friendly and knowledgeable about each dish and the ingredients that...

My Girlfriend wanted to experience fine dining for her 28th Birthday. After extensive research we chose Dan Arnold, we considered the 8 course option but ended up taking the 5 course option instead.

I really pondered if i should i upload this review or not. I want to make it perfectly clear the waiter staff and the vibe at the restaurant was top notch. The food for the most part was great, if your a fan of this style of food chances are you'll love it.

My issue here was dessert. Out came a dessert which looked great on a plate, it even tasted pretty good however the edible flowers had insects in them. At first i didn't believe my partner when she said her food had insects in it, after all how could it were in arguably the best restaurant in Brisbane.

After further investigation i confirmed she was correct. i pulled out my phone and recorded the small insect now crawling across my plate (per photo centre screen, it's small) . The head waiter came over and asked how the dish was. I politely as to not make a scene showed the waiter the video i had taken only 30seconds ago. He was shocked, rightfully so. I informed him they were in the flowers discreetly as not to alert the other patrons to what i had found. - It's also worth noting, these same flowers were part of previous dishes. It's entirely possible that this was not an isolated incident.

To his credit he did offer to remake the dish which I politely declined. He went back and had a conversation with the chef, we had 1 last item to come out which we hastily ate, got the bill, paid and tipped and left. Whilst leaving, what sticks with the most is the look on the chefs faces, even after i thanked them while walking out. I was made to feel like i was somehow a troublemaker for raising in the most placid, discreet way possible at least 1 of our meals had insects in them.

I feel more could have been done to remedy the situation. This wasn't about the cost of the meal. Maybe the head chef could have personally apologised to me whilst walking out instead of giving me that cheeky GTFO look he had on his face. It's because of that look, im posting this review.

I have no doubts, this is a top notch restaurant. just check...