Stratton Bar and Kitchen — Restaurant in Brisbane City

I'm rating this purely as a restaurant. We didn't have a drink that night but they looked pretty good and the ambience and decor is incredible. I may come and readjust my score after a few drinks and another crack at dinner because I think it's a place worth a second visit. But here's the rub on our dinner: 2 mains, and 2 sides was $78. No drinks. We were left feeling just the right amount of full, but honestly, for $78 we'd either normally be stuffed from huge portions or at somewhere with very good food. Unfortunately Stratton had neither. Dish 1: Korean pork pull-apart milk bun. Similar to something you may get at Bread Top but nicer, the filling was tasty with a buttery bun. The like butter sauce felt like a hat on a hat with the bun though. Probably the best dish of the night. Dish 2: Cacio e pepe udon. This is literally mac n cheese with udon. For $22. It's tasty, but when was the last time you paid $22 for mac n cheese and your only feedback was "hmm, tastes like mac n cheese"? Dish 3: roast duck breast w/ citrus sauce This came out a little cold but that's forgivable in a busy restaurant. What isn't forgivable was the chewy, borderline overcooked nature of the duck. Portion was large and completely boneless (bonus). The sauce complemented the duck well but I suspect didn't help with the temperature. Dish 4: dry-fried green beans w/ miso and seaseme (extra spicy) OK first off, they're not spicy at all, even if you have some of the chilli slices. This seems to be a Chinese inspired dish and I'm sure if you've had the usual form of this dish you know the shrivelled look and delicious savoury taste the beans have. You need a mega hot wok for that and I'm guessing this isn't a feature of this kitchen. Fine. However it means the beans come out underdone and seem kind of a fusion of dry fried beans and butter beans. The slathering of sauce on top doesn't help. At $11 though it is by far the best value item we had.

So in short: If the meal was 30% cheaper it would be great. If the meal was 30% better it would be great. Unfortunately it's a middle mix of mundane mediocrity. I'll go back to try some different dishes, perhaps I just picked their least best ones. Or maybe I just needed a...

It’s time to check out the new bar on the block and hang out in the WWII-era hangers at @strattonnewstead

This spacious restaurant and bar has a beautiful glasshouse ceiling, which will take you from day to night 🌙

Stratton is all about the share plates and we ordered the below dishes:

🦑 SPICE SALTED SQUID W/ YUZU AND GARLIC AIOLI - Middle Eastern-spiced baby squid served with a yuzu and garlic aioli (GF) A spiced up twist on a classic dish, this was really tasty!

🐟 SALMON TARTARE IN BETEL LEAVES - Diced salmon, parsley, chives, capers and cornichons (GF & DF) a nice light starter dish

🐟 KINGFISH SASHIMI - Served with a rice cracker and tamari dressing (GF & DF) Beautiful light chinese spice flavour and it was delicious

🦆 DUCK SPRING ROLLS - Five-spiced roast duck, served with soy and cherry hoisin dipping sauce (DF)

🦆 ROAST DUCK BREAST W/ CITRUS SAUCE - Slices of roasted duck breast in a fresh orange and lime sauce (GF & DF) This was my favourite dish of the night, it took a little while to come out of the kitchen but it’s definitely worth the wait and cooked to perfection!

🌶 DRY-FRIED GREEN BEANS W/ MISO AND SESAME (EXTRA SPICY) - Wok-fried and served with chilli (GF) A subtle flavour and would compliment any of the meat dishes

🥜 PEANUT BUTTER NOODLES W/ CUCUMBER - Buckwheat soba noodles with a sesame and peanut butter sauce (served cold & GF)

🍨 Dessert - COCONUT PANNACOTTA W/RUM & PINEAPPLE GRANITA - Coconut pannacotta served with pineapple and coconut salsa and a rum, pineapple and mint granita (GF) YUM YUM YUM!!

🍾 Drinks - we had @bandiniprosecco @aixrose.official and smoked margaritas 👌🏼

Overall it was a nice atmosphere, fun venue and the food was delicious. Compliments to the owners for creating another great space in the...

I have been a regular at Stratton Bar and Kitchen for quite some time now, and I can confidently say that the chefs have consistently maintained excellent standards in their culinary creations. The atmosphere at the restaurant has always been welcoming and vibrant, making it a great place to unwind and enjoy a meal and drinks with friends.

During my recent visit, I had the pleasure of being served by Ollie, the bartender, who provided exceptional service throughout the evening. Not only did he craft delicious cocktails with skill and precision, but he also displayed a high level of intuition in anticipating our needs. As we finished dining and moved to the bar area, Ollie continued to impress us with his attentive service.

One thing that stood out to me was Ollie's ability to keep track of our drink preferences and ensure that our glasses were never empty. He was quick to offer suggestions for new cocktails and promptly brought them to our table, saving us the hassle of waiting in line at the bar. This level of personalised service is rare to find, and Ollie truly is an asset to the business.

Thanks to Ollie's exceptional service, my experience at Stratton Bar and Kitchen was truly memorable. I will definitely be returning in the future to enjoy more of his expertly crafted cocktails and the warm, inviting atmosphere of the restaurant. If you're looking for a place with great food, fantastic cocktails, and top-notch service, I highly recommend giving Stratton Bar and...