Sunshine — Restaurant in Brisbane City

Reviewing SUNSHINE cos it’s not deserving of the current 3.8 star rating! 💛💛💛actually shooketh people are so neg (my only neg is I wish I could afford to eat here daily 🙂‍↕️)

This is not a bang for your buck establishment but moderterranean fusion and pay/weight of your plate (which is mentioned online, well signed etc cant say you didn’t know) And also it’s James st, what do some of you expect: Woolies produce pre mixed salad? Nah not here! So fair warning - not the place for cheap Charlie’s, they do run specials called 🔆power hour 🔆 if you’re lucky enough to make these - you’ll be loving life!

Mentions: • best garlic mash around! Regularly get an extra tub of this alone (texture gorgeous and flavour 10/10 as a garlic lover) • solid bunch of vego options (not vego but IMO some of the tastiest offerings here are - the spinach rice, bean salad) would say these vego options are on par with places like Rosalie deli salads and better than botanica which have slipped in taste in recent years (IMO!) • staff/service is friendly, professional and bloody well trained (they ask about allergies, know what ingredients are in each dish and don’t make you feel rushed or stupid even if there are busy queues of hungry people) I think the service alone is something a lot of places are missing! These people clearly love the food they are serving and their jobs and also trained to deal with people who get stunned mullet syndrome at the options before them • variety of hot and cold dishes is welcome! For people who like a bit of this and that, mix away! (Not for the person who only likes to order one menu item and not share or try anything else - types) they have a solid range of cold savoury dishes which compliment the warm hearty meat and vego sides • beverages here are delightful! Both non-alcoholic and boozy. I love a place that offers great iced tea that isn’t watery or just nicer Soda options that aren’t your standard cokes (lemon sản Pellegrino tins FTW) • seasoning! Nothing here is bland, and you don’t find yourself needing to add salt to anything cos they’ve already got you!! In saying that, none of the dishes taste the same as eachother either. All unique and delish

Come here often with family and friends to chill but also stop by for takeaway for nights we are cooking some steaks and just want convenient but full flavour sides for busy people/homes. Super easy parking options surrounding the place

Special mentions for the blow ya mind pastitsio 10/10 and stuffed zucchinis when they’re on the menu! 💛💛💛 (Don’t bother with desserts cos (1) you won’t have much of an appetite left after polishing your plates and (2) we aren’t here for the sweets, and not really to my personal liking (cakes are nice but not high enough in calories for me😂) - standard market treats or Jocelyn’s are reliably there for sugar/butter quota Don’t have enough photos to support this lengthy review but that’s cos I didn’t expect googlers to be so jaded and I am usually talking eating and not...

My experience at Sunshine has lead me to submit my first ever google review. And it's far from positive.

My husband and I were meeting friends for lunch across the road from Sunshine today. We were half an hour early so decided to stop by Sunshine for a drink beforehand.

The drinks, the decor.. it was wonderful! So wonderful in fact, that we were raving about it to our friends over lunch, and insisted on taking them there afterwards...

We arrived just after 3pm with our friends, and the venue was half filled, with plenty of seating available.

Once we sat down and ordered drinks (2x $18 cocktails, and 2x $8 iced teas) via the table me&u app, one of the managers came over. Before she said anything it was really clear she was agitated with us. I thought maybe we weren't supposed to find our own seat.. but that is what we had done earlier in the day, and the venue was half empty, so we assumed that was ok. Turns out that wasn't even her issue..

All she said to us (literally not even hello) was, "Are you all going to be purchasing food as well as drinks?"

To which we explained that we had just come from a lunch but wanted to take our friends here because it was so lovely.

Her reply? "We aren't a bar you know. You can only be here if you order food as well."

I told her again that we'd just come from a lunch and weren't hungry yet so I guess we should finish our drinks and what...leave? She replied with nothing more than a grunt.

Look, I completely understand if the venue was full, and people were waiting for tables, then sure, she could have NICELY asked us to buy some food but honestly, it was 3pm and half empty! As a café on a busy main street, wouldn't you expect some people to come between lunch and dinner hours for drinks and not meals? Or, if it is a policy that you have to buy food as well as drinks, maybe make that clear on the menu instead of getting angry at your unknowing customers?

Also, it isn't as though we were taking up a table and just drinking water. We had literally just spent over $50 on drinks and had we not been pushed out SO rudely within 10 mins of sitting down, we definitely would have stayed on for more drinks and food.

My whole family are vegetarians so I was so excited to bring all my sisters here to support such beautiful looking vegetarian fare but gosh, after the way we were treated today there is absolutely no way I will be returning...

We decided to celebrate Father’s Day with a sunny Sunday lunch at Sunshine, a place we’ve visited and loved many times before. This visit was special as it was the first time our one-year-old could finally join us in enjoying a meal.

When we requested a high chair, the initial response was positive: “Yes, let me get it for you.” We assumed it would be sorted quickly, so I went to grab a plate while my husband waited. Unfortunately, the chair never arrived. After asking again, we were told none were available on site and that one would need to be brought from another venue. We were asked to wait a couple of minutes, but the wait stretched on.

Meanwhile, our plates grew cold, our toddler grew restless and hungry, and no updates were offered despite the waiter glancing over several times. In the end, we rushed through our cold meals and left with our baby still unfed. To add to the disappointment, we noticed another family facing the same issue—they also had to leave with their plates barely touched.

This was disheartening because we genuinely love Sunshine and want to continue supporting it as a neighbourhood go-to. However, as a casual walk-in restaurant that attracts families, some basic infrastructure—like having high chairs consistently available—feels essential. Parents, after all, are a core part of your demographic.

Please do better. Sunshine has always been a favourite for us, and we’d love to see it remain an inclusive and welcoming space where everyone, including families with young children, can enjoy their...