Banksia Bistro - Downtown — Restaurant in Kansas City

Hidden Gem in Kansas City – Delicious Aussie-Inspired Bistro Near the Convention Center!

While visiting Kansas City for a volleyball tournament, we planned to grab a quick bite at Chipotle but ended up discovering an amazing Aussie-inspired restaurant instead—and we’re so glad we did! As the wife of an Australian, I was immediately drawn to this unique bistro that brings a taste of Australia to the Midwest.

We arrived early for dinner, fresh off a flight, and were just looking for something light as it was technically our late lunch. The happy hour menu had great options at even better prices. We ordered the margherita pizza, grazing platter, and polpette meatballs. I had a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, and my daughter enjoyed a Shirley Temple. Every dish was flavorful, fresh, and satisfying. The total came to just around $44 before tip, and we left completely full with leftovers.

The atmosphere was cozy and welcoming, yet upbeat and contemporary—perfect for families, travelers, and anyone looking for a break from chain restaurants. I highly recommend this spot to anyone visiting Kansas City or searching for “Aussie food near me,” “best happy hour KC,” or “family-friendly restaurants Kansas City.”

We’re already planning to return tomorrow to try their Australian meat pies and sausage rolls, which are my daughter’s all-time favorites. This place is a must-visit for fans of international cuisine or anyone looking to try something new in Kansas City!

Second Visit – Still Delicious with a Few Misses (and a Fun Aussie Twist)

We enjoyed our first visit so much that we came back the next day for lunch so my daughter could try the sausage roll and meat pie. Unfortunately, they were out of the lamb meat pie, so she went with the beef—it was good, but we both agreed we’d love to try the lamb next time.

She also had the lamb sausage roll instead of the pork. I had a bite and thought it was tasty, but we’ll have to go back and compare it to the pork version. Both pastries were perfectly flaky, though I have to admit—it’s hard to beat my husband’s!

For dessert, we tried the lamington. It was good, though a bit dry for my taste, and I wasn’t a fan of the raspberry filling (if that’s what it was). I’m more used to a traditional lamington, which I personally prefer. That said, my daughter loved it—she said it reminded her of a mashup between a lamington and an Iced VoVo biscuit.

I ordered the pork belly, lentil, and spinach salad. The salad itself was fresh and well-balanced, but I wish the pork belly had more flavor—maybe I’m just used to BBQ-style pork belly with a smokier, more seasoned profile.

Bonus: The table numbers are labeled with letters, and each one has a fun Aussie fact on it—which we loved! It’s a charming detail that adds to the experience and gives you a little conversation starter while you wait.

We’re already planning to come back again—next time to try the...

I am editing this review from 6 years ago because honestly I feel like this place has lost its spirit. The original location on 9th st was such a cool cafe with charm and had an Aussie feel to it with Aussie touches. It seems the original location was closed and moved to 12th st. I think it’s unfortunate that they are still using the photos of the original place on here as it’s deceiving. The new location on 12th st doesn’t have near the charm and has hardly a scrap of aussieness left. I speak as an Australian living in KC. It was nice to go somewhere with a touch of home. 12th St has none of that and I was pretty disappointed with their coffee honestly. Not a lot of flavour and I feel like the waitress didn’t put much into it. The food was decent. The new location is just an average modern cafe with not much soul or identity to speak of. I looked around for even one picture that reminded of my home country and I saw none. I’m not sure what happened to the touch of Australia that the original Banksia had. I don’t know why Banksia even tries to be Australian, because the little that is does, is dismal.

Below is my original review of the original 9th st location from 6 years ago:

I’m huge in reading reviews and rarely write one because frankly we’re rarely impressed enough to bother. Banksia well deserves a 5 star review. My husband is an Aussie and struggles to find cafes and coffee that meet his high standards...banksia hits the mark on coffee and beyond.

Atmosphere: Classy, rustic, modern but not overdone. and relaxed. Love the big tables as we have been in twice with a large group and it accommodates nicely.

Staff: Warm and friendly, service is prompt, polite and you genuinely feel like family.

Food: I was not expecting the quality of food, almost everything made in house and just delicious. flavors that they put together are wonderful and a lot of thought and care goes into these dishes. Pastries are amazing and Gluten free options (delicious ones) as well!

Coffee: Finally a good, properly done coffee! Their flat whites are spot on and their chai lattes are homemade and just lovely. Our two little boys were thrilled to have their own “coffees” in the form of Babycinos

Cost: Pretty prices are so fair for the amount and quality of food you get!

Five star cafe and we hope this will be around for years as we will be back many...

It is absolutely, downright the BEST food I think I’ve ever tasted in my life and the server was a pleasure to speak and have a conversation with. I live 4 hours away and have been looking forward to trying Robert’s cuisine after viewing on the food network. I travel in a 5 hour radius from St Louis area and try a lot of different places that are usually disappointing or only have 1-2 items out of 3-4 that I order that are good and cooked properly. I am still blown away by his restaurant and can’t wait to try nearly every item of his that I can (minus too much dairy since I’m allergic). The flavor resided in my mouth almost all day and I wish I didn’t have to return home so that I could’ve ordered more that very day. I would even pay for shipping the food here if that were an option. I think I can honestly say that Australian cuisine is now my favorite food. I wish there were a way to bring it to St Louis area also and may even consider pursuing that idea. I’m sure they hear these compliments all the time so I didn’t want to be a burden, but I wanted to call so bad and express how wonderful everything was. I’ve been searching and searching for food like this without knowing what kind it would be - now I know. Even if I’m an hour or so away from the KC area, I will absolutely make the trip to Banksia every time. I’m not even interested in trying any other restaurants when I’m there again - it would be breakfast, lunch, and dinner at Banksia for me! Also, I hardly ever write reviews - I’m so glad Robert followed something he enjoyed doing and we are able to partake in the sharing of his love for cooking with us. I’m still on cloud 9 almost 2 days later looking up Australian recipes and spent $100 on cooking ingredients today. Not only do I not normally take the time to write reviews, but I usually don’t cook either - that is now changing. Thank you sir! Blessings to you, your wife, and the rest of...