Review Gerard's Bistro - Brisbane

My goodness - I’ve been wanting to go to Gerard’s for years ! We finally went last weekend for my birthday - happy days ! We chose to sit outside which was a lovely choice - the rain was pouring but with the filtered lighting and draped greenery surrounding us felt otherworldly 🍃 We ordered the $75 p.p and added on 4 oysters (the best choice ever) to go with our bottle of champagne - can I just say, close to the best oysters we’ve ever had, and that’s saying something ! The servings were well portioned, balanced and complemented each other - it is a plentiful array and a little on the rich side, but a real treat We finished the evening with a couple of zesty sidecars which were the perfect digestif Couple of observations - staff were stretched by 7.30-8pm but were still as attentive as they could be - a sign of the omicron capacity stress possibly - but it did slow things down considerably towards the end. I did comment in the booking and during the meal that it was my birthday but it fell on deaf ears, but alas, the meal experience itself is the treat Thank you Gerard for a lovely evening !

Fantastic. The flavour combinations and complexity of the dishes were outstanding. Great value too. There were also a large number of dishes easy modified to be vegan with the service staff and chefs ready with a raft of adapted vegan and gluten free options.

Good vibes, great service, plenty of free car park behind. The deco is great inside and out. The menu is simple and the food overall is good but I think for its price point, it may have missed its excellent mark. Some items were quite salty but it may be a personal preference there. The portions are quite small here too. Some remarkable items worth mentioning were the bagel and lamb - everything else weren’t bad, but weren’t earth shattering amazing too.

“Something new we eager to get and some specific days worth to celebrate each time!”by Peter Lee I planned my wedding anniversary few months ago, I have no idea so I googled best restaurants in Brisbane. And I saw the gourmet magazine website have a post about top 10 restaurants in Brisbane 2022. So I review each restaurant and I make decision to choose Gerard’s Bistro to become my 3rd year anniversary restaurant. When we walked in restaurant, we get warmed welcome from lovely staff and one guy who I think is manager to come to ask if he can offer some champagne for us first and we also order sparkling water as beginning. According to entrée coming and surprised me and my husband and we’re lucky we can swap seat to indoor then keep enjoy our experience. Next couple dishes are amazing and each dishes just blow our mind and fabulous taste. Fabulous dining experience for celebrate some important day or friends come for gathering. Thank you all the staff and chefs offer me a lovely night to celebrate my anniversary. (I thought chef will come to chat with me but apparently no lol) Next time, please allow me to taste each gourmet from your page and I would like to write another review for each one who haven’t taste wonderful middle-eastern cuisine yet. Thanks!

Was really looking forward to dinning here as the menu had some really interesting dishes Loved the Oysters, garnish perfect with cucumber & chilli, and the Wood-fired potato bread delivered, extremely tasty and highly recommend if you haven't tried potato bread before Also had two other starters, the Spanner crab and Scallop's, crab very tasty but scallops a little tough For main shared the lamb with an extra of Wood-fired Cauliflower, but found these a little average, lamb was a little tougher than expected Really good wine list as well Unfortunately though, some of the worst service we have experienced for some time! As we had booked unless we wanted to wait for a while, we had to sit outside with our jackets on, as it was a cooler night even under the heater. Advised restaurant matradee that the online booking should have an option for inside or outside, which he agreed with. Also, our cutlery and plates from the starters had not been removed from the table before the mains came out, not fine dinning I'm afraid

Gerard's bistro is unassuming but an unexpected surprise. The menu sounds simple, but every dish we tried had beautiful flavours. The swordfish was a highlight - perfectly cooked, and it was served with currants and nuts. Great contrast in textures and not something I've had before. I'm not even sure how, but they managed to make the vegetable dish (the dish we order because we feel obligated to, because you know, #health and #balance) taste good too! Our server was also really friendly and accommodating. Great work team!

Dined on a Tuesday evening, so plenty inside seating available, wouldn't want to sit outside on winter nights😅. Seems to be a popular restaurant and can see why, the atmosphere is very comfortable and intimate, the music sounded like a live band at first so was very inviting. Service took a while to bring menus and order so that could be improved, but all workers were very friendly. Overall I wasn't satisfied with the experience, paid $138 I believe and ordered all the vego food items, even ordered an additional serving of the main dish sugarloaf cabbage, but felt still hungry afterwards. Ate everything but ended up going to Dominoes after to buy a pizza and garlic bread! Would be nice if there were more vegetarian options, the serving sizes were extremely small. I would suggest a healthy vegetarian soup or some sort of stir fry with brown rice to make it feel more like a meal. Some falafel, tofu - more protein needs to be included to create a satisfying, balanced, vego meal. The cost of the meals seemed high with the portion size, and the food was very salty and buttery, very rich. Would have been nice to have simply more vegetables and less fat to make you feel full. Sugarloaf Cabbage 4/5 🥙- small serving size, but this tasted very nice, a bit too much sauce flavour though. Ordered twice. Broccoli 2/5🥦🥦 - I love broccoli but this dish was just a real disappointment, extremely small serving size, and the flavours didn't appeal to me, just tasted like broccoli mixed with lemon juice. And this was a 'main' dish as well. Celeriac kataifi 4/5🥬🥬🍝 - this dish was a pleasant surprise, was a good balance of being filling and flavourful but not too rich. I felt satisfied with ordering this dish. Wood-fired potato bread 4/5🥔🥔🍞 - a larger serving or some za'taar bread on the side to eat as well would be good. I prefer less fatty bread as well, it was extremely oil and then getting a glass jar of basically oil and goats curd wasn't too appealing. A very nice restaurant, but as their websites states 'award winning Brisbane restaurant,' I was expecting a lot more. I try be vegan as well and felt there was a lack of vegan options. Would be great to see more menu vego items with more variety, and to ensure that vegetarians don't go home hungry 😊

Couldn’t fault a single thing about the food - amazing all round! Very prompt service and great wait staff. Such a lovely dining experience, thanks team :)

Table for Two and maybe you blog post - Tucked away in a laneway off James Street in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley foodie precinct, Gerard's Bistro is where Middle East meets West ... and the result is tantalising to the tastebuds. Head chef and co-owner Ben Williamson has brought the experience of five years cooking for Gulf Air in Bahrain to the menu, which offers a mind-blowing selection of small and large plates, designed to share. Vicki opted for the suckling pig with fermented pumpkin, raisins, barberry, macadamia, burnt butter and mint ($42), while I settled for the charred lamb collar with burnt eggplant and black cardamom, smoked dates and black cabbage ($42). We also ordered a bowl of morasa polow - perhaps better known as Iranian jewelled rice, which comes with fruit, nuts, saffron, orange and rose petals ($19). We attacked the suckling pig first, and it was simply mouth watering. Combined with the pumpkin, nuts and fruits, not to mention the spectacular rice, this was a truly memorable dish. The charred lamb collar was also delicious, although the combination of burnt eggplant and black cardamom, as well as the smoked dates, was "almost" too smoky for me - although Vicki loved it. The black cabbage - which is actually green cavolo nero - was an excellent accompaniment. The wine list offered something for everybody, and it would be remiss not to mention the service which was exceptional. All in all, the visit to Gerard's was a memorable experience, and unlikely to be our last.

Had a wonderful lunch with a few girlfriends, the cauliflower dish was amazing, the smoked potatoes delicious, the pumpkin with pepitas oh my gosh ! Really great food , a little noisy inside, the music was a bit loud to allow a good chat, but we moved outside under a heater, with blankets which our waitress offered. It was fabulous, will be back and recommend to anyone.

Outstanding dinner last night, we asked for a corner seat and it was perfect. The menu was extensive and bursting with flavours we love. (The squid toast out of this world).Our wine choice was a winner also. Thank you so much for making our anniversary special. Service was second to none by our waitress. We even witnessed a Proposal which was something so unique and beautiful.

Meh. Had better. Decided to give it a try after hearing all the raving reviews. Maybe I chose the wrong dishes. Fav dish? The organic bread and butter my daughter loves. I had the zucchini as entree for $18, wasn't to die for. We had the roasted lamb that was rather yum and that small onions dish. - rather forgettable. Decor was fab and atmospheric. Service is Good & attentive. I just think there are many other good places at James st without the price tag #justsaying

Hi Gerard's, I will never under-star a place of your reputation (unlike other keyboard warriors). I'm sure your food is greatbut we left today without eating. We had booked, but felt the seating area offered was quite bad. The outside area is a bit like sitting in a carpark on a concrete block, and the alternative 'high seating' looked like an airport lounge only looking at other patrons rather than airplanes. We hightailed it to the Stokehouse with a river view. Had we had a proper table inside it would have been a lot nicer.

Couldn’t be happier with the service and the food !!!! We made it just in time for lunch and they were extremely accommodating. Visiting from Sydney but will recommend to EVERYONE! (Wine list insane)

This is a fantastic restaurant... Best char grilled Octopus you will ever taste... Service and explanation of the menu was top class.. Also discovered the best Pino Noir ever " grasshopper rock " from NZ Onya Charlie 😄😄👍✔️🍷🍷🍷😍👴🏻👴🏻👩🏼👩🏼👩🏼

Started with smoked harissa margaritas followed by an Awesome menu! Must have is the refreshing mandarin granita with shaved white chocolate , lemon curd and pistachios to finish. And not forgetting the great service!

It was enjoyable, but it didnt live up to the hype. Had set menu which may not of helped. Really enjoyed the lamb tartar. Originally the Brisket was the dish i looked gorward to most but it wasnt any thing different from any where else except the condiments that accompanies it.

Excellent food � beautiful atmosphere! we were looked after and taken care of by the waiter Lee! thanks a lot Lee for the wonderful service. Love you

A MASSIVE shout out to everyone at Gerard's Bistro that was involved in supplying the catering for this years Diner En Blanc, In years past I have always catered for myself bringing cold chicken off cuts and a delicious salad (if I must say myself) and this year as Table Leader I chose to experience hire the tables and chairs etc and also pay for catering so I could provide some honest feedback to my members. I am not 100% sure but I think there was up to 6000 people attending this years event with the option for catering to be supplied, not only was it extremely effortless to collect our food on arrival - with NO queues but every single piece of food that was provided was absolutely scrumptious, delicious and amazing. 10/10 - I would definitely order off you again, and again, and again. Thank you so much for making my night so effortless.

Just want to really thank Jarrod for his impeccable service and attitude ! He was so happy to welcome us , service was incredible and drinks were delicious! Thank you Jarrod for making our experience amazing! 🙏🏽❤️

We wanted to go somewhere a bit special, and decided to go for Gerard’s Bistro because it had great reviews. The restaurant is in the vibrant James Street area, across the road from the markets and tucked away in Gerard’s Lane. We arrived slightly early for our table and were seated at the bar while it was prepared. The wine and drinks list was quite impressive and I chose a glass of Harvest Sauvignon Blanc which was nice but not amazing.

Highly recommend, nice atmosphere, all dishes were delicious, staff go above and beyond, I wish I tipped them more! We’ll be back.

Wow! It has been over four and a half year since my last review on this renowned restaurant. It’s consistent high reputation among the other good restaurants in Brisbane is invaluable. Our lost of all three hatted restaurants such as Esquire, Urbane and Aria urges me to look for home of good food in Brisbane. Not until the Christmas Eve dinner at this restaurant, I regain the confidence on forbidding nice and unforgettable dining experience in Brisbane again.<br/>Turned up around 6:15pm last night and we were warmly greeted by the service team. The first gaze on perusal of the menu, I smelt that something has been changed and it has been confirmed that it has the new chef - Adam Wolfers running the show in the kitchen. No wonder the menu shows off so many Middle Eastern cuisine dishes. <br/>We explore it by ordering the Potato Kataifi, Kangaroo Kaftas, Raw scallops, Lamb Tartare, Morton Bay Bug and Wood-fried John Dory. All the dishes are very impressive. We have not had so many dishes that are well prepared with balanced taste in a restaurant of Brisbane for a while. Personally, I cannot point out any one is outstanding because they are flawless. All the interpretation are all above average.<br/>A happy full review is definitely granted and has my sincere compliment to the whole team of Gerald Bistro.<br/>Merry Christmas🎉<br/>Last visit: Jim 17, 2015 Rating 4.5/5

I fell in love with this place! Like you can’t find a single mistake. <br/>The ambience is a mix of sophisticated and comfy.<br/>The service is brilliant, a very nice warm welcoming and happy crew ( as energy is contagious)<br/>All that was nothing compared to the quality and taste of the food ( hat off to the chef) <br/>We ordered more than three items and I can say all of them were great a very smart twist on the Mediterranean cuisines.. <br/>definitely will keep going to this lovely restaurant. <br/>I’m curious about the new menu :)

Wonderful evening. All the food was extremely well balanced making for a flawless dining experience. Not behd!

The chicken wings were so delicious and unforgettable! The dining environment was really good but it would be better if the restaurant be lighter.

Simply amazing food here. Everything was on point. Service was great. Lovely atmosphere. Great place to catch up with friends or a romantic night out.

The food and service was exceptional, the mark of a great chef is how they treat their vegetables. And the vegetable dishes here give the protein a run for the money if not steal the show, only downside is the tables are a little too close together. Intimate dinners are not the same when having to whisper conversation across the table so not to intrude on the fellow diners on tables either side. That being said one of the few hatted restaurants where you will leave full to the brim - no exaggerations here. The mains were more than enough to share, so much so that we had no room for desert, highly recommended and will be back for another visit.

We went to Gerard's without knowing what to expect and were nicely surprised. Great service, and the food was amazing. We were in the area for just one night and we definitely picked the right place to go! I'm vegetarian and all of the options were fantastic. Highly recommended.

This place is amazing. I come back again and again and the service, food and drinks are consistently impressive. The staff have a great knowledge of the food and I have learnt to always ask their recommendation because they always know what the best items on the menu are. They also make an amazing French martini and don’t skimp on the chambord like many places.

I had breakfast here, the service was great, and food fantastic. I didnt realise middle eastern flavours went with breakfast until i went here.

I had the pumpkin and eggplant with rice. It sounds quite ordinary, but the dishes were filled with flavour and were like nothing I had tried before. The staff were friendly and provided excellent service. I would definitely eat here again

Gerard's Bistro is a critic favourite, located among James Street's stylish restaurant and retail offerings. Diners' taste buds are taken on a journey across the Middle East with Head Chef, Ben Williamson's Levantine inspired share plates. The drinks menu is an original international list, crafted to complement the bistro's flavourful food offering.

Food is amazing and French wine is lovely! I love the prefect balance of sour and sweet. You have to order the bread, it is basically the best bread I have ever had but the room light is too dark.

One of the best meals I have had in Brisbane. The restaurant is beautiful, the service first class and the food absolutely divine. I loved all the food we had, especially the fried cauliflower (pictured) which I am going to try and create at home. I wish we had a Gerard’s Bistro in Sydney. #gerardsbistro

I loved my experience at Gerard's Bistro. Great atmosphere, professional staff that really go the extra mile and food to die for. If you're a foodie and visiting Brisbane, this restaurant is a must on your itinerary. Good work, will be back when next in town!

5 out of 5 for food, had beetroot, salted zucchini, broccolini and best of all, fruit and nut polo. Waiters were very attentive refilling water. Only downside was it was quite noisy, hard to hear what my partner was saying. We sat near door. Maybe it was quieter outside.

Had lunch here today and was pleasantly surprised .<br/>The ambiance is ok down a side lane in James St and the service was first rate<br/>The entree was delish I had the cured tuna, lamb tartare and the spicy chicken wings all of which were an absolute delight<br/>For mains we had the coal roasted octopus , the suckling pig , the fried cauliflower, and slow cooked brisket. All of the mains exceeded expectations however I would say in value for money the pig was overpriced and the brisket although more expensive easily served 4 men<br/>The Hammer will return and enjoyed the experience

Amazing food and service. I've tried several fine dining over the passed few years in Brisbane since moved from Melbourne and had some disappointing moments but absolutely loved everything about Gerard's.

Sensational! Every dish was extraordinary. This is, by far, the most creative and delicious take on Middle Eastern food that I’ve ever experienced. Service was impeccable, and the decor is eye-catching too

I dined here on a Monday night solo. It was quite busy but there were plenty of staff working. I was offered the option to sit anywhere and opted to sit at the bar. I had a gin cocktail which was refreshing and a great way to start the meal. For entrees, i tried a few of the singular pieces on offer which included a burghul cracker with coal infused hummus, a fresh oyster in a creamy style sauce and a buttered prawn. All were jampacked with flavour and could be eaten in 1-2 bites. For main, i had the confit cuttlefish with hazelnut puree, enoki mushrooms and bone sauce. The cuttlefish was sliced very thin and had a similar texture to pasta. I felt that the integrity of the seafood was well maintained in this dish and the flavours complemented each other. For the dessert, i opted for the "apple, oats and whey" which was a refreshing twist at the end of the meal and not sickly sweet. In addition, just wanted to call out the lovely lady who looked after me the entire evening. I believe she may have been a manager. She spent the time to explain all the dishes i asked about and provided honest recommendations. Hope to visit again before I leave BNE.

Unfortunately didn’t live up to reviews. Pork rillette tasted overpoweringly of smoke. <br/>Hapuka unbalanced with chilli. Octopus tough and green strawberries and almonds didn’t add anything. Quail had been brined and overly salty. Eggplant tasted of burnt bitter onion. Service irritating-message is avoid the place-overhyped and under delivers<br/>

best outstanding food i found in this area.... best for couples, parents and friends .... very enjoyable time we had with my classmates.. they also did like it

Thoroughly enjoyed my dinner at Gerard's last night! I really couldn't fault it - the food was interesting, unique and delicious, and the service was impeccable.<br/>Our waitress was amazing. We went with all her recommendations and she suggested well. Extremely attentive but not in a way that made you feel smothered. She seemed to instinctively know when to clear plates and top glasses. We never had to ask or want for anything.<br/>We opted for 3 entrees, a main and a side to share as recommended. 2 entrees would have suited but for a first time, we had no regrets sampling a third.<br/><br/>Entree 1 - Laham nayyeh, harissa, preserved lime, shallot, pickled cucumber, confit egg yolk - arrived looking very impressive with fried bread standing decoratively on the plate. Flavours of spicy harissa and lime were gorgeous. Laham nayyeh refers to lamb tartare. I loved it, my partner was a 7.5/10 because it tasted beautiful but he couldn't get past the thought of uncooked meat.<br/><br/>Entree 2 - Tomato salad, smoked almond tarator, pickled garlic, salted barberry, riberry - we loved this!! A clever marriage of the emulsified smoked almond sauce which had a moussey texture, and salted barberry. Alone the barberry is super salty with a berry-like aftertaste and the tarator like almonds but together they miraculously taste like bacon and it is a total mind-blow but also so yum!<br/><br/>Entree 3 - Bekaa wings, kishk yoghurt, rose - This was perhaps the favourite dish. Full of delicious citrusy, spicy flavours. So delicious. My partner said he could come again and just order 3 bowls of wings!<br/><br/>Main - Slow-roasted brisket for two with seasonal accompaniments - I feel like our waitress said this serve was 200g and my partner thought it could be a bit small but we barely finished it. Served with a yoghurt sauce, pickled radish and chillis, herb ricotta and toasted flatbreads, it was really good and very filling!<br/><br/>Side - Fried cauliflower, ras el hanout, tahini, pomegranate, smoked almond - anything but a boring veg side. Not often I keep picking at the veg after I am full! The creamy spiced tahini sauce over the fried cauliflower was lovely and with little pops of pomegranate. Really enjoyed it.<br/><br/>All in all, a wonderful meal and with mains I still want to try, I most certainly will be back!<br/>

Gerard's never disappoints, the cuisine is tasty and amazing, the service attentive but not overwhelming, and it's always a great (long) afternoon.

Absolutely awesome meal with great wines and exceptional service, the desserts were particularly good! Would highly recommend as a must go place if you are in Brisbane!

Fantastic dining experience at Gerard's. We started with the house bread and smoked butter. Hot, crusty and herby goodness. Next we enjoyed the falafel crumpet with fresh tuna and finger limes. Absolutely zingy and delicious.<br/><br/>We were then presented with a banquet of whole whiting, coal grilled brocolini and Kale with garlic oil and fried cauliflower with pomegranate and tahini. The whiting is a new dish on the menu and it was cooked to perfection. It was creamy and the capers added an extra pop.<br/><br/>I highly recommend the city lights cocktail. The zest ginger lime syrup compliments the elderflower. However, the paprika sprinkled on the top sends it to the next level.<br/><br/>The staff are fantastic and accommodating for food intolerances.<br/><br/>

Dinner for two people on Saturday night. We made an early booking for 6:15 pm to beat the rush and sat outside.<br/> <br/><br/>Squid toast ($5x2) - wonderfully crispy and crunchy toast, an umami salt bomb of flavour. Would order again. Great way to start the meal. Washed it down with a beer. <br/><br/>Salted zucchini ($22) - light and airy dish, when the bite is just right it is tasty but miss even one of the elements in your bite and the dish is nothing exciting. Would not order again.<br/><br/>Bekaa wings ($18) - Second favourite dish of the night. Six delicious and crispy yet light wings covered in a somewhat mellow but very, very tasty sauce. Rose was a little lost in the dish but added some need colour if nothing else to the dish. Would happily order again. <br/><br/>Fried cauliflower ($18) - Our favourite dish of the night, a generous serve of what is these days a fashionable (pricey!) vegetable. Tahini was surprisingly light in feel and taste and the pomegranates provided wonderful bursts of sweet and sour liquid throughout. Smoked almonds for a very nice crunch. Would happily order again.<br/><br/>Slow-roasted brisket ($62) - our waiter couldn't recommend this dish enough and said it was the signature dish of the restaurant. The brisket (which serves two comfortably) arrived on the table in one large piece and was promptly seasoned simply with sea salt and shredded by our waiter. It was served with a very thin and almost brittle mountain style bread/wrap and seasonal accompaniments of pickled vegetables, creamy feta, dressed herbs, lemon wedge and a garlic (yogurt?) sauce. Would not order again.<br/><br/>The brisket was our least favourite dish of the evening. The meat itself was either overcooked initially or kept at a temperature until service that resulted in the meat having a mushy texture. It was slightly dry unless you got a small part of the cut that was fattier than the rest. The meat was tender but almost mushy in mouth feel. The accompaniments were unfortunately all salty and really lacked an acidic and a sweet element. The pickled vegetables were more salty than acidic. Although they did provide a nice crunch to counter the lack of texture in the meat this wasn't enough to make their added saltiness worth it. The feta was creamy but again it was a very salt variety and this once again added to the overall saltiness of the dish. The herbs were dressed lightly with that looked like a balsamic of some sort but their wasn't enough of it to really know for sure. The garlic sauce was a nice addition. The lemon wedge did provide some acid to the dish and cut through the fattiness of the meat but their was only one little wedge for a reasonably sized piece of meat. <br/><br/>My partner discovered that stealing a few pomegranate arils from the cauliflower dish and adding them to the brisket for some sour/sweet bursts of liquid improved the dish considerably and helped cut through the saltiness of the meat and sides. <br/><br/>I can certainly see the appeal of this dish but unfortunately on the night our brisket was not up to scratch and the seasonal sides lacked a sour and sweet component.<br/><br/>Dessert - We asked for dessert menus and had a good look but nothing really grabbed our attention so we gave it a miss.  <br/><br/>Staff - Excellent service, personable enough to make us feel welcome but not overly chatty. Water glasses were filled when empty but without it feeling like the staff were hovering. 5 stars.<br/><br/>Final bill - food ($130), Gerard's Drunk Punch ($16), Estrella Lager ($10), soda water ($4), tip ($15) = $175 for two people who left very full<br/>.<br/><br/>Will we be back to try some more dishes? Yes but this time we will bring help. Gerard's is my favourite type of restaurant offering share style dishes where you get to have a little taste of everything. When ordering with just two people you need to be strategic as you will fill up quickly on their relatively generous portions. With a table of four or better yet six people, you get to try many more dishes! Thus we will be back to give Gerard's another shot but this time we will bring company.

After reading Cino's Mum's review on Moo Moos, I was certain that I was going to have my partner's birthday lunch there. Unfortunately, they are not open for Sunday lunch, so we settled for Gerard's Bistro.<br/><br/>We had the restaurant to ourselves as we arrived just after opening.  As this was our first time, the waiter explained that the dishes were designed to be shared. To start, we ordered the waiters suggestion of Coal Grilled Octopus ($26) and the Almond Husk Cured Swordfish ($24). For our mains we ordered the Suckling Pig ($46), Coal Roasted Blackmore Wagyu Flap ($48), Fried Cauliflower ($18) and Whole Smoked Eggplant ($18).<br/><br/>The cured Swordfish was on a felafel crumpet and topped with whipped roe, lemon puree and finger lime. This dish was a new experience for me. I do enjoy eating new things, but I felt the cured swordfish was too salty and needed more of the citrus component to help balance it.<br/><br/>The next dish that came out was the Coal Grilled  Octopus with fava bean paste and this was nice. The char flavour on the octopus was excellent and it was superbly tender.<br/><br/>When the mains and sides arrived, our table looked amazing. Each plate was presented beautifully. The Suckling Pig was my least favourite among our spread. Even though the pork was tender with porky goodness and the skin crispy, I just thought it was okay. Maybe I was just expecting something more. On the other hand, the wagyu flap was one of the best beef dishes I have experienced. Being wagyu the meat was tender and rich and the marbling was evident. The flavour from the crust that was achieved by cooking it over coals was perfect. If that wasn't enough, the Arabic coffee crisp intensified this flavour and took it to another level.<br/><br/>The fried cauliflower was interesting and i enjoyed it. It had a tangy sauce and was topped with pomegranate seeds and smoked almonds. I should mention how generous this serving was-we could not finish it. Our other side dish was a smoked eggplant topped with fried slithers of onion. I thought the egg plant was a bit under seasoned and i didn't notice the smoke, but that was quickly overlooked.<br/><br/>The staff were knowledgeable and provided good service. The decor was clean and simple with a nice 3D wooden wall.<br/><br/>My partner and I both enjoyed our lunch and would recommend Gerard's Bistro.

Went there for our wedding anniversary on Sunday evening. A bit apprehensive as the menu items a bit different. However, very pleasant evening with good food and great service. Our waiter Marco was excellent. Recommended for a nice, different experience.

A perfect evening! Right from the beginning upon entering the restaurant the dim lighting, interior and music really set the mood creating a very relaxed ambience perfect for a date night. I had planned a surprise birthday dinner for my boyfriend here and our waiter Lee was extremely helpful in making sure it was special. He provided us with complimentary bubbles on arrival and was very attentive throughout. We ordered the organic bread with smoked cultured butter to start off with after reading so many reviews about how good it was. It definitely lived up to my expectations, the butter melts into the bread. We followed this with the brisket for 2, fried cauliflower and the broccolini. What an absolute feast! Very generous servings. The flavours were an absolute delight for the taste-buds. The fried cauliflower is a must! We will definitely be returning here for special occasions :) If you haven't been here yet you need to.

A nearly perfect meal!<br/><br/>We came in for lunch and started with the Pimms No. 1 and the Drunk Punch. Both we perfectly balanced and not too sweet, albeit light on the booze. The atmosphere is spot on, and I was very pleased with the quality of the sound system- bonus points to having a track by Caribou in the mix!<br/><br/>Our server was fantastic and knew the menu well, taking the time to explain the concept (quasi tapas sharing plates) and make personal recommendations. On her suggestion we started with the squid toast (not shown on the online menus), which was perfection. At $5 each I assume the margins are tight on the one, as each piece of crusty/pan fried bread was well seasoned with two small tentacles on top. I could probably eat an entire meal of these, they were THAT good.<br/><br/>Next we had the Laham nayyeh (lamb tartare) which was a bit of a let down as it was way too salty (near the end all I could taste was the salt). Sodium aside, the tartare was finely diced and well seasoned with an earthy flavour from the pickled cucumber. Massive bonus points for using preserved lime on this!<br/><br/>For the mains we shared the suckling pig (aka pork belly) and fried cauliflower. Both were fantastic, with flavours that were quite bitter until balanced by the sweetness of the accompanying sauces. The cauliflower was really bitter so I could see some people not enjoying it, but to me this was an awesome change of pace as the bitterness flowed perfectly with the whole toasted almonds. <br/><br/>The above lunch for two was $130, and I will definitely come back for dinner. The only thing keeping Gerard's from a perfect 5/5 was the saltiness of the tartare.

A near perfect dining experience. Had wonderful staff who were happy and very attentive. The food was exciting and the menu creative. We took a risk and ordered a dish that we didn’t really know what it was and it was a pleasant surprise. Presentation is lovely but not over the top. The cauliflower side dish is a large generous serving. The music matched the trendy restaurant and set a relaxing ambiance. Great for dates or a lovely place to catch up with old friends. A must-go for any foodie.

So much is closed on Monday in Brisbane so we ended up here with no expectation. We couldn't get in before 8 and ended upsitting outside which is basically the lane thoroughfare and pretty basic. However the place ticks all the boxes for service and food. We discovered truly new tastes. Our first dish fish roe withe finger lime and potato chips was pretty underwhelming. We got no hint of finger lime until scraping the bowl and it was at best a pub taster in gourmet sized serve. It was all wow from there. Bekkah wings are a must, followed by pork belly both with lick the bowl sauces, crackle and pop. We couldn't eat all the seared cauliflower with nuts and pomegranate which was another unique taste and a massive bowl full? Wine and waitress were excellent, unique and worth another visit but we would book inside.

Lived up to it's reputation off a casual walk in. I would only fault the cauliflower serving - humongous! - I couldn't finish its deliciousness. Thanks to, quite unexpectedly, the best buffalo wings in Brisbane.

Excellent Food, staff were amazingly knowledgeable about each item on the menu (we had someone who couldn't have chilli and our waitress was fabulous), the sommelier was great (our bottle of wine was corked and he just gave us another bottle) and service was prompt and professional. Definitely recommend a meal at Gerard's

Good food, decent service. Enjoyed dinner here. Most of the share plates our group had were nice. Didn’t enjoy the carrots and the brisket was so extremely salty we couldn’t finish it. Highlight was the bread and smoked butter. Delicious. Some good wines on the menu as well. I don’t think I’d rush back here for dinner but would like to try brunch and the bar next time.

Very good good at Gerard's the pork was cooked excellent and very succulent. Good flavours and fresh food. The place is well designed and a great atmosphere.

We went here for a nice dinner on a Sunday evening, and had been drawn by all the recent awards and accolades, though I haven't had a huge amount of high end middle eastern food in the past. The service from the start was great, with our waitress more than happy to provide recommendations on the food and wine. To drink we got the recommended St Cloud Grenache which was absolutely on point; light, smooth and fruity. For entree we ordered the famous bread and cultured butter, the lamb tartare and the recommended chicken wings which were all very tasty. The wings were surprisingly spicy, and came with a serviette to wash hands with afterwards, which was a novelty as it came out tiny and expanded after being dropped into water. For mains we ordered the blue cod, broccolini and cauliflower. The cod was delicious and melted in the mouth with a delicate creamy sauce, the broccolini nice but a bit salty for my liking, and the cauliflower had a similarly creamy sauce balanced well with the nuts and pomegranate though we found it a bit too rich to finish. For desserts we had the chocolate ganache and the white chocolate and blackberry sorbet both of which were also tasty but very rich. A nice winter meal for a special occasion.

UPDATE: Returned to Gerard's for dinner via online reservation through Zomato, which was very quick and efficient.<br/><br/>For entrees, we had (i) Laham Nayyeh - beautifully fresh lamb tartare with surprises of preserved lemons served with crispy golden crackers, and (ii) bread and cultured butter - fluffy textural bread and creamy cultured butter.<br/><br/>For mains, we had (i) Confit Octopus - delightfully surprising 'noodle-like' strands of soft octopus with enoki mushrooms with a light hazelnut mousse, and (ii) Fried Cauliflower - a very large portion of charred cauliflower, nicely balanced with nuts and pomegranate.<br/><br/>Unfortunately we were unable to try the desserts, however the entrees and mains were very satisfying for two hungry adults.<br/>The price is one of 'fine-dining'. The service was impeccable and friendly. The ambience is more like smart-casual - the music and crowds of people make it difficult to speak in normal volumes to your partner without having the next table probably hearing you too.<br/><br/>Overall, a fine restaurant for dinner.<br/>________________________________________________<br/><br/>Went here for brunch on a weekend. We had the Za'atar manoushe and crab omelette. The manoushe was delicious, full of flavour and well-balanced. The crab omelette was also flavourful, perhaps a bit too much as the spice of the chilli sauce overpowered the subtle crab meat. Service was efficient. Good ambience. On the pricier end. Might be back for a date night to try the dinner options.

Really good stuff but be prepared to fork out a lot of money for the food, ambience, service and wine. Good for those special occasions and happy times.

Since starting out on my brunchy adventures across Brisbane, I have slowly been compiling a list of all the places that I want to go, and then apportion my Saturday mornings in accordance with the list. Without a doubt Gerard's Bistro has long been on my list, but I hadn't scheduled it for at least a couple months. That is until I heard from Queen V that it was ceasing to run its breakfast offerings after this weekend. With that in mind, we gave up on our Saturday morning in to play computer games and made a reservation to go immediately.

Went to Gerard's on a Monday night, was able to get a table without a wait. Ordered a number of dishes including the infamous cauliflower dish which was a little underwhelming.

Last night we had the pleasure of enjoying a wonderful meal at Gerard's Bistro. The whole experience was outstanding! We started with the bread and smoked butter (that smoked butter is to die for!!) then had sweetbread tarts which were also delicious. Then on to mains where we had the suckling pig, lamb rump with that amazing lamb bacon and fried cauliflower. These dishes were so wonderfully balanced and the flavours unbelievable. The service and the knowledge of the wait staff is a credit to management. Very reasonable prices for such creative and wonderful food. We will definitely be back. I can't not recommend this wonderful restaurant enough.

Authentic North African style cuisine with the good spices. <br/>Each meal is to satisfaction and the return is likely.<br/>The service is excellent and it is a moderate price for the City Restaurant.

Had our wedding anniversary lunch here. Service was fantastic. Being recommended with food that blown us away. The bread with cultured butter is the best! Chicken wings & wagyu beef braised & the cauliflower compliment are perfect.<br/>The taste of the food just executed balance flavour.<br/>Definitely will come back for another dining experience.

We enjoyed a lovely breakfast/brunch at Gerard's Bistro a few weeks back.  <br/><br/>Gerard's combines elements of the Maghreb (Northwest Africa) and the Middle East to serve up some lovely dishes, but the real standout for me was their incredible service. <br/><br/>We ordered the Za'atar Manoushe ($18), Eggs Poached in Garlic Yoghurt ($18), Limonana ($6) and an Iced Latte. <br/><br/>The Za'atar Manoushe is baked to order and is the national breakfast dish of Lebanon.  Sometimes called Lebanese pizza or Fatayer, it is topped and spread with Za'atar herbs.  This was served with Marinated Labne (yoghurt cheese balls), Heirloom Tomatoes, Pickled Beetroot, Cucumber and Peppers.  The Manoushe were thicker than I would usually expect, but we enjoyed them.  These were above average and rated 3.5.<br/><br/>The Eggs Poached in Garlic Yoghurt were served with spiced paprika butter, chick peas, walnut and sourdough toast.  Overall, this dish was delicious, but I'm not sure whether the toast was over toasted (i.e. burnt) or if they were going for a blackened toast.  Either way, this did not detract from the flavour of the meal, which rated a 4.<br/><br/>The Limonana was a Lebanese style iced mint lemonade and was quite refreshing.  Both this and the Iced Latte rated a 4.  <br/><br/>The great service assured Gerard's a rating of at least 4, but I would need to test more of the menu before I would bump it any higher.  Do not come here expecting to order pancakes, smashed avocado on toast or eggs Benedict...you will be sorely disappointed.

DO NOT GO TO THIS RESTAURANT IF YOU EXPECT ANY TYPE OF CUSTOMER SERVICE. What that seems like an unbelievable statement - let me tell you it is not. While the quality of food is high the terrible customer service and management are the opposite. <br/><br/>I went with a group of six for Brunch. While ordering I asked the waiter for a suggestion for a dish since I am vegetarian. His suggestion was not a vegetarian item. Not a major faux pax, just odd. I point out again that I asked for a vegetarian suggestion. <br/><br/>After finally deciding on a middle eastern mezze plate I question the waiter asking if the prosciutto that came with this dish was placed on its own or was it piled on the dish with the other dips and bread. He assured me that it was seperate. I figured why not let one of my 5 brunch companions have the prosciutto to enjoy with their meal. <br/><br/>When receiving my order, the prosciutto was in the center of the dish and the way it was placed resulted in it touching EVERY dip on the plate as well as laying on top of the bread. I called the waiter back and calmly explained that the dish was not as he described and that we must have different definitions of seperate and could he please make me another one. He takes my plate and comes back about 75 second later. <br/><br/>So I explain to the waiter that I need a new plate made up - one where all the items have not been in contact with the meat due to the fact that I am vegetarian and do not consume meat. The waiter turns to me and says "Well, I didn't know you were vegetarian". At this point i've lost my patience. I point out to him that I told him more than once during ordering that I was - so yes, he was aware of the fact that I was a vegetarian. He picks up my plate, walks away and starts talking about me in a very negative manner. This was done loudly, not muttering - and the entire table heard. <br/><br/>So I get up, walk to the bar and ask to speak to the manger. I explain to him just how upset I am at the experience and the manner in which I was treated and even apologized for the shake in my voice because of just how upset I was. His response to me was "Its getting fixed now isn't it so whats your problem?? I don't really appreciate your tone" and dismissed me. Instead of apologizing or trying to rectify the situation he was equally as rude. <br/><br/>I hope the owner knows just how mismanaged the restaurant is.

Awesome food! We dined here for Valentine's Day and enjoyed a delicious three course dinner. The kangaroo meat crackers were new for me and I thoroughly enjoyed the balance of flavours they had to offer. The pork belly main was equally as delicious, but the duck main was out of this world with that sticky sauce! For dessert the chocolate mousse was light and full of flavour. We will be back!

Had a lovely Sunday lunch at this bistro. The waitress was excellent at handing the food allergies one of our party had & they changed a couple of dishes to accomodate us. Also excellent menu for vegetarians. Everything was very tasty & we all thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon. Highly recommend this venue.

Wonderful combination of modern flavours. Our favorites include the Brisket to share, the eggplant and cauliflower dishes. Their unique take on a blackforest cake was devine and left us wanting more.

Had dinner here on Friday night. Service was fantastic. Ordered the sweetbreads and the wings for starters which were nice. Had the wagyu brisket for the main and it was disappointingly tough. Expected it to melt in the mouth but it wasn't great at all. Also we ordered an expensive bottle of red (>$100) which wasn't even decanted. Had a business dinner here in 2012 which was excellent in every respect, unfortunately this time it fell way short of the promise of a good dinner past.

Wow! Amazing! We had such a wonderful meal here last night.. I hope they pay our waiter Liam well because he was fabulous. So knowledgeable, warm, not overbearing, basically the best service we've ever had (also gave us the best recommendation for a secret bar to go to afterwards, thanks!). The stand out for me was the wings (i could eat them every day) & the duck. Only let down was the toilets, they were dirty & had water all over the floor.

Fabulous food with big tastes. Don't miss the octopus or the fantastic cauliflower dish. A standout restaurant which offers diners a culinary adventure.

One of the best meals I have had!! Outstanding service added to the overall experience here. We ordered our meals after our waitress explained the menu. We paired our food with proseco. Bread and the salted butter was surprisingly moreish. Other entrees were kingfish and a smokey squid dish. Both were innovative and delicious. For main we shared swordfish and whole eggplant- amazing. Next time we will save room for desserts which on paper sound just as tempting as all the other items on the menu.

As Queensland’s best restaurant in the 2016 Australia’s Top 100 Restaurants, Gerard’s Bistro has been on my wishlist all year. Tucked away off Little James Street in Fortitude Valley, there’s a mix of indoor and outdoor seating. The menu is filled with interesting and innovative dishes based on Syrian, Jordanian and Lebanese cuisines.

Such a great little find. Situated in a walk through breezeway near James Street. Great atmosphere and very relaxing decor; I love a bench seat with cushions behind your back. The service was impeccable, fresh and knowledgeable. They knew there menu and the popular items. Share plate style eating is what it's about and we had the cured king salmon and bekka wings as entree. The salmon to us was the hallmark of the night. The wings are slippery little suckers, but a flavourful mouthful in each bite, so hang on. For mains we had the fried cauliflower and the suckling pig....yum! Yum! Yum! I indulged in dessert with the burnt apricot and marshmallow...again a flavoursome dish. Don't drag your feet getting there!

I ordered the Coal­grilled octopus. It came with green strawberries, butter, almond, chilli and smoke. Octopus can be hard to get right, but Gerards bistro nailed it! The dish had so many interesting and complex flavours. What a way to start a meal. For the main course I had the Duck breast. This was a well balanced dish and the sauce was amazing. For dessert we shared the Charred eggplant sorbet with tahini crumb, cacao and Arabic coffee. What a strange yet sublime combination of flavours. Might not satisfy a sweet tooth but it was a great way to end the meal. They also do a mean Bloody Mary by the way.

This week has been a bit special. E’cco Bistro was for our anniversary, and my boyfriend took me to Gerard’s Bistro for my birthday dinner! I have been wanting to go to Gerard’s Bistro for so long, and I was excited. Gerard’s menu is organised in a different way. It is a mix of middle eastern, African and European cuisine, and you share everything. The first section is for appetizers, and the next section alternates between protein and vegetables that go well with the protein above/below. The waitress advised us that about 1-2 appetisers, two mains and 1-2 vegetables will be enough. We were also advised that the last dish was for two to share.

Great dining experience at Gerard's Bistro today!<br/><br/>Very nice price compare with the quality of dishes.<br/>Love how you can DIY your only wagyu wrap, amazing!! And the slow roasted wagyu is very tasty!! Both me and my friend loved it. The dish size is big as well... Definitely enough for 2 people... <br/><br/>however I wound not recommend the cheese for dessert... It has a very weird taste...

My main complaint is: Was so full we didn't have any room left for dessert. Cauliflower - yum. Kale and broccoli - yum. Smoked bread - yum. Duck breast and suckling pig - double yum. What the people were having next to us looked pretty good. The service was very relaxed and pleasant. I like that it was professional without being stuffy. It wasn't cheap by very happy to pay for the food and experience. Can't wait to go back!

I want to say great things as I know this is considered one of the top Brisbane restaurants. And it's good, really, but is it excellent? No. <br/><br/>The ideas are good, but perhaps it's an issue of produce. I've had both dinner and breakfast here and I can't say I'd go back. <br/><br/>I'll let the photo speak for itself but the "mousse" on the duck eggs looks awful. Slightly sticky white goop. It's hard to swallow. The other flatbread dish was a bit bland. <br/><br/>For dinner we had the lamb shoulder. It was great but not better than what I can do, and the rest was just a touch under great.

My friends and I have been to Gerard's bistro well over 5 times now and we keep coming back. The menu is dynamic, the flavours delicious and the service pretty good much of the time. They keep the menu up to date and bring you new additions and changes which always intrigues. The wine list is amazing and so far I've not been disappointed, even with the more modestly priced reds, and I'm quite the honest critic!! Marrying the night up with the bar of the same name across the alleyway is one of Brisbane's better culinary experiences.

Good food and good cocktails and the service was alright as well. This is definitely a place I want to return and see of it is consistently good.

I have been to Gerard's twice in the past 6 months. Both occasions we arrived later in the evening around 9pm and were able to just get a table for dinner service.<br/><br/>I was impressed not only with the food but the wine list. Both times the waiters were helpful in allowing me to try some of the wines before ordering. This was useful, because one of the whites was a bit spritzy for my liking. Therefore, I thoroughly enjoyed all their wines - carefully chosen, and a great complement to the food.<br/><br/>In a perfect world Gerard's would leave their kitchen open to at least 10.00pm every night. After all - there are few options for late dining in Brisbane and this would be a great choice especially if you are going out afterwards to bars in the Valley.

Great food ! - cauliflower and eggplant dishes worth the cisit slone! . Tasted food though so not a place to be avoided. A bit of a rip off though if you want a casual meal

Charismatic staff, intriguing meals and a creative use of outdoor space this restaurant is definately a must eat. Some of the food combinations leave you wondering how and why, until you try them. The knowledge the staff have on the meals and they flavours at play is part of an increbile experience, as well as their own personalities. The enjoyment i get from eating here is more than just the food. The wagyu skirt was delectable, the flavours of the duck breast were deliciously sweet and the spanner crab with infused watermelon was delightfully refreshing. The size of the meals make it perfect for sharing and the ability to try more than one of the incredible plates on offer. Dont be scared of the price tag, it is definately a place where you get more than you pay for! Happy eating fellow humans!

Well been a while since we've been to Gerard's - and it's no better - lousy waiter and over rated food. Avoid the "baked turnips" poor things hugely mistreated

Food, service & drinks were all of a good standard but Gerard's Bistro is far overdue for a facelift! The decor is confused with a clash of tired 70's with Moroccan with generic food court. This place is an institution but the interior is shockingly worn out & depressing. Please invest some $$$ to give this lady back a well deserved makeover.

My espresso-martini drinking partner-in-crime and I decided that a long girly lunch was was overdue.  She had raved about Gerards and couldn't believe that I hadn't been there, so that was our Friday choice a few months back.  Firstly it was delightful to walk inside the beautifully fitted out space and be warmly greeted and seated.<br/><br/>Next up was the drinks menu, from which a bottle of really good italian prosecco was quickly ordered - and equally quickly appeared to our table.  Then it was to the difficult menu choices.  Well maybe not so difficult - the oysters were definately in our sights and we shared a dozed of those delicious, plump and oh-so-flavoursome bites of yumminess.<br/><br/>For mains we went with our waiter's suggestion of slow roasted waygu brisket for two with seasonal sides and a seve of the oh-so-amazing fried cauliflower.  I could have eaten just this alone - it was so completely memorable for all the most wonderful of reasons and I have promised hubby I will take him back, just for this.  However the brisket was also divine - forking apart, beautifully seasoned and flavoured and with yoghurt and roasted vegetables and oh my goodness, this was something special.<br/><br/>Luckily we had a long lunch in our plans, because this was a lot of food - but we just took our time, ordered a second bottle of the prosecco and sat back and enjoyed the guilty pleasure of not being at work on a Friday afternoon, as all the lunching workers headed back to their offices.  <br/><br/>I loved the place, seriously loved the place and I have full intentions of going back with hubby - I NEED to eat that cauliflower again! Thank you Gerards for a beautiful experience.

Gerard’s Bistro is an unassuming dining destination surrounded by dense blocks of concrete and off a laneway that is tucked away in an blink-and-you-will-miss-it location in the James Street dining precinct in Fortitude Valley. Once you have found it, it is a curious menu that will surprise and delight you. The venue is almost austere if it wasn’t for the wall mosaics, Moroccan tiling and warm tones throughout (including the impressive bathrooms).

I have been to Gerard's Bistro three times now, always as part of a group with a set menu. The first time I was amazed at the quality, tastiness, innovation and even the quantity of food for the price. I raved about it for ages. <br/><br/>The second time the food and service were all fantastic until we got to the petit fours for dessert. There weren't enough to go around and I ended up with just one tiny treat. <br/><br/>Last night the food was mostly great but we waited a really long time between first and second course. Our 7pm booking didn't end up with the main course until 8.30pm (yes, everyone was seated on time and as it was a set menu there was no time wasted with ordering). <br/><br/>The sourdough bread and smoked butter starter was divine. The butter was so smoky it reminded me of smoked salmon. <br/><br/>Several of the dishes were difficult to eat and portion out from the middle of the table. For instance, the table of 8 was given 3 plates of white fish. Everyone got just a small spoon. This was accompanied by broccolini and kale of which there was more. <br/><br/>The big let down was the wagyu beef. I didn't have any but others said it wasn't tender and the flavour was overpowering. The cauliflower, smoked almond and pomegranate accompaniment was delicious as always (I have had this on every visit).<br/><br/>Desserts came and the nougat (which must be a signature dish) was fantastic. The other dish was dates with oats and ice cream. The oats added nothing to the dish. If they had been cooked into a nice granola they could have added some crunch but they were au naturale on the bottom of the plate and then there were big, tasteless flaky bits on top. The ice cream was aniseed and completely overpowered the taste of everything else. It was also difficult to share. <br/><br/>Overall, the food and service were good but I feel this place is slipping and not keeping up with the increasingly tough pressure within the Brisbane restaurant scene.

Tried a very nice cab sav from the bekaa valley here. We all enjoyed the slow cooked wagyu, and the chocolate dessert is defenitely worth a go. Friendly service also.

Yummy Sunday brunch - love the middle eastern take on food but couldn't go past the baked eggs. A very generous serve with at least three eggs and the thickest slices of sourdough I've seen! Great flavours & love the freshness of the labne on top! My friends enjoyed the Baghdad eggs & smashed eggs. Love the cloth napkins - not something you see often at brekky in Brisbane!<br/>Service was good but we seemed to have six different staff serve our table... However we did like that when an order was incorrect and we had to wait, they were very apologetic and with no questions asked that meal was not charged on the bill - a tick in my book!

Delicious food that's bursting with flavor, outstanding service, and quite reasonably priced for a hatted restaurant! I had dinner by myself here because I was in Brisbane for work - the only downside is that Gerard's is very much a restaurant for sharing food, so it was a bit limiting when you're on your own. I had the grouper with charred leek, pickled kohlrabi, tahini and watercress sauce. Beautiful presentation and even better flavors. And for a side I had the batata harra, which is a super flavorsome dish of fried potatoes, garlic, green chilli, coriander, cumin. So good. I was sadly too stuffed to order dessert, so I'll definitely have to come back!

I was just reading reviews and so bewildered at some people's ignorance. This restaurant is nothing short of spectacular. I took two renown Sydney chefs here yesterday and was blown away. Why did it take me so long to invest in this little gem of a restaurant. Ben Williamson was not even onsite... What a testimony. The platewear, the service (thanks Abby) the fusion of African and South American.... We were all blown away. Completely. Thankyou for enriching my Friday. My Sydney counterparts finally put Brisbane on the culinary map.

Can't remember how many times we have been there, never disappointed. Although Gerard's bistro only get one chef hat, in my heart it is the best restaurant in Brisbane. Don't forget to order bekka wings and slow cooked wagyu beef. It's just amazing

One of the few places that I visit regularly I like the changing menu, always there are new surprises, very creative and delicious dishes , but the staff seem to have this funny rude attitude about booking and leaving shortly after eating even if the place is empty.They hit you with the bill while you having the last bite...

Finally made it Gerard's and was not disappointed, it has certainly lived up to reputation. You can tell the Chefs here are extremely passionate about what they do. Fine attention to detail, well balanced flavours, beautiful plating and great flow on the menu. Great food guys!

I'd wanted to got to Gerard's Bistro for a while and finally I had the opportunity to grab lunch with some friends one Sunday whilst travelling in Brisbane. It is located in one of the main shopping areas on James Street in Fortitude Valley (easy to park). We had booked ahead to make sure we got a table too. The dining area is indoor and outdoor and we sat inside as it was the beginning of a hot day.<br/><br/>The menu has a Moorish-Middle Eastern flavour with an eclectic range of meats and veg to choose from including brains, marrowbone and sweetbreads. It's best to order 1.5 dishes per person and share, it's that kind of dining experience. The drinks menu is great with a good mix of wine by the glass, cocktails and apertifs.<br/><br/>We ordered a number of dishes - here is an example to give you an idea of the type of menu it is: Samke nayyeh, pink snapper, walnut milk, chamomile oil and pomelo; Kibbeh nayyeh, harissa, preserved lime, shallot, pickled cucumber and egg yolk; Smoked marrowbone, cod and potato mousseline, burnt bread, parsley; Coal-grilled broccolini and cime di rapa, shallot oil and lemon, smoked egg yolk; and Fried lambs brains, quail blood morcilla, warm tahini, yoghurt.

I've been here for dinner a couple of times and breakfast once. Dinner has always been amazing, food absolutely delicious and service is great. A bit expensive, but great for a special occasion or a nice date. <br/>Breakfast isn't as delicious as dinner. But not bad, just OK. Breakfast is relatively more affordable. Great for large breakfast group bookings.

Top spot for fabulous food - taste was sublime throughout the meal - flavors were punchy and exotic without being overdone - cauliflower dish is not to be missed - fabulous consistent service throughout our meal - great selection on the drinks menu .. Deservedly one of Brisbane's best!

The meal was outstanding. The beef shared plate was tender and tasty and more than enough food for two. You must try the cauliflower dish, which is a standout.

The wraps are freshly hand-made daily by the owner's mother and the meat is premium wagyu slow roasted for 12 to 15 hours - that's what they call a kebab at Gerard's Bistro in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley. Sunshine Coast Tourism chose one of Brisbane's favourite bistros to share their exciting plans for 2016, a year which promises much for the region including increased visitation from around the world.

Incredibly, in just two visits across the span of several years, Gerard's Bistro has managed to cement itself in my mind as one of my favourite restaurants in Brisbane (hesitation to crown any restaurant "my absolute favourite" comes from my fear of commitment). I was so enthralled by this recent experience, I went back to the bar for more dinner and drinks the following week and convinced my whole family to celebrate Chinese New Year there. Rarely does a restaurant leave such a positive impression.

Fabulous! Yes, it's not cheap but you get what you pay for and @ Gerard's it'll be worth it.<br/>Excellent service and fabulous food. <br/>I've never left this place disappointed. <br/><br/>Don't be shy and do try the chicken wings (they'll even give you a little wet towel to clean up). <br/><br/>Word of advice - be prepared to order more than you'd normally would as its a bit minimalistic (it's all about tingling the senses) or do not go there starving. <br/>One of my all time favourite restaurants in Brisbane.

One of the best restaurants that i have been for a long time. We were there for family dinner and we definitely will come back . Our waitress was so lovely and friendly. I recommend the chicken wing entree, it is simply amazing!

One of my favourite places to go in Brisbane on a Friday night. The food and service is always excellent. The house bread with smoked butter is delicious and the beef brisket with sides is very generous and always tasty.

After having a great evening meal here a few months ago we were keen to try the breakfast on a weekend. Booked online as we did the first time, again, no issues with that. <br/><br/>We arrived a little earlier than out 9am booking but it was still pretty quiet at that point and we were seated straight away. Having already perused the menu online we pretty much knew what we wanted already!<br/><br/>Our coffees didn’t take too long to come out and the food not too much longer. We have the Granola and the ‘Bacon & Eggs’. I had the Bacon & Eggs, mainly because I wanted to try the 63 degree eggs. Neither of us were disappointed. The bacon and eggs were great and really filling. The large chunks of bacon were fantastic! I tried some of the granola and that was really tasty too, a good sized portion too.<br/><br/>Left full and very happy with both food and service.<br/><br/>----- 11 August, 2015 -----<br/><br/>Gerrard’s Bistro has been on my ‘to do’ restaurant list for a while now and on the Ekka Public Holiday Eve we decided to finally give it a go.<br/><br/>I booked us a table online with no problems at all. <br/><br/>We arrived and were shown straight to our table. The décor and ambiance of the restaurant was nice but we were there for the food! The friendly staff helped us work out the menu and we decided on sharing a couple of the Duck liver parfait crisp breads and the Roasted baby beets to start and then the Slow roasted wagyu brisket with seasonal accompaniments and the Fried cauliflower for mains, we also managed a couple of desserts, so we had the Rosewater meringue and the Tipsy date carrot cake.<br/><br/>Every course was excellent. The highlight for us was the main course though. Brisket seems very popular at the moment with the trends for slow cooked meats and we’ve had some good dishes both in restaurants and at home but the beef here was on another level, it really was fantastic; perfectly cooked and tender, really very succulent and tasty, it worked well with the accompaniments too. The Cauliflower was superb, I hadn’t realised that cauliflower could be so tasty! The beef main is also excellent value for money.<br/><br/>The service was excellent throughout; friendly, helpful and professional.<br/><br/>In summary an excellent meal, possibly the best we’ve had in Brisbane so far (between here and Aria).

I dined at Gerard's Bistro recently with a group of friends. <br/><br/>All of the food we ordered was fantastic, and the wine I chose was also delicious. The waitress who served us was bubbly and friendly, and helpful with recommendations for portion sizes/number of plates needed etc. <br/><br/>The only criticism I have of Gerard's is that the seats are seriously uncomfortable, to the point that a number of members of our group had sore backs the next day. <br/><br/>Apart from that, we all had a very enjoyable evening!

Saturday night dinner for a friend's birthday wasn't that great. It's a fancy hipster joint where everything is ridiculously overpriced for such tiny meals. Although tasty, it's totally not worth it. I won't be coming back.

My hubby & I suffered from food poisoning having breakfast at this bistro. Food presentation & service was good, but we won't be returning again.

After a fantastic start the to evening (the lamb kibbeh was packed full of delicious flavor) sadly Gerad's Bistro did not carry through with the standard. The food was immaculately presented however after the kibbeh, my expectations of bold flavours were slightly let down. Smokiness and rose water carry through most dishes however the feeling that they were dialing it back for the yuppie crowd of Brisbane could not be shook. The rice with par cooked broadbeans was shameful and the sauce of coffee and cacao which accompanied the pork jowl was bland with the consistency of a $2 gravy. The inevitable misses with such a bold menu. Restaurants which are a cut above the rest need to be kicking goals both in the kitchen and with the waitstaff and it was sadly the service where the night took a turn for the worse. The attitude of the waitress was one of which who did not want to be there. Why ask for my opinion on the meal if you are not going to listen? To ask for salt to aid in the pork's revival seemed to have been a cardinal sin for which we appeared to have been judged as plebs who had taken a turn down the wrong alleyway. You have no idea of the background of the customer and whether I am a flash businessman out for an evening or simply taking the family out for a special occasion, it should not matter. All good business distinguish themselves by giving each customer what they are seeking and that is respect. The weekend service may get the attention it deserves however your weekday trade is the backbone of any business. A rushed service coupled with aggressive table clearing led to the waiter knocking down a glass of wine which was then not replaced by a clean glass. These basics show cracks in the weeknight service. If the waiter has the attitude of not wanting to serve you/even be there then I as the customer begin to feel the same, irrespective of what comes out of the kitchen. <br/><br/>Gerards Bistro is a cut above the hoard of other over priced pretentious restaurants and it is certainly fantastic to see a team of chefs with a unique vision right here in Brisbane. For food lover fight the James Street pomposity which has taken over, bring your camera, order wisely and you might not be disappointed.<br/>Oh and don't ask for the salt.

Went to Gerard's Bistro for the first time last night, and I have to say that the food was awesome. We ordered a number of dishes that we shared amongst 6 of us, all dishes were full of flavour and thoroughly enjoyed.<br/>Dishes we had included the cauliflower, slow cooked lamb neck, garfish special, and more.<br/>Desserts were also amazing.

Beautifully presented delicious food and attentive wait staff. Lovely place for a romantic date night followed by a movie down the road at palace Centro<br/>

Party of 2<br/>Location: outside<br/><br/>Entrée: House bread<br/><br/>Mains: shared a brisket with Fried Cauliflower <br/><br/>Drinks: Five fig cocktail<br/><br/>Food rating: we were expecting the brisket to be good as it is their signature dish but the Cauliflower was a pleasant surprise. I personally wasn't a fan of the almonds as a whole in it though. Would have preferred it if they were sliced or even roughly chopped. All in all, we left very much in content.<br/><br/>Service: super friendly and the staff knew the menu well<br/>

Probably better for lunch rather than breakfast. The 63 degree egg dish was okay. The shakshouka needs more work. I have had better in much less expensive places. Have only been here once and for breakfast. Not greatly impressed given the hype. Staff were friendly though.

Middle East inspired modern Australian cuisine. Dark, cosy atmosphere - in fact, I found it too cosy being within an arm's reach of the two tables next to me (seated on the tables along the wall). <br/><br/>Service before being seated was poor, but once we were assigned a waitress, she was polite and knowledgeable. <br/><br/>Had chicken wings and cured fish as our entree dishes. Both had such rich and strong flavours. Absolutely beautiful. <br/><br/>We ordered the squid and seafood bisque for mains. LOVED the squid dish, definitely my new favourite. They cut and cooked the squid to perfection. Small flaw was that they didn't clean out the clams - eating sand was not a pleasant experience. The seafood bisque was average - fish over cooked, but the dish was saved my the amazing octopus.<br/><br/>With only room left for one dessert to share between the two of us, we opted for the tipsy date. Amazing and unique combination of flavours. Definitely a winner if you're willing to try something different.<br/><br/>Oh, and boy were those cocktails strong! Well worth it.

Gerards Bisto is in James St New Farm-- way to hip and cool for us (me thinks). It popped up a few years ago and for awhile I thought it wouldn't make it in Brisbane--but alas its proof that 'exotic' can survive with the right packaging. <br/><br/>Menu remains spice and very true to its google description of 'Dishes from Africa, Europe and the Middle East in a chic dining room with a 3D timber wall.'

Had a birthday celebration here, just a small group plus we didn't order a cake or anything that surprise our aunt, just a really quiet dinner here. Nice drinks menu, food was great, service was great, the most importantly aunt likes it too.

We were welcomed for lunch by exceptionally knowledgeable staff who were able to recite the entire menu from memory. They offer meals with matching wine suggestions and have the knowledge to explain any changes or answer questions you might have there and then. Ben Williamson certainly knows how to elevate a Middle Eastern menu to fine dining level. Standout dishes for me were the shallots stuffed with epoisses in a charred onion consommé and the suckling pig with fossilized pear, Jerusalem artichokes and walnuts. I very much look forward to dining here again soon.

Okay but.... Was expecting big things but left underwhelmed. Good service but food was hit and miss - certainly not worth the price. Out of 5 share plates two were very good, 2 were okay and one we didn't finish. Skipped dessert - although they sounded great on the menu we'd lost enthusiasm and didn't want to take the chance.

I visited Gerard's Bistro for my birthday over the weekend with my partner and with my hand on my heart it was a great night. <br/><br/>Our waitress was very sweet and personable, made mention of the specials available to us. Because it was both our first visit at Gerard's she helped immensely with recommendations to complement our selections.<br/><br/>The food and wine selection both were fabulous. We ended up deciding on the brisket served to share and the experience of it was so different, and so fun! The waiter who delivered it helped break down the brisket also making it a little theatric and demonstrating how softly the meat was falling apart after being slow cooked for hours. <br/><br/>We didn't stay for dessert as there was birthday cake at home but it was all delicious and a beautiful experience!<br/><br/>Can't wait to return!

Very very tasty . Beautifully presented food and the layout of the restaurant is 10/10. Breakfast here is amazing and won't hurt your pocket . High quality food but does take a while to come out

Had dinner here a week ago with a large group of friends. We had over 8 people so we had to choose one of the three set menus ranging from $45-$85. We ended up choosing the $45 one. The entrée was some organic house bread with smoked pepe saya butter. The butter was nice however the bread was quite salty. Then we had the bekaa wings which were perfectly cooked and was rich in flavour. After a while the main dishes were brought out which included the wagyu brisket, fried cauliflower with pomegranate and the braised lentils with caramelised onion. Some parts of the brisket were tender however several pieces were quite dry. The braised lentils were definitely not a crowd favourite either. And finally the dessert came out which was a citrus sorbet. The dessert was relatively nice however sharing between 2-3 or so people wouldn't have been satisfying enough. Sad to say that although I was really excited to eat here, the set menu was a let down. May give the normal menu a try next time because i still have hope.

The coffee here is pretty amazing and I would come back for it! We got the share plate of brisket for $50 with pickled vegetables. While it looked beautiful the meat was dry and small in serving. It was okay in flavour and the yoghurt dip was quite fresh and went well with the meaty flavour and salty pickle. We also got the mujaddara which is lentils and would not recommend this! It was mushy, dry and hard to eat! Service was good

I absolutely love Gerard's bistro!! Their service is great and the ambiance is amazing. It is always full and the staff is very friendly. Their tuna with fried black ants is to die for and everything in between is heaven! Must try!

Had a lovely dinner at Gerard's earlier in the year. The wagyu brisket was delicious and the wings were very good. The service was pretty good and the wait staff knew the menu. Very nic

This place is a cracker!  It’s a little hard to find as the entrance is off a narrow laneway, but it’s casual, comfy and quirky with good food and good service.  The décor is interesting – a combination of brick, wood and mosaic tiles.  The menu is also really interesting.  Based on shared plates, the food shows European, African and Middle Eastern influences.  It’s hard to order as everything sounds so good!  I love that.  Chef, Ben Williamson is well ensconced in the Brisbane restaurant scene having worked at both Cha Cha Chars (where I had the best dish of side vegetables I can remember) and other Top 100, Urbane.

I visited Gerard's for the first time recently when I was deliriously tired and ravenously hungry after a busy overnight shift. I now know why this venue is so highly acclaimed. Not only was I greeted with a warm and sympathetic smile, but I was presented with some of the best breakfast fare I've had in Brisbane. The Baghdad eggs with tahini yogurt on flatbread made my tastebuds tingle and my heart melt with delight. Ignore the price - even if it means eating vegemite on toast for a week, every single cent of your breakfast is repaid to you in outstanding flavour. I would go back again in a heartbeat!

My partner and I went to Gerard's for dinner and shared the slow cooked wage Beef with seasonal accompaniments. It was amazing! so flavoursome and tender. We also shared two desserts which were phenomenal! Another just try is their fried cauliflower...yummmm! Not cheap but great quality food and a lovely setting.

I enjoyed my birthday dinner for two here on Tuesday night. Roasted baby beets w kishk, black garlic, elderflower - slow roasted wagyu brisket for two with pickled jalapeños, smoked garlic yoghurt and herb salad - very extensive drinks list and the "The Gerard's Yacht Club" aperitif was a great way to start the experience. Thanks @gerardsbistro for the lovely birthday meal.

Sunday breakfast here had fantastic service and top rated coffee. I tried the fruit toast it was overcooked and chewy. My companion choose the Eggs Bhagdad which he rated as good. It was very well presented on his plate.

The other interesting dish on the table was the “Bacon and eggs” 63 degree eggs, smoked bacon mousse, maple toasted buckwheat ($19) which was what I wanted to order initially. I managed to taste the smoked bacon mousse and it was divine! The big chunks of bacon on the plate looked really inviting too. I must return again to try this dish.

If you're looking for something a little bit fancy, don't look past Gerard's. Great for sharing with a bunch of friends, which also means you get to try more of the menu. Dessert isn't so exciting, but mains are exceptional.

We dropped into Gerard's around 8.30pm last Tuesday evening.<br/>It's was busy and in the middle of service but we were greeted warmly and settled quickly at s high table.<br/>The menu offers share plates or meals.<br/>We opted for shares and the dishes recommended by our friends who'd dined there previously and our charming waiter.<br/>The food was superb, delicious and plentiful. Added bonus was having owner/ chef Ben Williams at the pass.<br/>Great wine list, atmosphere, service. All the hype is well deserved- looking forward to our next visit for sure!

Great food, lacklustre service.<br/>I was very impressed with the food, the wagyu brisket was generous, tender and delicious. The wait staff were friendly and well-intending, but made a lot of mistakes over the course of the evening. When you're paying that much for a meal out you really expect the service to be seamless and be up to the standard of the food.

Had breakfast here, already had around 3 slabs of bacon, was yummy though.<br/>Send me an email if you want to know what my mum thought of this :)

Love this place. Food is great, staff are lovely, atmosphere is beautiful. I recommend this place a lot to friends who are visiting and I always get great feedback! It's a really great place- highly recommended.

Friendly staff, great food. Definitely recommend the brisket for 2, delish!

Expect to wait. We ate here as a large group and were extremely dissatisfied with the time waiting, portions and personally the quality of the meals for the price of $65 each. There were 7 dishes in the course which took over 30mins each to be served considering they were small appetisers. The food portion was extremely small as each of the 7 appetisers only offered 3 of each dish to share between a group just shy of 20 people. As for the wait, portion and price of the course per person, it is definitely not worth going as a large group and would be better value for money ordering from the main menu as you would actually get preference and your own meal, unfortunately this is not offered to large groups, so seriously consider other venues before getting sucked into the over hyped and dissatisfying experience at Gerards Bistro.

Excellent food and service. Had dinner at Gerard’s Bistro tonight, after drinks and some excellent cheese, charcuterie and cocktails at the bar. The staff were friendly, attentive and knew their products. and mindblowingly, after a little situation with my dessert, our waiter brought us out some cheese on the house. That kind of service is super rare nowadays, so, combined with the food, which really was just beautiful quality produce beautifully prepared, I will definitely be going back.

Dined here this evening, found it quite disgraceful. service was polite, however it took way too long for the food to arrive at our table and the amount of food to be shared with the set menu was entirely insufficient for our party.

Dined here this evening, found it quite disgraceful. service was polite, however it took way too long for the food to arrive at our table and the amount of food to be shared with the set menu was entirely insufficient for our party.

A bit disappointed, had lunch, lack of seasoning. Service is OK.

Finally made it here for dinner. Food took a little while but it was easily forgotten when the delicious meals came. I have to say our waitress was the best any of us have ever had. The only problem was that we were sitting outside and could smell cigarette smoke the whole time. Our waitress asked people to move away but even still we could smell it. Possibly blowing over from the bar. It was really quite off putting especially when paying so much for a nice dinner.

I have to say we had a great dinner with amazing food, and the cost of the meal was actually better than I had expected for 8 people - always a bonus! The one thing we all found a tad annoying is the over-complicated menu/ordering.

Cannot fault this place. We come here numerous times. always welcomed with a warm smile and fantastic service throughout the night. Food is so good. Everyone must try it here!

TOO SLOW. Absolutely Delicious food but unfortunately took 3 hours to get 3 courses of food. Despite an early group booking they striggled to get the food out on time. Delicious but disappointing.

Disapointed. Too salty!

Not what it looks like. I was totally disappointed by my whole experience here. It started with the manager and staff being far from friendly. The juices were ordinary and though my friend enjoyed her meal, I was very disappointed with mine (Baghdad eggs)-it was so salty, the bread was hard, bits of it were bland. It definitely didn't hit the mark. Plus their kids meal was scrambled eggs and toast and the eggs were just mush! It was worse than what you get on the plane! They didn't end up charging us for the meal due to a miscommunication but still, I still came away going-that wasn't a very nice experience. Lovely place to walk by, that's about it.<br/><br/>Came back for dinner after a few months as a surprise date and was really impressed with the menu. 2/3 dishes were excellent! And great service as our last visit. Maybe a dinner sort of place?

Average. Food was well average, certainly not bad but not good either

Amazing food!. Tucked away on James st! We stopped for for a spot of lunch and had the best pork ever! Brilliant duck and the coliflower was sensational!

Appalling Service. This WAS one of my favourite restaurants in Brisbane but after a) the service on out last visit and b) the fact that not even one soul showed the courtesy to respond to my email below, sealed the nail in the coffin for me. I won't be going again nor will any of my guests that night.<br/><br/> Email sent Jan 2015 and completely ignored!<br/>To whom it may concern<br/>As someone who had enjoyed wonderful meals and service at your establishment in the past I wanted to let you know how extremely disappointed we were with the service provided by one of your staff members on my most recent visit last Sunday evening. While my guests (novices to your establishment who had only ever heard nothing but praise from me about your restaurant) certainly enjoyed the food on offer we were astounded by the attitude and actions of the young 'lady' who waited on our table. Along with a couple of patronising comments which I was too astounded to respond to at the time, at one stage she actually sat at a nearby table chatting to guests for some time. More shocking to all of us however was the fact that she used her HANDS to 'clear' our plates after entrée, returning the still very smeary sauce covered dishes to us to use again for our mains and then, as her coup de grace proceeded to lean over to gather up a pile of yoghurt covered chicken bones in her FIST from the plate of my nephew who was a little slower finishing. As in the words of one of my guests, "I have never in some 50 years of dining out ever seen such as appalling action". <br/>Deeply disappointed.<br/>Sandra Salmond

Epitome of pretentious and overpriced food. Gerard's Bistro has an identity crisis. For starters, the decor. One end of the room is typical of a modern Australian restaurant. The other resembles the lobby of a budget hotel dating back to the 70's with a slight middle eastern vibe.<br/><br/>Our service was mixed with our waiter being friendly yet who inexplicably kept forgetting our wine, not once, not twice, but three times.<br/><br/>As for the food the first entree we ordered was the “Tabouli”. What we received did not resemble Tabouli. Instead it was like prawn crackers (but without the flavour) with various uninspiring and boring sauces dabbed on each one. If you are going to try and be clever and create your own spin on a dish then it better be amazing. Unfortunately they were not even close to pulling it off.<br/><br/>The next dish was the Crisp chicken skins. Perhaps we should have thought better before ordering this dish but what a waste of money it was. For $16 we received literally crumbed chicken skins. Very monotonous flavor. I am not sure how this was any better than eating the remains of someones KFC. We did not finish even half.<br/><br/>For our "main" meal we ordered the brisket with braised lentils and rice. This dish was enjoyable although the beef was a bit too dry. The idea is to build your own pitta bread pockets and fill them with brisket as well as with the extra lentils we ordered. The big problem apart from they were a bit dry was this was $48 for two. I can get a delicious beef brisket from Meat and Bread Co for $10. <br/><br/>Finally for desert we ordered the Ginger sorbet. This was good but nothing noteworthy.<br/><br/>This was not fine dining. Nor was it some cool inventive culinary restaurant. From my experience the food ranged from borderline unappetizing to average. It seemed the hefty price and odd menu selection was to try and portray itself as a cool and unique dining experience. In the end it felt like someone with their kid's finger painting trying to pass it off as a Jackson Pollock.

RUDE STAFF!. Recently I was in Brisbane with friends who suggested we go to 'Queenslands best restaurant'. None in the group had previously dined here and from the moment we arrived we felt as if our presence intruded upon the staffs social time. <br/><br/>We had requested an inside table and made sure to book further enough in advance in order to secure such a request. Of course this was not the case and the flamboyant manager belittled us to say the least. After settling for an outside table in the disgusting heat, the same manager sautéed over and in a conceding tone asked us if 'everything was alright out here'. Im sorry but attitude like this is unacceptable in the service industry and based off reviews online it wont be this gentlemen's final complaint. <br/><br/>It's easy to see why there are so many negative reviews about the service with a manager like that, and equally easy to see why most of the staff act as if its a social event rather than a place on employment.

Amazing -on par with Melbourne restaurants for sure. We went to Gerard's a few months ago (just after they won the top prize at Brisbane Times 2014 Good Food Guide awards). I was a bit worried as I thought they would be very busy with every man and his dog wanting to be at the next best thing in Brisbane, however, I was pleasantly surprised. Although they were busy and we had to make booking in advance, the staff were very attentive. The 2 hour table seating arrangement is a bit annoying though as we didn't have time for desert by the time we finished eating. We were kind of rushed out the door at 8pm. It would have been nice to sit back, relax and enjoy the food a bit more since it was served meze style, gradually.<br/><br/>All the food was outstanding though. All the flavours were perfectly matched. Clearly excellent quality produce and beautifully prepared. We were a table of 5 and were recommended to order about 10 dishes. As the food arrived we first thought we would leave with empty stomachs but we needn't have worried, we were full to bursting at the meals end. 10 dishes was a perfect amount of food.<br/><br/>For me the stand out dishes were the heirloom carrots, Persian rice and the Wagyu brisket -the brisket was delicious served with middle eastern breads, a tangy salad and yoghurt style sauce. YUM!! Salivating now!<br/><br/>So yes, I would definitely return in a heart beat. I just hope they can maintain their standards -especially since winning the Weekend Edition's award for Best Restaurant as well.

Side of Greens and Cauliflower. Side of greens and cauliflower<br/><br/><br/>-----02 Jan, 2015-----<br/><br/>Yellow Fin Tuna, Mulberries and Black Ants. Yellow fin tuna, mulberries and black ants

This was the final restaurant for us on a culinary weekend in Brisbane having already dined at Rogue, GOMA and Aria. As we had arrived early the manager kindly pointed us in the direction of Gerard's bar across the way which was a nice way to start, a really buzzy bar with great cocktails. We returned to the Bistro at 8 but our table was still not ready and we were guided inside to wait in the bar. They seemed very busy due to a 40 pax group inside. We were told we were not allowed to sit inside for dinner and were eventually shown to our table in the walkway outside. Thank god there was a breeze otherwise we would not have stayed, as it was like sitting in a shopping mall with bright lights. We eventually ordered a nice array of dishes to share and a great WA white to start. The food was sensational with brilliant Mid East flavours and superbly presented with the air dried beef a stand out. Unfortunately the same can not be said about the service. Whilst we did enjoy nice interaction with some of the waitstaff including the manager, we had to ask for our food order to be taken, more wine to be poured and plates to be cleared and there was a touch of attitude from one or two of the waitstaff. It was by far the worst service we had experienced in Brisbane. In fact we would have bought more wine but they didn't seem too keen on selling or pouring any more and did not check with us when they poured out the white. Maybe they should have put on more staff to cope with the large corporate booking inside because clearly they were struggling to keep up. To add insult to injury our bill had included 3 beverages we did not consume but in all fairness the restaurant quickly apologised and has offered to rectify this. The shortfalls in service are such a pity because the food at Gerard's is truly outstanding. The issues are not insurmountable and I am sure with some tweaking and further front of house training things will improve.

Food great service subpar. Not usually one to complain on such a site as this but a recent dining experience here was horrendous. We arrived with such high expectations after hearing such positive reviews about it from the concierge at our hotel, but where put off almost entirely by the poor attitude of what we can only assume is the manager. He spoke in a condescending manner to our table from the beginning and lacked the professional courtesy. His presence made us feel genuinely unwelcome. <br/><br/>Not to be entirely negative but the food was delicious, full of flavour and presented in such a beautiful fashion. Its just a shame for a chef with such talent to be let down by such poor attitude from the management.

Don't come here if you want to feel welcomed or full. After coming here for breakfast at a local's suggestion I asked for a table for 1. The waitress referred me to the smarmy guy in charge who gestured at the first empty table next to him inside by the front door despite there being masses of empty tables inside & out. I asked to sit outside which given the space I thought would be easily accommodated. The waitress looked around for a bit before choosing the only table that had been used meaning it needed to be set first. I sat down & then spoke up asking for 1 ready now & in the sun. Service was a little slow as my waitress spent most of her time folding napkins. Thankfully a lovely young man spotted me waiting & took my order. He was very helpful & the only shining light here. Cod broth, couscous & duck eggs was tasty & interesting but small & pricey at $22. This is a quality place but if you're dressed like a tourist expect poor treatment.

Easily one of the best restaurants in Brisbane. The dishes are innovative, well-balanced and exquisitely flavoursome. What I really love about this place is their consistency in delivering up an impressive meal.

Fabulous Birthday dinner. My husband took me here for dinner as a surprise and I loved everything about it! The food was amazing,so many incredible flavours and combinations,we both agreed the spiced cauliflower took this bland veggie to a whole new level! Portion sizes were good for sharing,spaced out so we had time to digest each,and the service was top notch.The waiter really knew her stuff,kept our drinks flowing in a non obtrusive way,and was very helpful and friendly.I would definitely choose to return here to try many if the other dishes.Thank you for making it a most memorable Birthday experience for me.

Amazing food, great service. We booked for a table of 3 for dinner after TedX Brisbane, and were welcomed by friendly staff and taken to our table even though we turned up half an hour early. The waiter had great timing all night, from when take our order through to keeping our glasses full and moving from meal to meal. <br/><br/>The 3 of us were all astounded by the quality of the food. The fried cauliflower is a must, and every meal we ordered was perfectly balanced and very well presented.<br/><br/>Have already recommended to friends, and will definitely be coming back again!

Horrible service. Turned up tonight at 7:00 without booking a table and the restaurant was half empty. Was told by a member of their staff that they have no tables available because he is expecting alot of people to arrive at 7, however we have tables available at 8 have a drink at our bar and I'll come get you. So we had drinks at the bar across the road until 8:40 and he still didn't come get us. I decided to go back on my own, he forgot us until I reminded him, all of the tables he said were booked at 7 were still empty. The excuse he gave me was that the kitchen was under stress and couldn't take anymore orders that's why I couldn't sit you at 7. I just had enough, left and ended up having a burger a few shop's down. Very very disappointed after having a lot of people give me positive reviews. I think you need to train your staff in customer service.

Nice food. Crap typography.. We enjoyed a meal with old friends on Sunday night, 14 September 2014. The food was nice, even if the portions of meat were tiny. The vegetable dishes were more generous. All were beautifully conceived and presented.<br/><br/>We were ambivalent about dessert, but the descriptions sounded interesting. In the end we decided not to. In my case, the typography sealed it. The font in the logo breaks too many rules of typography for no benefit. Zero interline spacing is a vulgar misfit. The heading "Desserts" was all caps italics, and the heading for the mains was missing altogether. Ecchh!!! I lost my appetite. <br/><br/>The other shops in this laneway also feature crap fonts in their signage. I don't know why.

Beautiful food!. Wow! What a way to spend a birthday! Staff were very attentive and helpful and bar was a nice place to sit, waiting for our table. Restaurant was very nicely fitted out, lots of wood and industrial lighting. The presentation of food was AMAZING, and the flavours were bold, eclectic and delicious. Highlight was definitely the Full Blood Wagyu Brisket - lemon, salt, coriander salad, sumac yogurt, kale, iranian rice and fall apart beef - yum! Not cheap, but you get what you pay for. Don't miss this in Brisbane!

Service was great, atmosphere was also good, the table positioning was a bit annoying having to move every time the waiter wanted to walk past. The food was good but nothing amazing. The leaky tap in the bathroom let it don for me because it sprayed water all over my shirt

One of my favourite restaurants. Amazing food, drinks and atmosphere.

Brisket Goodness. Had lunch with a large group and loved it - staff really helpful with menu and suggestions. Had the brisket which was sensational, should have ordered just that for the whole table it was so good. Great for communal dining

Nice food, poor service. We are frequent visitors to Gerard's Bar which we love and decided to take friends to Gerard's Bistro as we had heard good reviews. The food was nice however the service was poor which was disappointing. The waitress was slow to take drink orders and had an unfriendly demeanor. For the price there are better serviced restaurants in the Valley.

Very slow and forgetful (but friendly) service - especially for a Wednesday night. The food is seemingly a fusion between Moroccan and Nouvelle cuisine - well presented small portions with delicate flavours. Given the lack of value (in both the quality of the service and the portion size of the meals), my wife and I won't be returning any time soon. The Valley and New Farm have so much more to offer...

Amazing. Went for dinner back in March 2014. This is a great middle eastern (sort of) inspired restaurant with distinct 'shared' meal approach which is great as you get to sample so much more of the impressive menu. Extensive wine list and prompt discreet and very knowledgable staff helped make the experience even better. For a Tuesday evening it was quite busy, so suspect for weekends booking in advance is necessary. We had: Organic house bread with smoked Pepe Saya cultured butter Slow-roasted full-blood wagyu brisket for two with seasonal accompaniments “Morasa Polow” Iranian sweet rice, saffron, sour cherry, almond, pistachio and pomegranate Coal-grilled broccolini, kale, shallot oil and lemon Fried cauliflower, currant grapes, smoked almonds and ras el hanout Roasted beetroot, shankleish, chilli, hazelnuts, pomegranate and lemon balm And one other, which I can't recall. Everything was spot on. Delicious, cooked well, wagyu was melt in your mouth. Decadent.

Visited Gerard's Bistro with colleagues for a work dinner and was blown away. Beautiful restaurant, outstanding service, and food to die for. Will be visiting again next time I'm in Brisbane!

Let's start with the positives, THE SERVICE. Fantastic, but unfortunately that's where it ends. <br/><br/>We started with the house bread and that was yum, very salty but good. We were told that for two of us we would require at least 5-6 share plates as the servings are small. <br/>We had the quail, duck, tomatoes, potatoes and the suckling pig. <br/>Umm for $36 for a plate of undercooked chewy duck where there was only 4 pieces we were very disappointed to say the least. <br/>There is no point describing the rest of the meals as the above sums it up and I think you get the point.<br/><br/>We also tried to finish the night on a high with some sophisticated desert but dry pistachio cake and extremely sweet cardamon ice cream it just kept on getting worse. <br/><br/>Btw.... $274.00 for 5 drinks, 5 plates and 2 deserts. We don't mind paying for good food but this is certainly not justified!<br/><br/>Bear in mind that Gerald's bistro has just won the restaurant of the year in Brisbane. I certainly would like to know what the judges where eating and if they even where eating at Gerald's??

Had a fantastic meal here tonight. Been wanting to try Gerard's Bistro for some time now and it did not dissapoint. The flavours in all our dishes were incredible!! Service was also outstanding and very good. Only complaints are that the wait time between main courses of shared plates is far to long. Between our two main courses (of a 4 course meal) we waited over 30 minutes. Some were also very small portions for the price (pork belly) and there was a large chip in both a water and wine glass. However, overall it was a fantastic night and the dishes were all amazing including desserts. Would definitely return.

Incredible Dining Experience. We've been to Gerard's Bistro numerous times for dinner and breakfast and have absolutely loved our experience each time. It's our new favourite Brisbane restaurant - the flavours, presentation, ambiance, service etc are all excellent. Highly recommend.

Gerard's Bistro - New Farm, Brisbane. Fantastic. So I kept hearing that Gerard's was the place to go. My friends normally recommend wonderful places.<br/><br/>Well..Gerard's is fantastic. Though the first thing I'd say is if your palette is meat / potato / fries / veg - and nothing perhaps a little new. Then this probably isn't the place for you. However, consider the fact you keep trying the same things, same result, and maybe, just maybe you might be nicely surprised. <br/><br/>I love a good straight steak, I love barramundi/snapper. I love a good burger. Gerard's is more...<br/><br/>Gerard's was classy, relaxed, delicious - just wonderful food, each time a taste bud surprise a nd no pressure, - definitely try. <br/><br/>An intriguing menu. I've come to Gerard's at least 5 times now. And I'm never, ever disappointed. My recommendation would be if you love your food, and your curious about good food - try it.

Went for Sunday breakfast. Food was different but good. Enjoyed the change from the usual bacon and eggs. Staff were attentive, we mannered and lovely. Enjoyed very much.

Incredible breakfast. Average coffee. Gerard's has the most interesting and tasty breakfast in Brisbane. Lots of the menu options I've never seen anywhere else and are a great change to boring poached eggs served by most places. The only gripe is the coffee. It's lavazza and very average. Given the cool design, and interesting different flavours of the menu, I would expect a boutique blend with real flavour.

Service it's okay,but the food here is amazing!

Relaxing & interesting. A relaxing meal, ordered both breakfast & lunch. Was drawn to the interesting menu that was hard to choose from. Mackerel from the breakfast menu was delicious as was the Bone marrow from the lunch menu. A bit confused by the 'Crisp' suckling pig, which wasn't crispy at all though it had good flavour. A little on the expensive side but a refreshing change.

Everything a bistro should be. Top 5 in Brisbane. To go here and complain about value for money would seem narrow minded as per some of the reviews. <br/>Just let the floor staff do the ordering for you, sit back and enjoy the opportunity to have some truly original fare. <br/>Can't fault it to date. New laneway bar / charcuterie is a winner for those looking for something more casual.

Food was really well presented and tasted fantastic. However our server told us our 4 meals would suffice they were extremely small and almost impossible to share (we were told the menu was designed to share). We really wanted to have dessert but didn't want another small overpriced plate.

Absolutely Delicious. Would definitely recommend. Loved everything we ordered and the staff were fantastic. Reasonably priced also.

Lovely, but.... Great food and wine list, really enjoyed both.<br/>What did 'bug' me was the wait staff. They were good and their job, but a tip from me... You can be professional and good at your job all whilst still being warm and friendly. The staff lacked the warmth and friendliness, it's not hard, but when you ooze arrogance, that's not a good look guys. Take it down a few notches, smile, chat to the patrons and be human!

Awful. Brisbane's own "Fawlty Towers" - rude and very poor service - slow kitchen and incredibly slow bar - over-described and confused food that was very nicely presented but otherwise profoundly "week-night". Two Stars.

One of Brisbane's better restaurants. Good food concepts with even better execution. Staff are informed and attentive. Deserves the recognition that it gets

Lovely evening. Food was stunning! My partner and I are vegetarian - there were so many great dishes for us, I was really impressed. Service amazing - decor simple and beautiful.

Beautiful food and really good service. Loved the goat and brisket. Great place to take a big group.

Fantastic meal and amazing service. I don't usually like meat and i thoroughly enjoyed the wagyu brisket, it really is delicious!

Horrible service! The food .... Horrible service!<br/>The food was great but the service was disgraceful. We waited an hour for the mains to arrive. The waiters were rude and offered no apology for the delay. Not worth the wait.

Breakfast, something different. Can highly recommend breakfast and the coffee here?<br/><br/>Bagdad eggs was a great twist over the old fashioned poached eggs, and the vine wrapped sardines were awesome.<br/>Good work on something a little special!

10/10 for Food. Wow, the food is amazing. Its the place where the chef actually creates dishes . I would compare it places in NY or San Fran.<br/><br/>Sure its not the kind of comfort food, but if you want to try something great in Brisbane , give this place a go.

Great atmosphere and food. Went for lunch today and the food was amazing! Would highly recommend the bekaa wings and beef brisket - to die for! The cauliflower dish was pretty fantastic too!<br/><br/>One of the waiters was quite rude at first - he was very unfriendly. Luckily, a waitress ordered our food and served us for the remaining time we were there and she provided exceptional service.<br/><br/>Atmosphere is lovely and laid back.<br/><br/>Would go back again just for the beef brisket! YUM!

Great brunch!. My partner and I went here for brunch last month. Both the food and service were fantastic! I ordered the Shakshouka, which was huge and easily could have fed two. The flavours were wonderful! My partner ordered the Baghdad eggs. I tried a bit of his and I will definitely be ordering that next time!

Very good. Nice place one of the rare restaurants with original and authentic idea, nicely presented tasteful food in the lovely ambience. In my opinion one of few fine dining restaurants remained in Brisbane. Certainly the best out all others on James St, only one worth visiting.

Gerard's Bistro - Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. While it is on one of Fortitude Valley's busiest streets, Gerard's Bistro is one of a collection of shops and restaurants that are hidden down a pedestrian walkway. It requires a bit of a keen eye in order to find it, but when you do manage to find the restaurant it is well worthwhile. The overall design of the place is relaxing, unique and you could take both your good friend or your boss here. Finding a good place for breakfast, and managing to get something unique by good change, my dining buddy and I were off to here for a breakfast to remember. <br/><br/>The minutiae that has gone into the interior deserves to be applauded. Each table has the restaurant's insignia carved into it, the decorations and design have a combination of Moroccan tiles and timber used to make sure it is always at an agreeable temperature and there is the blackboard plus the giant wine rack. All of this points to a place that is making a major effort to impress. Good news for them: it has paid off satisfactorily. <br/><br/>Service here surpasses great. It is some of the most superb that I have had in quite a while. There was not a very long wait, and within seconds the waiter asked us how we would like our water - tap or sparkling, both of us opting for the former. The napkins were even lain for us. Throughout all the diner's meal, when the water glass was below a certain level a waitress would simply fill it back up; it is often little aspects like this that can make a huge difference in service. <br/><br/>It is also well organised, with a little computer noting all the tables with whether they are reserved, free, seated or served. There are several inside as well as outside in the courtyard-inspired walkway. This has the utmost organisational efficiency and it has not abandoned the human touch. You are made to feel welcome here, and it is one of the places you would want to go to. <br/><br/>My dining buddy was feeling like something fish-based, and had a couple of items on the menu he was tossing up between. When a waiter came to take our orders, he went and asked the difference between the two items. Without much hesitation or loss in confidence, the waiter described both of them with plain detail with an ardent attitude to boot. <br/><br/>My dining buddy ended up getting the House-smoked mackerel. This was served on toast and came with avocado, Persian feta, za’atar and pickled radish. It goes without saying that there was sharing, and the two of us took a bit from each others plate to sample it. The bit I had of the mackerel was very tasty - not only is there an enjoyable flavour with the food here, but it is also the array as such with vivid dynamics to go with. <br/><br/>As can be deduced from the above paragraph, the menu consists of influences from around the Mediterranean rim - particularly North Africa and parts of the Middle East, including Iran. None of the items sounded bad nor boring, and as far as the city's dining goes, it is one of the more unique. <br/><br/>The meal, of course, did start out with the coffee orders. Mine was a double-shot cappuccino. They use a blend from Lavazza. It was a well-made brew: strong, deep in flavour and all-up what felt needed at breakfast time. <br/><br/>For my breakfast main, I found it hard to go past the black pudding. This came with a few quail eggs, a custard made out of manchego and flamed grapes. Finishing it off was smoked almond crust. From a presentation standpoint, it seemed that the black pudding was acting as toast with the coating of smoked almonds, being topped off with quail eggs and garnished with flamed grapes. Each component had a totally different flavour to it, as well as a texture; they all managed to co-operate. <br/><br/>The black pudding still kept its distinct flavour, and had a softer texture. It was less strong in its flavour than usual, keeping a smokey undertone and still had that critique where it is love it or hate it; any close reading of my writing would indicate the former. The base of the manchego cheese custard has a strong bite to it, being akin to sheep milk-based cheese. <br/>Though eggs tend to be more of a texture-based food item than a flavour-based one, there was a milder taste to the quail eggs than the usual chicken eggs. The flamed grapes created an addition of the sweet flavour to the meal and the almonds were a smokey & crunchy finish on top. It was a well-rounded dish taking influences from all the five major taste buds. <br/><br/>Often I pre-read menus (if and where I can with notice) and saw a drink on here that sounded too good and unusual to pass up. It was a Damascus rose bud Iced Tea with saffron rock candy. The flavour of it is a bit tricky to describe; the rose flavour has components of a sweet taste, but to describe it as sweet is not precisely exact. Rose is one of those delicate, - for lack of a better word - nice and unique flavours that can be had. With subtle hints of saffron and a chilled temperature, this is a refreshing beverage for a hot day and a good substitute for those who do not drink coffee. <br/><br/>This was, simply put, one of the best breakfasts out that I can remember. It comes with some of the most high recommendation that can be given. There was great food, a fantastic atmosphere & interior pairing, really attentive service all up making it both wholly and holistically a meal to remember. Few places would be recommended to everyone, wholeheartedly, and this happens to be one of those few.

Soooo Goooood!!!!!. Had a great lunch at Gerard's a few weeks ago with a mate. One recommendation - you really need to have the Beef Brisket. It is sensational!!!!

Had valentine's dinner there and the food was amazing. Except we waited about 40 minutes for our dessert while we watch others who finished their main after us being served their dessert.

Breakfast does not get better. Food is flavoursome, artistically presented and adventurous... and priced and in line with an average Brisbane brekky.

Nice Place. Never have a bad experience at this restaurant. Worthy of all its great reviews. Highly recommend for a special night out or date. Food is always interesting and very tasty.

A little gem tucked away off James St. Excellent service with the staff happy to give some advice to those wanting to try something different. An extensive tasting menu of which everything we had was delicious. Caters well for gluten free.

Always a good experience. I have been there a few times. Always a great experience, the food is inventive, really well presented and so tasty.<br/>In my top 3 restaurants in Brisbane

Delicious and consistent. I come to gwrards for breaky regularly. everytime service, food and price is impressive. lunch is great. fave brisbane eatery

Great Food and Atmosphere. I have eaten here a couple of times but after last night felt I should write a good review. The food is always so inventive and delicious. I had the semi cured mackerel, which is the best fish meal I have had in a long time! All so yummy!

Wonderful restaurant. We had my husband's 50th birthday lunch at Gerard's and had a wonderful experience. The menu catered to our party of 10 including a vegetarian and 2 grandmother's with particular dietary requirements. The shared plates made for a wonderful sharing meal between us all. We had a wonderful Lebanese beer and a delicious South Australian Sangiovese which pared very well with the flavour of the meals. I would happily recommend Gerard's Bistro to my friends.

Repeatedly Outstanding. The cuisine here has a wonderful middle eastern / Moroccan flavour and the service has always been outstanding. For your firs visit, take the suggestions from the wait staff and then when you return try the rest of the menu. 4 visits and yet to be disappointed.

OMG. Wow. We came here last week and I am still talking about amazing this place is.<br/>Yes it is expensive but if you want to experience top quality food that leaves you taste buds begging for more, then this is the place for you.<br/>If you are after a place where you thing you are going to get massive portions with chips on the side forget it.<br/><br/>Thank you for an amazing experience you are on my top list . My only critisim is that your cocktails are awful but I can live with that.

Great breakfast. Looked forward to going, went on a sunday morning, maybe would go saturday ngt next time as full of glossy mummies with big lips ( sorry but its true), menu was great and different ( hard to find places that are willing to step out of the box at the moment), food was really good, coffee was average ( we told them to change their brand of soy as it was way too sweet), most staff ok, some a bit stand offish ( do you know we dont think you are cool when you are like that we want honest, open and friendly!), nice looking place, would go back

Rude!!. Food is ok , portions are small for the price and the staff are the rudest in Brisbane !! They ready to kick you out as soon as u finish ur last bite even if it's not full!!

So DISSAPOINTING :(. Myself and my husband went here for our anniversary dinner on a saturday night, we were looking forward to a nice romantic relaxing meal- well the service was definitely very relaxed, our orders were taken very promptly but then everything pretty much ground to a halt. The menu is made up of share platters style dishes so when we orderd 5 dishes we assumed these would all come out together- but this was not the case, after waiting 40 mins we finally got 2 of the dishes one of which was barely warm but as we were soooo hungry we continued on hoping the rest of the food would be warmer- again not so when the other 3 dishes finally arrived nearly an hour later these too were lukewarm at best. we had enquired a couple of times as to where our food was but it took the staff a considerable amount of time to actually come back and tell us how much longer we were going to have to wait. However when we asked for the bill that came in a matter of minutes- an extremely dissapointing experience, lukewarm food, lukewarm service I really would try a different restaurant as this kitchen and service staff obviously struggle to cope on a busy Saturday night- not worth the hassle.

Their is not many places around that I can't understand the menu but this place is definitely one of them places. My wife and I enjoyed a very relaxed Sunday breakfast of suckling pig and poached egg in garlic yogurt. The meals where very quick and delicious. The staff where very friendly and easy going while being professional. Our cup of water was topped up regularly which was great because we where both hungover. I will definitely be back to try other options on the menu.

The menu intrigues but is ultimately disappointing and very overpriced. The menu displayed outside the bistro reads considerably differently to the one presented at the table. The meals are very small for the relatively high price, and quite cold when they arrived as service was slow. Overall, very disappointed, and quite hungry upon leaving.

Superb. Every item on menu.... Superb. <br/>Every item on menu looks good. The meals we shared were extraordinary. Service and situation perfect. Pricey yes but not really compared to usual fare ordinaire. Take a few friends. Spend some time. Relax knowing you will be satisfied beyond expectation. Recomend plus plus.

Beautiful work. Walked in without a booking about a week ago, sat at an outside table. Our waitress was brilliant... warm, knowledgable and her wine matches were dead on. We chose 7 dishes, every one of them being memorable. The only slip up with the food was the absent brown butter on the mackerel, although the flavours and textures of the dish where perfectly balanced It was not a necessary element. The final bill was very reasonable for the quality of food. Can't wait to return.

Brilliant. These guys know what they're doing. Everything was exceptional from start to finish. Well done Ben, you do Gerard's proud. Will be back with out a doubt. Hands down the best dining experience that we have had in Brisbane.

Good Times, Great Experiences. Went for Dinner a while ago and unfortunately have not had the chance to go back yet!! This is a beautiful style of dining, quiet and relaxed environment and professional, staff had a vast knowledge of the menu and didn't try to oversell the quantity of food. Had 5 items to share, the cauliflower dish was absolutely fantastic! dishes came out within a good time-frame, steady pace so nothing sat for too long, dishes were cleared promptly. Only foreseeable problem is the outside dining area, you cant really hear the music when standing outside so not sure how diners would take that.<br/>Thanks team at Gerard's for a great dining experience :) We will return.

Disappointed =(. We went here a week ago as a group of 6. We had to wait 30 minutes to have our order taken and an additional 2 hours for the mains to arrive. The waitress we had was extremely rude and was unapologetic about the wait time. When the meals finally arrived half were luke-warm/cold as if they had been sitting there for a while waiting for the other meals to be prepared. Serving sizes were small and very overpriced. Terrible experience from a very novice restaurant posing as fine dining. AVOID!

Divine! Pricey but worth every cent. Staff were so attentive and every dish was unique and yummy and so flavoursome. Perfect night. Thanks guys.

Best restaurant visited this year. One of the best dining experiences I have had in a long time. We ordered the marrow, octopus, beetroot and pork belly dishes and all were exceptional. The octopus is a must, the smoky flavour in the sauce was subtle but delicious and lingered making me want more. The octopus was cooked to perfection. The marrow dish was very innovative and highly recommended. The beetroot dish was delicious, however without the lemon balm, might not be too exciting for some as I felt I have had similar before. The pork was also perfectly cooked and went well with all the other flavours on the plate. For dessert, we shared the 'deconstructed cheesecake' with the locally grown honey and mandarin sorbet and it was amazing. Very well put together flavours. I have seen some negative reviews of the service here on urbanspoon however our service was wonderful with a difference - staff are a bit more relaxed and casually conversational rather than the 'how was your food maam/sir etc' usually delivered in a put-on way, which was very refreshing and enjoyable. They are also very helpful in helping you to order if undecided, giving great recommendations to suit your palate and explaining the way dishes are best eaten. Also I think the price was fantastic given the quality (we didn't get drinks however). Will definitely go again.

Slow Food (in a bad way). Four of us had an 8:30 reservation. We sat down at 8:50. We listened to some hilarious wank about design based around the "vanishing point". Whatever. <br/>We ordered at 9:20. Had one bad martini and a nice bottle of Pinot. <br/>We asked if there was a problem at 9:50. We got a (nice) piece of octopus. At 10:00 pm, we explained we were no longer interested in a faux degustation experience. We wanted all the food we ordered. at the same time. and soon. <br/>To their credit, they rallied and we had all the dishes within 15 minutes. All were warm, none were hot. They were small'ish, but incredibly tasty. Beautiful flavours, lovely presentation. <br/>We thought the price, for the quality and satisfaction level, were pretty good. <br/>Maybe we just had a bad luck night? But we won't be back. And we don't recommend it.

Great flavours. Food was very good. Had the spatchcock, goat, brocillini and pilau dishes which all had terrific flavours. Loved the coal bbq effect on the purple carrot. This was plenty to eat for 2 unless your big eaters.<br/><br/>Had a tasty Syrah from Clarendon in McClaren Vale - Australis 2010.<br/><br/>Service was generally good, went missing once or twice. Relatively noisy room which was OK but only got the bass line which got a bit annoying.<br/><br/>Hard to find in a taxi, need a light on their sign on James St.

Gerard's Bistro. Went there for lunch and was blown away by the marrow bone dish with burnt bread which showed creativity and complexity. The quail was alright and the apple crumble dessert was great. Makes me want to come back and try other dishes.

Delicious!. Excellent Decor. Very hard to choose from the menu, only because most of the items appealed to me. We had the Bekka Wings, Slow cooked Wagyu Brisket- served with divine condiments and flat bread, Fried Cauliflower (don't knock it until you tried it) and suckling pig. We didn't eat it all of course but had to try them all. We will be back

A disappointment.... Was recommended this place and saw excellent reviews in the paper so though we'd give it a try. I attended with my family (5 of us in total) and we were all left disappointed and annoyed. <br/><br/>When we arrived we were greeted pleasantly enough and provided the menus. We asked our waiter a few questions and his response was a giggle, advising us he knew nothing about the menu and would get someone else. The second waiter (Matt) was quite knowledgeable and attended to us well. We ordered our food and waited.<br/><br/>When our meals arrived, three of the five meals were incorrect. We received bacon instead of eggs on one, dishes that were supplied with tomatoes were absent and another dish that comes with eggs were also absent. We advised accordingly and received no apology from Matt. A short time later a serve of eggs for one of the dishes arrived - we never saw the other eggs.<br/><br/>We received no follow up, no question on how it was going, had to leave the table twice to walk inside to ask for service. We were ignored by almost all the wait staff at our table. Our second order of coffees appeared with extra coffees that weren't ordered - again no apology and the coffees that did come were luke-warm - they had been sitting on the bench inside for some time as we watched them. <br/><br/>The decor and the food that we did receive was excellent - if not for the food we would have refused flat to pay for a good majority of our orders.<br/><br/>All in all we left feeling annoyed and appauled at the terrible service for a place that excels in its food.

Over 50's forget it.. Forget Gerard's if you are a middle aged. Staff are very rude. Waiters swooned over young trendy looking patrons but oldies were ignored.

Went to Gerard's last night - 7 of us in total. Great decor & very comfy chairs but that's about it for positives. Staff were arrogant & avoided eye contact with our table for follow up service. Food was a joke - really more like degustation dining - tiny amounts of food to "share" between 7 adults resulted in each person only having a tiny mouthful of each dish. We ordered the amounts on the waiter's advice but was nowhere near enough. I left feeling very hungry. The flavours were nothing special - the only decent dish was the lamb tagine but I only got to have one mouthful.we ordered quail which came to the table in one piece leaving us to have to divide it ourselves for sharing - one would think that this could have been done for presentation. The kale & broccolini was laughable as it also came without any thought as to how we would be able to divide it up for sharing - 1 sprig of broccilini was all I got. The tabouli (which was not tabouli) came with added protein in the form of a live grub!! The coffees were dreadful - despite ordering extra hot, they came lukewarm & we sent them back to be replaced - the waitress was quick to do this but there was no apology. Overall Gerard's is pretentious & very disappointing - would never bother to go again & would not recommend it.

Wonderful. Best restaurant in Brisbane at the moment.

Perfection. Our dinner at Gerard's rates as one of the best meals we have had in Brisbane. The dining room is a beautifully designed space with light brick, moroccan tiles and minimalist light fittings. Service was exceptional, our waitress was knowledgable and friendly, not intrusive but intuitive to our needs. The food was sensational. Highlights were the persian style rice and the saltbush lamb. Desert was an OMG moment. I will forever be in love with the liquorish ice cream. We enjoyed a remarkable bottle of red from Lebanon, flinty and full bodied, it was delicious. Gerard's is an absolute gem of a restaurant, we'll definitely be back.

Nothing better. This old foodie has been blown away by the experience. Beyond special. Very good product knowledge displayed by non smart arse wating staff. My second visit and many more in store for me my pals and family. This is numero ono is Brissie at the moment.<br/>Do your self a favour.

Real find..... Took family and friends here to celebrate our daughters Uni graduation. The service, food and atmosphere were exemplary. Will definitely be back for more.

Really nice food. Fantastic service. The waitress who was looking after us was very efficient and knowledgable. Will certainly go back soon.

Been here a couple of times now and will definitely be back to sample more deliciously tasty morsels!!! Best desserts and beautiful service. A favourite

Not a baby friendly restaurant. I went there for breakfast with my family and my baby, it was a cold morning and we wanted to sit inside. However we were told that we can't and need to be seated outside because we have a pram. We were quite puzzle as to why there isn't enough room to accommodate our group (4+a baby). as there are clearly plenty of empty table inside. We were directed to a table at the coldest corner of the outdoor dining area. Even though the heater is on but the cold wind blew the hot air away from our table. There is plenty of space inside for pram??, i have been to a much much smaller restaurant and they welcome pram. It was winter, cold and windy and my baby is getting cold, i can't believe they would be so inconsiderate to even let a baby seated out in a cold while all the adult seat comfortably inside. On top of that, the food took so long to arrive. In fact the table next to us that arrive at the same time got their food first, ate, paid and left and our food still has yet to come out. We checked with the waiter twice and were told both time that they are coming out right now. It took nearly an hour before we got our meal which leave us 30 minute to eat due to another appointment we have to go to. The portion is quite small, some of the dishes were quite nice but the mood was no longer there for us to enjoy the food. To be fair they did take our drink off the bill for the delayed but the overall experience was so poor that sadly we would not be back. Clearly not a family and not a baby friendly restaurant.

Wonderful!. This place does everything right. Restaurant fit out, decor, service, food, menu... Everything I loved. The share plate concept is perfect for the variety of dishes on the menu at Gerard's. I just couldn't choose a favourite dish, the vegetarian ones may have been the best! Service couldn't be better, our wine glasses were topped up at just the right time, meals were brought out in a perfect flow, the night was just so enjoyable. I will definitely be making Gerard's a regular dinner venue, I just loved it. One of Brisbane's best.

Great great great food! My fiancé took me here for my birthday and I was absolutely blown away =D personally I don't ever care too much about service, as I do not believe they are that important (I go to a restaurant for food, I don't '"eat" service), but unlike a lot of the reviews here our waiter was actually super friendly and was very helpful with the menu. <br/><br/>Now, the important part, food. We ordered the slow cooked lamb on flat bread, waygu skirt, whole smoked eggplant, oysters and duck for two ppl, and finished with a spiced date bream with honeycomb. Every single bite was a flavour explosion!!! I would say some food was slightly on the salty side but I love salt so no complaints there. Especial mention on the honeycomb on the dessert plate, it was homemade and OMG was it awesome. <br/><br/>We had 5 plates, 1 dessert and 2 cocktails, and the bill came out to $150 (or $120 just on the food). I do not believe this is expensive or outrageous as some ppl may suggest here, especially if u consider this as a degustation experience at $60/head, for the flavour you get it really was worth it. Of course, I would probably suggest you to go get a fat piece of steak at chachachar or sth if you are hungry and want to pig out, but the 6 dishes that we had left us reasonably filled (as in I felt absolutely no need to stuff myself with McDonald's after) and simply wanting more of it for next time =D <br/><br/>Great food indeed.

Gluten UNfriendly!! I have coeliac, and can generally find a decent selection of GF meals in most brisbane restaurants. We went there for breakfast and I was basically told I could have the watermelon salad... Everything else was 'too hard' to change/ make gluten free, and no option of GF bread. Everyone else thoroughly enjoyed their meals, it was just a shame about the dismal service. 30 minutes for coffee, and staff seemed to avoid eye contact making for lengthy delays between water glass top- ups. Has potential, but has a long way to go.

Over The Top. Gerard's atmosphere is great and the food is good but service is everything. Our waiter was incredibly arrogant. bordering on rude ,unbelievably so . We had a meal that was not large and with wine it cost us $140 a head. In this price bracket I don't expect to feel like they are doing me a favour by talking to me. We should have kept an eye on our friend the waiter as well ,who kept refilling our glasses without us actually ordering new bottles. A bit of a trap and not good practice. The comment on Gerard's from our group is all the same ....only about how bad we considered the service and nothing about how good the food was. Very sad.

Amazing food and service. Absolutely loved it. The vego dishes are so tasty. Will be returning for a third time vey soon.

Great food, did not mind the decor and ambiance. But...the service was bordering arrogant if not rude. It was our third visit and most disappointing due to the service.

Great Food, average wait staff.. I love the food and I love the look of this modern restaurant but until i hear that the wait staff are of the quality of the food I will not be returning. I have been twice, both times taking interstate and international colleagues. The first time we were put in a corner and simply ignored. It was rather embarrassing - not for us - we had great company, but for the waiter who we literally had to wave at to get his attention. After the first experience, we returned with another colleague a couple of weeks later. We were outside this time and again, largely ignored, not good knowledge of the menu, forgot drinks orders and leave the bottle on the table if you are going to take so long to fill the glasses (this happened both times). <br/>The food was awesome and the desserts are just brilliant - order them all. This is a food experience. I cannot rate the food high enough! I have no problem paying the price for great food but I expect the service to match the quality of the food. I look forward to hearing that service has improved.

Overall good. The olives were great and the smoked butter sourdough was excellent. Duck was just ok and have to wait 20 mins. Smoked eggplant was excellent and far better choice than the suckling pig which while very nice was only two very small pieces, each only size of 50c piece and it is $26. <br/><br/>Wine list is ok, but not enough options by the glass.<br/><br/>Two of us with one glass of wine each and still hungry after $120. <br/><br/>Service was attentive and friendly.

Had to go to McDonalds after.... Went to Gerard's last night with 7 friends for dinner. While the food was beautifully presented and the flavours of the dishes were all very balanced, the portion sizes where ludicrous for the price we paid. We spent a small fortune (spent approx $700 for dinner and a couple of drinks for each of us) only for us all to end up at McDonalds a few hours later....this is not good. I was especially looking forward to our sucking pig, which was listed as a shared plate for 2 people. When the "pig" arrived, it was actually 4 small pieces of roasted pork belly....Hardly worth $52.<br/>Also the wait staff while not rude, were indifferent to our needs. They seemed to have a very "wish I was out partying with my friends instead of working" attitude, when really for the amount of money we arespending here they should be more friendly to the patrons. Give it 6 months before the menu changes to a more comparative prices and/or portion sizes.

Enjoyable Night, Great Food.. I must say, we had an excellent time here on Thursday night. (7.2.13) There were 5 of us and we ordered - Bread - Charcuterie - Slow cooked goat on flatbread - Duck breast - Whole eggplant - Lamb loin - Wagyu hanger - "For Two" Slow roasted Wagyu brisket and the "For Two" Rabbit. <br/>It was excellent. The dishes trickled out, which gave us time to disect and enjoy our shared meals whilst getting a good chat in. <br/>The standout dishes were: Charcuterie, Slow-cooked goat, Duck breast, and most of all, the Wagyu Brisket for two. I'm sad to say that I forgot my camera on the night. :(<br/>The girl refilled our water often, which is important for me, and remembered all of our order correctly without a notepad. Our bill came to $45 a head without alcohol which I think is AMAZING for fine dining. We were all full and very happy by the end. <br/>We will definitely be back! :D

The food was really good, lots of thought and hard work went into the dishes. However, the ambience and atmosphere were a bit lacking. Both because of staff and decoration/lightings. The section waitress was really attentive but the rest had no experience or "attitude"... While explaining dishes... Most of them didn't seem to know what they were talking about with "emm scallop mmmm monkfish....emmmmm.... Fish mmm floss..." Or one staff even said "it was a long night sorry" <br/>Being in hospitality, never say that to a customer, long or short shift, the attitude should be the same. Good runners and good knowledge/dish descriptions... So important! <br/>Overall, the food was great and was really impressed with the dessert!

Sensational!. We went in a group of 8 and pretty much ordered everything on the menu. Every dish was a work of art, sensational eating experience! Will be back!

The food was good but I expected the service to be better considering how much I had to pay. The waiter placed our order based on memory and no surprise, the wrong dishes were delivered. Overall nice atmosphere.

The experience was laughable...<br/>We took mum out for her birthday, and ordered meals to share for a start: OVERPRICED!! We paid $22 for most share plates, each had only 3 bites :)) ridiculous and there was 7 of us. The waiter said we could share 3 plates!!! It was barely an entree.<br/>We were the recommended to get two mains to share (apparently enough for 6), :)) again OVERPRICED: $54 for the pork belly!!! And only 5 small pork pieces...<br/>If you want to spend a fortune for close to no food, this is the place! The food was nice but not brilliant for the price and serving sizes.<br/>Gerard's Bistro a a disgrace, can't believe I wasted my money there.

Good, but not great. The menu is innovative and the decor is pretty swish, but the service was second-rate and the restaurant exudes an air of arrogance that it is not entitled to. the food was generally good, and the wine was great, but the portions are small and our meal had a few hits and a few misses. would probably not go back.

Seriously Disappointing. Booked in for a birthday lunch pre Christmas and was left feeling less than festive. To begin with the menu was provided - a piece of A4 on a clipboard, relatively straight forward, a number of places do it these days. Unfortunately they were food stained, crumpled and in general disrepair. It's surely not hard to print out 1 fresh lot of menus for the day seeing as its one sheet? We probably should have realised this was a bad omen. We ate 5 dishes between the 2 of us (oink!), the Wahoo special was the driest piece of fish I have ever been served. It is not a particularly moist fish to begin with I concede but this was not fit to be put in front of paying customers. We hoped it would improve from here. The hanger Wagyu was certainly not as tender as we would have hoped and lacked any real flavour. Unfortunately this was a general theme. The octopus and the scallops were better but certainly not enough to make me even entertain returning. <br/><br/>As for the service, poor in general which I don't like saying as I think they were doing their best. They were in dire need of someone to provide direction. Lots of action, lots of movement but not much substance. <br/><br/>I would love to be able to write lovely things about this place because it could be so good but it was an awful experience.

A Great Night Out. Dined here on a Sunday night. Pre Xmas dinner. Because we were a group we shared a banquet menu. Lamb tagine & the rice with pomegranate were stand outs. Slow cooked anything will always win me over!! Staff were a little stretched (forgot to offer us wine) but lovely nonetheless.

Great!. I booked for our xmas dinner. It was amazing!! One thing they forgot to bring bread!! Anyway, we had great time! Definitely we will be back!

Had 4 plates all were terrible very little amount, no flavour and low quality. Left the place disappointed and hungry. If people say not to try this place listen too them, after going I spoke to friends and they have similar feed back. Shame really such a cool restaurant set up.

I went to Gerards today with my family for lunch. And it was awesome! We got a selection of small, medium and large plates to share. The octopus was tender, the sausages spicy and the pork was lovely. We also got all the accompaniments - which were outstanding dishes in their own right. Great place for vegetarians too.

Excellent food!. I really enjoy restaurants that prepare share plates so that you can sample lots from the menu. Gerard's Bistro is similar to Public restaurant as far as the food concept goes - although decor is completely different. Our group of 5 dined on 6 of the 'large plates' followed by 4 desserts to share and the quantities were just right for us. Standouts from the large plates for me were the 'Tajima wagyu hanger steak, turmeric, eggplant, wilted leaves, black cardamom salt' and 'Saltbush lamb ‘tagine’, pickled dates, candied orange, green olive'. For desserts, I loved Gerard's gourmet version of "Frys' Turkish Delight". The menu was a little different to the one uploaded to their website so I presume they change the menu frequently. I should also mention the spatchcock was a lovely dish too as the spatchcock was perfectly cooked and juicy (so often it's overcooked and dry).

A very strange experience .... It's hard to decide how many dishes to order in a tapas style restaurant. I went recently with a group of 6 and after ordering 8 or 9 dishes we checked with the waiter if that would be enough for us all. (at this point when have you ever been told by staff that you had sufficient for everyone). He said it would be fine as the portions were more entree sized. <br/><br/>I realise that some members of our table (rather strapping gents aged 26-30) might eat more than your average diner but we probably could have ordered twice as much. <br/><br/>After waiting for nearly 45 minutes for our food when it arrived it wasn't enough - not wanting to wait another 45 minutes if we ordered more we enjoyed what we ordered (which was good). <br/><br/>We had dessert which was a bizarre combination of flavours - there was some sort of anchovy flavoured ice cream which i would definitely steer clear of. <br/><br/>Just a side note - we had a very creepy waiter -- a few of us are looking for a new place to rent in the new farm area and when he heard he was insistent that he was coming too. It was entertaining at first but got slightly creepy by the time we were paying the bill.

Great combination of flavours and good portion sizes. Relaxed setting with choice of outdoor or indoor seating. Wait staff varied throughout our dining experience which was confusing (for both them and us. Knowledge of dishes, ingredients and what works together could be significantly improved...one of our wait staff had to visit the kitchen several times to clarify and offered guesses when didn't want to ask. Would visit again

Needs improvement. Interior decor is lovely, but ambience for those seated outside less so - all concrete, no music, somewhat chilly on cool nights, and I imagine possibly getting splashed when it's raining as the arcade is only semi-covered. Service was patchy, our server was quite nervy but the maitre'd obviously much more assured. None of this should detract from the solid, good-value food and brilliant cocktail list. We'll be back but perhaps ensuring that we book a table inside!

This place blows my mind every time I eat here. The flavour combinations are incredible. Adam is fantastic at matching the wine and even better at matching wine to your palate with confusing descriptions of what you are wanting. Food service is well paced with meals flowing out regularly. I recommend this place to everyone I can.

Promising. Lovely spot for a mid-week lunch. We were disappointed that the lunch menu was so dumbed-down, we had checked out the menu online and presumed the menu was an all day affair. Lunch offerings were just interesting enough that we are keen to go back with a group for dinner. <br/><br/>Smart warm fit-out and excellent sound baffling (showing my age) and the staff are smartly attired too. Service from our young blonde waiter was very attentive and he was swift to check with the kitchen regarding our very pernickity lactose issues. Dessert was a highlight, so rare to find a cow's milk free offering, the Xerotigana (not too sweet fried pastry) with poached cumquats was divine. <br/><br/>We will definitely be returning.

I was absolutely amazed!. I may have been disappointed by my dining experience at Geralds (see review <br/>sept 10). However, Johnny Moubaraks prompt personal response was absolutely amazing and gets my customer experience vote of the week. thanks Johnny you have restored my faith in the Brisbane restaurant scene.<br/><br/><br/>-----10 Sep, 2012-----<br/><br/>What a let down!. A restaurant experience that requires diners to sit rugged up in supplied blankets is certainly different! it was disappointing that the Wagu was also as cold and as blue ( medium rare is not raw) as the diners. It would have been lovely if the waiter could have introduced the extremely good Cab sav instead of asking, "do want some of that"(we were the last of a group of 6 to arrive).Tended to agree with a previous reviewer that 45 something's are not welcome. The basic fundamentals of good customer service and food and wine delivery are lost amidst all of the hoo hah of menu description and concrete ambiance. We will take our palates elsewhere.

Great for a Group. I had a great birthday dinner with 14 friends. We organised the menu prior and had shared plates. Food started soon after we arrived. Fantastic food. Great location and design. Attentive staff. Will be back!!

Third time around, service excellent, food amazing, ambiance cosy. Will recommend again to anyone who likes original and well thought combinations of flavours and traditional oriental/Australian classics. Not a place to have last minute coffee, but a place to have full dining experience, with friends and family.

Went for a cheeky last minute lunch without child. Great looking place with a soft feel thanks to the timber. Had the gnocchi which was different with pomme granite and goats curd. Enjoyed!! Also had quail with barberry rice. Quail could of been flavoured up a bit more, the rice was tasty. Finished on a tasty deep fried dessert with shhps yoghurt and cumquats. Wine list is pretty good, too many kiwi wines by the glass though. Our waiter was great, attentive and friendly. Looking forward to dinner with say 4-6 friends. Lots if sharing to be had with some great flavours.

Excellent food! As True to its suggested roots as it could be. Packed full of flavour and taste and the decor was excellent. Wine list not as good as some but sufficient for the dishes. Spinach garnish on the Wagyu full of Garlic and lush!

No welcome at Gerard's. Gerards appeared to be the perfect place one Saturday evening for our coffee and dessert but unfortunately the appealing aesthetic did not translate to a welcoming reception for 3 mature women. After we requested a table from the many available the waiter preferred we remain in the doorway and read the menu to ensure there was something we wanted to order before we sat down. Does Gerard’s feel their menu would be so unpalatable or are they discriminating against people over 45, women in particular?

Faultless. Moroccan with a bit of Australian with a Nordic decor but it all works. Martini's by Matt behind the bar perfect! Between two we shared 3 of the 'starters' the octopus, scallops and quail and then a main of flathead & side share to finish off. Presented beautifully, flavour combinations were impressive. No others words except for you've got to go.

If you're a meat and potatoes kind of person, I would advise that Gerard's Bistro isn't for you. If however you like a bit of pizzaz and creativity on your plate, this quirky laneway bistro is pure food theatre. Getting through the menu options at Gerard's Bistro takes a bit of time. Not just because there are a plethora of dishes to choose from, but because each dish is so unique that putting all of the individual items together in your mind really takes some heavy thinking. To help us decide between a dish with "cured yolks" or a dish with "kashk" we hit the cocktails list. Below were these two stand out drinks, soaked up by some pretty amazing bread: Negroni: Tanqueray, Antica Formula, Campari Lavazza Espressotini: Absolut Elyx Vodka, Kahlua, an espresso of freshly ground Lavazza coffee, vanilla sugar syrup Organic house bread, smoked Pepe Saya butter The bread was salty and herbaceous , and so lovely and soft on the inside. The whole table could have happily eaten it with lashings of the smoked butter all night. This all whetted the appetite pretty well for the food party we were about to experience on our taste buds. We then finally got our order on: Roasted baby beets, kashk, black garlic, elderflowers Crisp chicken skins, Aleppo kimchi custard, barberry salt Duck liver parfait and smoked prune crisp breads I don't normally pop a whole baby beet in my mouth, but when it has a dollop of creamy kashk on it (which is like a Middle Eastern yoghurt-type dairy product), it becomes pretty hard to say no to. This dish was just so pretty too, with micro herbs and flowers making the plate look like a mini-garden. The chicken skins were honestly, out of this world. Even the health buffs at the table couldn't help themselves, and after saying there was no way they were eating this dish, they had a good go at polishing off most of the plate. Rather than being a health buff, I'm the kind of person who has been guilty of buying a whole roast chicken from the supermarket, the

I just enjoyed a whole pile of meat which was rubbed in amazing Moroccan-y spices and went prefectly with that yoghurty dressing.

My fiancé Tom and I recently dined at Gerard’s and it’s safe to say that is was pretty much one of the best dinner dates we’ve ever had. Of course it’s really no surprise – Gerard’s has built a strong reputation as one of Brisbane’s best restaurants and in January was awarded 2 Chef’s Hats by the Australian Good Food and Travel Guide. Let’s just say we were very much looking forward to this dinner – and we had some high expectations!<br/><br/>Head Chef Ben Williamson and his team produce unique, adventurous, and seriously delicious food inspired by the Middle East and this works perfectly with the gorgeous 1970’s-esque decor and exceptional service to create a great dining experience.

The matrix of wood textures and angled lighting, create such a modern and trendy indoor dining atmosphere; contrasting with the white, sunlit outdoor tables with surroundings of hanging vines and stones. The menu encourages a shared variety of meals between diners, so here was our Sunday lunch collection. Roasted quail stuffed with dates and rose, served with caramelized figs and smoked curd.   Next, was the Murray Cod, Mussels, Oysters, Kishk, Garlic, Sweet Onion and Hazelnut. The fish was deliciously crisp, complemented well by the smoky, creamy flavours of the mussels and oysters, as well as the roasted hazelnuts and sweet onions. A complex flavour, as the strong mussels and oysters were overwhelming for me. The dish of the day was this beautiful Semi-Cured Spanish Mackerel, Pumpkin Puree, Puffed Grains and Rice

Mixed reviews on urbanspoon and elsewhere but in my opinion this is great. Deserves a hat. Not sure how this can be not liked really. The one thing that stands out for me is the adventurism. Some really unique dishes being plated up and some stunning deserts.

...the Shakshouka – baked eggs in tomato and roast pepper, merguez, blackened onion and hung yoghurt. My oh my, what an awe-inspiring dish. Perfectly baked eggs combining flawlessly with the deep-fried onions and the sweetness of the yoghurt. Enormous serving size, and unless you have a Homer Simpson appetite, most would struggle to finish. Still, highly recommended if you’re after a mouth-watering challenge!

I was very excited when the first small share plate to arrive was the Warm Octopus, Butter, Almond, Chilli and Smoke. A very pretty looking dish, it consisted of some large tentacles artfully placed in the bowl with garnish of almond and some dehydrated green strawberries sliced really thin. I have been eating a lot of octopus lately, but this one was by far the best I have had. It was expertly cooked and soft, yet just a little chewy and had an incredible smoky flavour that was infused into the intense butter sauce.....

The space is an interplay of sharp lines and angular geometrics. Bricks protrude at an angle from the wall, exposed concrete module forms the bar counter, slanted wooden beams frames the ceiling, with horizontal contemporary fluro lighting divided by vertical tubular lights. A mesh of haphazard wooden planks leads into the open kitchen.

With Ben Williamson (ex Urbane and 1889 Enoteca) as the head chef and the Moubarak brothers running the establishment, Gerard's Bistro is a very welcome addition to the Brisbane culinary scene. It might not be the best venue to take your old school meat-and-three-veg grandparents to, but this place is definitely worth a try for anyone who is willing to be a little adventurous with their food.

Nestled in amongst swish boutiques in the swanky James Street precinct, Gerard's exudes fine dining and eloquence. Our party of two opted to have a long awaited catch up here, on this rainy spring evening. The ceiling-to-floor glass doors were opened by a staff member, and we were seated at our table. The colour scheme here seems somewhat business like, though the diners were of mixed calibre, based purely on their appearances. On one end of the spectrum, there was us - financially unstable university students - to casual jeans-and-tee blokes, and to the old folk. Of course, patrons in business attire too. Seems like Gerard's appeals to a wide audience! We browsed the menu, and were given the lowdown on the nights specials, by our waitress, E. I had read a

The sweetness and heaviness of the chocolate were well balanced by the sourness of the berry/cherry sorbet.

...everything on the menu inspired a sliver of excitement.

The food at Gerard's Bistro is reasonably priced, which makes it a great place for a relaxed bite on a Friday night with numerous shared plates on the menu to choose from.

Bees and honey have always piqued my interest. After all, it’s something that we take so for granted – it’s always felt accessible to me, whether it came from a little plastic bear or not – but not something we take care of, it seems. Did you know that bees are facing a real danger in Australia? In essence, because humans are taking over more land space and there are fewer flowering plants, bees – who do not fly over a 5km radius – are finding it hard to survive in our current urban landscape. Bees need pollen and nectar from these flowers for food, and in return, they produce a sweet secretion that we all know and love – honey. I’m glad to report though that there are some urban apiarists who are trying to save the bees (I feel a Michael Jackson song coming up), and the result are organisations like this one: Bee One Third. As part of the Eat Drink Blog 2014 Sunday activity, I got to meet Jack, owner of Bee One Third , who manages and harvests from rooftop beehives around urban Brisba

I had Shakshouka, eggs baked in tomato and roasted pepper, with merguez (an African style sausage), blackened onion and yoghurt. There were also several thick slices of toasty bread to dip into the mixture. I found the sausage quite spicy but this was counterbalanced by the cool yoghurt. The caramelised onion on top was sweet and moreish. As much as I enjoyed the dish, it was quite hefty for first thing in the morning and I barely put a dent in it. Of course, this was to L’s advantage as he always finishes off my meals.

The staff at Gerard's were fantastic. I don't just mean they were polite and efficient but these guys really went above and beyond. The girl waitress was hilarious and had us cracking up the whole time. They just genuinely seemed to be enjoying themselves and happy to chat with us which kept the meal interesting. The food is masculine (lots of protein and offal) but the execution is delicate, which keeps it from being too cave man-like. I think Gerard's menu is one would appeal to both genders and it sure doesn't hurt that the cocktails are slammin' awesome.

...wondering why his Poached Eggs (in garlic yoghurt, smoked paprika, walnut crumbs and Aleppo pepper with sourdough soldiers) took so long to cook, coz it’s not an “ordinary” poached eggs but rather like a baked eggs style...

So far, my favourite eatery on James Street is Gerard’s Bistro , a cool and sophisticated bar-slash-restaurant injected with a perfect amount of rusticity and charm. I had dinner here one Saturday night with a Tinder date, a nice fellow Asian who worked as a doctor by day and rapper by night. Unlike myself, he wasn’t a foodie and had to resort to asking his mates for first date venue advice – luckily, his mates knew a thing or two about food and suggested Gerard’s. We were there nice and early before the dining room got busy. As soon as we were seated and as soon as all the small talk got out the way (‘How often do you come to Brisbane’, ‘Do you have any brothers or sisters’ and ‘Are your Asian parents as tight as mine’), we ordered a nice selection of dishes from the menu which was all about sharing plates. Even though the restaurant’s name sounded very Francocentric, the Ben William-designed menu dabbles in southern Europe, Middle Eastern and northern African flavours. Monkfish, confit onions The first dish to arrive was one of the specials, the seared monkfish with radish and confit onions. The flesh was very powerful fishy taste which paired well with the onions and radish – if they had gone for a more delicate fish, the trimmings would have definitely overpowered it. It was a solid start to the meal. (WP 2 OCTOPUS) Coal grilled octopus, smoked butter, almonds, chilli, green strawberry ($24) Coal grilled octopus, smoked butter, almonds, chilli, green strawberry ($24) The octopus was probably my favourite dish of the evening. The tender octopus pieces were grilled over coal so they subsequently had a lovely smoky taste, blending effortlessly with the crea

It was my first pick when perusing the menu at Gerard's Bistro in Brisbane's food centric James Street, where Chef Ben Williamson's food has almost reached legendary status. When I peeked under the leaves the ant bodies, mixed with the tuna and mulberries, were clearly visible. The idea is to grab the leaf and wrap it about the contents it covers and swiftly put it in your mouth. Surprisingly, the pungent, slightly citric taste that matched the smell of squashed ant was actually a great foil for the deep fleshed tuna. Don't try this at home.  When you eat ants you also eat what they have on their feet and you would want to be very sure they haven't been walking in poison recently.  Gerard's ants are specially bred and farmed in Melbourne. Gerard's has a well deserved Good Food Guide hat and wears its Middle Eastern cuisine style loosely but with consistent hints of origin.  The menu is overflowing with dishes that demand to be tried.  They look even better than they read and the flavours surpass even further. Amongst the first dishes to arrive was crisp chicken skins with aleppo  kimchi custard and barberry salt, a total flavour assault. We followed this with roasted baby beets filled with kashk, a fermented yoghurt, black garlic, and elderflowers (pictured at the top). The tiny soft fried quail eggs were beautifully runny and the lamb tartare a much more delicate flavour than I expected with its preserved lime, harissa, radish and cured yolks. And the dishes kept coming - Murray cod with smoked mussels, roasted chicken fumet (I'm almost scared to ask what that is) all on the most creamy potato  mousse and shallots stuffed with smoked eggplant, which I didn't sample but they do look delicious. Presentation is a big part of the dishes at Gerard's and this salad of spring leaves, flowers, cucumber, hazelnuts and sumac certainly lives up to the promi

The name Gerard’s Bistro is a bit misleading as this is no French restaurant. At Gerard’s the references are Middle Eastern and the food is modern and vibrant. We sat on the verandah outside amongst tropical plants and wondered just why we lived in Melbourne.