Review Gauge - Brisbane

Been to Saturday lunch twice and had good experience both times. Menu changes regularly which makes it interesting. Delicious and well presented dish with good wine list. Would recommend lunch course and price is also reasonable. Would like to try dinner next time.

Loved Gauge! Food was delicious but Mark and the team were outstanding. We got the oysters and matching wines--so worth it and definitely elevated the experience. My faves were the fish and the lemon curd, yum! Highly recommend and if you have time pop into Maker for a pre or post meal drink; it's by the same owner :)

This restaurant was one of a kind. The food was creative in taste, choice of ingredients, presentation and texture. The chef clearly thinks hard and long about the combination of all the ingredients to create the gastronomy that he does. Ambience is cozy and the service was absolutely wonderful. Highly recommended for date nights and groups of foodies who are curious about food from start to finish.

Really yum restaurant in South Brisbane. Firstly this place has a great wine list filled with an interesting selection of wine. We choose the 2018 Supply River Mill pinot noir from the Tamar, which was light and fruity and matched the food perfectly. We also had a glass of the Hungarian tokaji desert wine, which was also great. Secondly the food was all extremely inventive and tasty. Favourites from the menu were the chestnut cannoli, the sour potato bread, the cobia, the gingerbread dessert and the black garlic bread. In fact it's with coming here for the black garlic bread alone, as it is that good. Finally the staff are great and really add to the experience.

Interesting, unusual and eclectic menu in a tiny restaurant that didn't feel crowded. We had the "Feed me" menu that I believe showcased the menu extremely well. The flavours were subtle and nothing too outrageous or strident with everything going well. The drinks list is very limited no doubt due to the small venue but the bottle of chardonnay we had was delicious. The service was great and very friendly.

Came on a Wednesday night with four of my friends and we were all so impressed by how delicious every dish was! My favourites were the mushroom spaghetti, nori tart (could have eaten five of those) and the lychee coconut dessert. Lamb was also very flavourful and tender. Service was attentive and waiters were very friendly and knowledgeable. I'm in town visiting from Canada and might need to go back for round 2 before I leave :)

Really glad we could have brunch here. Place was lively and relaxed. Great service, it does get busy towards later in the morning around 11am. Food is great. Honest, and creative. Coffee was good too. We ordered the white anchovy on toast and black garlic bread with butter. Would Def recommend to share as the egg mayo did get a little too much after eating half the portion. The black garlic bread was very interesting in flavours but be prepared, the garlic aftertaste hits strong later. 43 AUD for two.

Nice vibe, great food with cool service. I liked their music and interior design very much not to mention food and service ;) We went for dinner on Thursday which was not too busy so we could enjoy food for about 2 hours with good selection of wine. Would try brunch next time! We had 3 course with some side menus. It was reasonable and satisfied.

Gauge , you never disappoint ! Some of the best food to be had without flying interstate , served casually with no fuss . The menu is understated enough that no one would guess the sophistication of the food ....

Excellent breakfast, excellent service. My one tiny quibble - ease off a little on the Parmesan on the poached egg/crispy kale/almond creme on sourdough dish. It kind of walked all over the flavours of the other things. But it's a great dish, and I would order it again.

Very interesting menu. Right in the centre of the city. Disabled friendly. Decent gluten-free menu. Nice staff

A wonderful experience ......something new, staff were fabulous, everything just a delight before Kinky Boots......Excellent day out would highly recommend

Well this place should be typical of the inner city small cafe but it's not. It far surpasses anything I have experienced in a long time. The words 'unique' and 'original' are too often used to describe places that are not but the 'Gauge' can truly adopt these terms. The menu is different and aspirational and the food is as well. The coffee (and yes - tea) is exceptional and the staff are friendly, motivated and - remember your favorite orders. The 'Gauge' is the new benchmark for cafe culture in Brisbane.

Breakfast menu was divine!! A great change from the everyday menu usually offered at other venues!! Highly recommend 🤗🤗

I loved that I happened on this restaurant and was therefore able to enjoy being taken by surprise by the thoughtfulness of the menu, ingredients and how they were prepared. Elegant presentation, some culinary surprises ( who knew about watermelon radishes), attentive and genuine service all contributing to a memorable dining experience. I am a Melbourne foodie who loves being surprised by food discoveries. I love this place.

What an awesome place to eat!! Went there for the first time tonight and would happily go back in a heartbeat. Terrific service and the food to remember. 10/10

We ate at Gauge at lunch time. We chose à la carte, rather than the set tasting menu, simply because there were so many exciting sounding dishes. We weren't disappointed. Blood taco with bone marrow and mushroom - a brilliant dish. Charred octo- also excellent. Service was friendly and efficient. Wish Gauge was our local restaurant- unfortunately we don't live in Brisbane!

Thanks for the wonderful food, backed up with outstanding service. Friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable staff made good food a great experience. Keep it up. 6/5 stars.

Great coffee, great-looking food, but terrible to abysmal service. Hope staff gets trained how to do a proper sequence of service without seeming abrupt and inconsistent when it's not even busy.

Have been trying to get this place to ring me back for two days, no luck...

Excellent service. Visited last night for dinner. Good choice of wines. Amazing food. The black garlic bread for dessert was a winner!!

A birthday lunch for mum before seeing a show at QPAC was what brought us to Gauge. The rave reviews were too hard to ignore. We had the three course set menu which was innovative and refined, artistic in presentation and delicious! But the black garlic bread with burnt butter and burnt vanilla is hands down the most amazing thing to cross my palate in quite some time. And I'm not a sweet tooth at all! In fact I will rarely order a dessert unless part of a set menu. How could garlic possibly be used in a dessert that knocks your socks off? I'm still baffled by it all, but in the most delightful way. Will be taking many friends to experience the same very soon. Love love love.

Just go, and only tell your best friends about it, sublime flavours, fusions and feelings!

Spent almost 3 hours here today. Great coffee and amazing food especially the black garlic bread!! Staff were so friendly and went above and beyond to accomodate us with 2 toddlers and a baby in tow. Couldn't be more grateful!

Gauge is a very nice small restaurant. Although the meals are small in size they are all filled with flavor and well presented.<br/><br/>The coffee at gauge was amazing. The staff were great.

Creativity to compensate taste when you can’t get both at the same time. I would say the octopus and fennel dish looked great, the bbq texture of octopus was overall good, and the sauce and fennel leaves nailed it, but in anyway thinner arm ends shouldn’t be burnt and had a bitter taste. As a non-Brizzie I won’t go back again.

Creative, well balanced dishes. Amazing flavour yet simple and uncomplicated. Wine choices are also great and very friendly service. Must try if you like creative food.

Super place to go, hardly find anything negative! Great food and services,will definitely come back again and recommend to all my friends. :)

Certainly the boldest menu I’ve seen in a long time. Not everything works, necessarily, but full marks to Gauge for their daring and their knowhow. The tomato tartare was the standout for us

Had a nice breakfast here, the restaurant was very intimate and cozy but also open and welcoming. <br/>Their menu is very creative and I like how they put a twist on the basic breakfast items.<br/>I ordered the avocado toast and it was nice to have something different from the normal. There was a little too much avo on the toast for me personally but the extra flavour that the macadamia brought was really yummy. <br/>My dad got the black banana bread and he said it was amazing! Really recommend everyone to try it if they like sweet things for brekky.<br/>Overall it was a nice change from a normal breakfast and was really cool to try something new.

Wow! it was nearly two and a half year since my first visit of this eatery. Since then, it draws more and more of foodies' awareness on it tasteful dishes. Arranged to a brunch on last Sunday prior to the event of Mummies' exhibition in the Museum across the road. We went in group of four and ordered the Black garlic bread (seems to be the A-must), Pan fried Corbia, Beef cheek, Toasted Rye with white anchovies and the Soft egg with crispy kale with sourdough. Honestly, production was slightly dropped in terms of wow factors. Dishes of Rye, sourdough and the black garlic bread were slightly disappointed except the crispy kale was really "sing". Corbia was good but portion was too small. Hero should be beef cheek, which just melted in the mouth, together with the turnip and fried anchovy emulsion that created a balanced and tasteful dish. <br/><br/>Mar 26, 2016  Rating 4.5/5 <br/>The unforgettable dining experience from the Sourced Grocer reminds me the promise of trying this eatery. I was advised by the owner to give it a go so eventually arranged the time to have lunch at this restaurant last Sunday. This place located just across the entrance of museum in low profile strategy (I could not find any signboard at all). We were greeted by the friendly wait-staff since we walked in the dining area. The lovely waitress explained their menu to us patiently and allowed appropriate time for us to design our culinary journey. We ordered the entree of oysters and tea smoked raw beef. Oysters are fresh and perfectly matched with smoked chili and vinegar and the raw beef delivers the first "wow" to me, where the presentation, taste and traces of crunchy elements demonstrated the high culinary skill of the chefs. Mains of poached chicken and the dry aged Black Angus sirloin give us another set of "wow". Deliberation on choosing appropriate types of vegetables and nuts in order to match the protein is excellent. Aesthetic effect on presentation is brilliant. We reserve the room for a sharing dessert of umami custard with blueberries, which just fit to our palates. Extra mark is dedicated to the serious working attitude of the barista, who I witnessed remaking a cup of coffee because the first one was too full and might have the chance of spilling during the delivery to diner's table. I have to salute to the whole team. Thumb-up!

Was blown away by the food here. Have been for brekky a number of times and enjoyed it but thought we should try dinner. Absolutely outstanding on all levels. Going back for the 7 courses next time. Thanks guys. Appreciated the service almost as much as the food.

Amazing, every time. Great for breaky, lunch, or dinner, and wine list especially is impressive. Staff are cool but knowledgable and service style suits the space.

Great lunch 👍🏽 Avo & Toast, with a good helping of Avocado; nice thick toast 🥑<br/><br/>Also, Soft Eggs w/side of Greens, Tahini & Dukkah, really good.<br/><br/>Service was friendly and laid back, fitting the atmosphere of the cafe.

Really enjoyed Gauge’s brunch. The ambiance is industrial and food is delectable. The staff gave great recommendations and were pleasant. Would go back and highly recommend.

Went here for weekend brunch with my partner. We were promptly seated, given menus and waters filled.<br/><br/>We ordered a coffee (very good - note that they do not do decaf) and a lime and lemongrass soda (very refreshing).<br/><br/>It took sometime for us to choose our dishes as they were various innovative-sounding dishes to choose from. We finally settled with the Brioche with Bolognese and the Waffle.<br/><br/>The brioche was very 'comforting' - punchy flavours on a thick, crispy brioche base with a perfect amount of spice. The waffle was delicious - the malt sorbet was very delicate and the entire dish was not too sweet.<br/><br/>Service was very friendly and accommodating. Reasonable prices. Casual ambience. <br/><br/>Overall, a lovely brunch restaurant with innovative dishes - will be back to try other dishes on the menu.

Unfriendly staff as I wasn’t the demographic that the cafe wants to target. No smile, just a look. I just ordered the popular black garlic bread. Took 15 minutes to arrive. It wasn’t good as well.

We tried the 7 course degustation and for me it was a bit hit and miss. Some things were delicious - the spanner crab with consume, the roasted celeriac, black garlic bread and the coconut lime desert. The octopus we ordered separately and it was really chewy and not great, the chicken liver parfait with raspberry was a strange combination that most of us didn't like, and the beetroot soaked in beef cheek juices just tasted like beetroot (and made me wish I was eating beef cheek instead!). I think I would have enjoyed it more if we'd picked our selection of 3 courses instead of the tasting menu. Service was great.

I've only dined once here, on Saturday before a show at the QPAC. <br/>Can't fault it.<br/>I was happy with the food, presentation and service. <br/>Ambiance is intimate enough for a date and music is not too loud. Great for a couple's dinner or a small group of friends. <br/><br/>(I would need to try it few more times to make up my mind for a higher rating)

Three words - black. Garlic. Bread.<br/><br/>This was a revelation to my savoury obsessed mind.<br/><br/>Always has a super intriguing menu - if you were to make make a comparison with the fashion world - it would be the Jil Sander of restaurants. Minimalist, clean lines, fashion forward... And a little on the expensive side (servings would be on the leaner side of the nom spectrum) but hey I am willing to pay for something a bit different that actually makes you think about it. If you are ravenous and want to gorge on a huge hunk of meat then this probably isn't what you're looking for... But if you want to stop and savour the flavour (see what I did there?)... Jump in. Staff are very knowledgeable about the food and wine so that gets bonus points too.<br/><br/>Decor is imbued with the modern scandi vibe that's having a moment... A small space so great for small groups or date night

We stayed at an apartment right above Gauge. Hence, breakfast here is a must. It was on a weekend when I craved for eggs and Gauge gave me what I wanted in perfect form. The egg yolk oozed out when I cut the bagel and it was very good when combined with the salami. My friend's waffel was also good. I liked the candied orange peel.

Food is spectacular and creative, buckwheat is where it's at. Service has been good at times but when busy it is somewhat lacking, good coffee great vibe which fits well for a special occasion. Perhaps not the pick if you're looking for a filling meal or something cheap and cheerful.

Visited Gauge with a group of 8 and thoroughly enjoyed most of the share plates we ordered! The fried potato with malt vinegar cream and cured egg yolk was beautifully executed, the mackerel brandade , brussels sprouts with roast chicken mayo and the black garlic bread with brown butter were stunning. Now intrigued by the inventiveness of the food here that leaves you wanting more.

It was Lady Meatball's turn to choose the destination for our Friday lunch, so while I may have hoped for Italian, Indian or Mexican, I knew it was likely to be a bit left of centre and challenge my palate.<br/><br/>She chose Gauge, a unique restaurant with a casual vibe, that serves up exquisitely crafted dishes that have been perfected over many months by Executive Chef Cormac Bradfield and Head Chef Phil Marchant.<br/><br/>The menu is constantly changing and evolving, utilizing local, fresh ingredients. Everything is made in house and they are constantly testing out new recipes, like a vegan-friendly eggless cavatelli pasta.<br/><br/>Their signature dish, a Black Garlic Bread with Brown Butter and Burnt Vanilla is so popular that it can now be found on their breakfast, lunch and dinner menus.<br/><br/>We were offered the choice of a two-course, three-course or a la carte menu - we chose the latter and ordered five dishes and a Sauvignon Blanc:<br/><br/>•Smoked Mussel Cream, Rye, Caraway and Bottarga - $5<br/><br/>•Cured Pork Shoulder - $12<br/><br/>•Baby Gem Lettuce, White Miso Dressing, Mekabu Seaweed - $12<br/><br/>•Sebago Potato, Malt Vinegar Cream, Smoked Onion Salt - $14<br/><br/>•Black Garlic Bread, Brown Butter, Burnt Vanilla - $14 <br/><br/>The Smoked Mussel Cream was served atop a rye and caraway cracker, liberally topped with bottarga (salted, cured fish roe). The flavours were intense, but the dish was delightful and rated a 4.<br/><br/>The Cured Pork Shoulder was reminiscent of Jamon Iberico (Iberian Ham) and was served with a drizzle of olive oil that helped to draw out the wonderful flavour of the meat. I would have liked some toast points or a bit of bread with this, but the meat itself was quite nice and rated a 4.<br/><br/>Baby Gem Lettuce is a miniature version of Cos with a sweet, crisp and compact heart. Two Baby Gem halves were drizzled in white miso dressing and topped with ground mekabu seaweed. This was a light and refreshing salad that absolutely hit the mark and rated a 5 out of 5. Lady Meatball declared this her favorite dish and affirmed that she would quite happily eat it on a weekly basis.<br/><br/>The Sebago Potato may have been the most perfectly cooked potato I've eaten in years. The skin was crisp and flavourful, while the body was uniformly textured - light and fluffy. This was topped with Malt Vinegar Cream and Smoked Onion Salt, before being finished with finely crumbled egg yolk. This potato with a couple eggs and bacon would make an amazing breakfast. This standout dish was wonderful and rated 4.5.<br/><br/>Last, but not least was the Black Garlic Bread. The taste and texture of this dish are so unique that it is difficult to explain. Imagine the texture of a flourless chocolate cake, achieved by adding sticky fermented black garlic and treacle to a perfect sponge batter. Then slather a thick slice (like banana bread) with Brown Butter and Burnt Vanilla to create a dish that delights the taste buds, while twisting your mind. On their own, the individual ingredients are not necessarily even pleasant - the burnt vanilla is quite bitter - but together they made for a very special dish.<br/><br/>Because there is no basis for comparison with this dish it is a bit of a challenge to rate. It was extremely enjoyable, but I couldn't picture myself eating it very often. Lady Meatball rated it a 4, but I think it deserves a 4.5-5. <br/><br/>I have had the privilege to eat a lot of wonderful food in my life, from all over the world, but have only felt compelled to pass my compliments to the chef(s) on a handful of occasions. This was one of them.<br/><br/>Well done, Gauge - I look forward to returning!

Wow! We were in Brisbane for the weekend for the Ballet and Gauge nailed it! Food, service and atmosphere all amazing. And just a short walk to Qpac. Thanks for squeezing us in Jack.

My partner and I came here on a sunday morning, we were seated however it took quite a while before anyone came to our table to service us which was frustrating. We ordered the eggs & mushrooms, waffle & black garlic bread. Personally I was rather blown away by the black garlic bread, it came with a vanilla butter and the garlic bread itself had a cake like texture, it was like nothing I had tasted and I just wanted to keep going back to it. The waffles were not that amazing and I found it a bit to peculiar (it came with an olive oil sorbet and lemon meringue). The eggs and mushrooms were just ordinary, nothing special. If you are after a breakfast place which is out of the norm i would recommend coming here but to be honest I don't know if we would come back.

Had been meaning to go to try the dego for a long time! Finally found some time and definitely was not disappointed. The wine pairing was fantastic and the balance of dishes was great.

Urgh, a disappointing experience, unfortunately. From a vegetarian/vegetable standpoint, there was very little on offer here. I was so keen to try Gauge, and had heard some good things about it, but it really missed the mark for us today. Staff were quite nice and helpful, excepting the chef, who stood firm with a "that's all there is, no more veggies for you" approach to our table. Bread was fresh. Buckwheat spaetzler noodles (the solitary veggo main offering) looked great but were completely bland - great to see them trying something different, but what happened to the flavour???? Flat white coffee without the crema was extremely average - no option but this ("that's just the way we make it here"). We had pretty high expectations of Gauge, but unfortunately on multiple levels it was a real let down for us today.

Found this gem randomly over the weekend. One of the better brunch meals I've had in Brisbane. Amazing fit out, vibe, coffee & food. Can't wait to visit again.

Sick and tired of the standard brunch menu? We are... and today we are feeling adventurous for something unexpected. Gauge locates just few minutes away from Queensland Museum & Sciencentre. The cafe has a small but punchy menu. Black garlic bread, brown butter & burnt vanilla $14. We were intrigued by the name of this dish, and were expecting something that tasted like normal garlic bread, but a bit black. It triggered my sense of obligation as a foodie, as a must try dish. The texture was great,  it was moist and soft, almost cake-like, however it tasted nothing like garlic bread. The bread was lightly sweetened and doesn't have much garlic flavour to it. When you smear on the silky burnt vanilla butter it was like heaven!!! It was so good that I finished it before I realised it 😅

Have always wanted to try the infamous black garlic bread, and it didn't disappoint. It tasted like honeycomb cake, the texture was soft and it was surprisingly filling. I thought having it with ice cream would be better than the vanilla butter, as the butter didn't really elevate the dish. The bread was already the star of the dish.<br/><br/>I also ordered the bacon sanga, plus the avo on toasted sourdough with miso chickpea spread. I thought they were overpriced, since it was just few pieces of cut bacon sandwiched between 2 pieces of sourdough, not even some lettuce or tomatoes to make it a 'sanga'. Same goes for the avo toast, the miso chickpea was too much and it was overly salty, the crust of the bread was burnt. The highlight was definitely the black garlic bread.

Nice food great flavor. I adore the garlic bread, moist which is nice but I find it a little bit oily. Flank steak cooks perfectly. <br/><br/>Great presentation.

The black garlic bread would be in a top #10 Brisbane dish list. <br/>Everything is incredibly well made and fresh but will be hit and miss depending on your tastes.<br/>The service and ambience is good. <br/>Music at breakfast was loud and contained inappropriate songs for women and children (and men).

Spectacular six course degustation this evening at Gauge. On arriving 15 mins late for booking, staff were particularly gracious, and the service stayed there for the entire night - The perfect combination of friendly and informative.<br/><br/>The food was stellar, wildly inventive, but still super tasty. Wine pairings were excellent, again staff were happy to deal with our weird likes and dislikes.<br/><br/>Great night, thank you Gauge.

Had a son's farewell dinner on a very hot Saturday. Very tasty. Great staff. They called us in the morning to say that their air-con had broken. We still went and had a great time, temporary air-con included. I think you'd love it. Compact, efficient, fresh, delicious.

Kept walking by and wondering what was going on in here as there is minimal signage out the front but the fit out is beautiful. We decided to axe another booking we had for dinner and instead came with a group of 6 and it was amazing. We shared a bottle of wine, 3 mains, and 4 sides amongst 3 ppl and despite the small,delicate portions, the flavours were complex and delicious. My favourites were the spanner crab with radish, beetroot and the braised lamb neck main was amazing! 👍🏼 the desserts too were phenomenal, me and my partner shared the black garlic bread and the beetroot sorbet- both delicious. This place is top notch.

Came here for breakfast specifically to try their famous Black garlic bread with brown butter and burnt vanilla. This was a very interesting dish as it could be both a sweet or savoury dish. I will definitely be coming back just to get this again. The texture was more like a cake than a bread. I also got the sourdough waffle and it was so fluffy and the toppings were not too sweet. The coffee was great too. <br/><br/>Came back for dinner and I'm glad I did. The blood taco was so complex in flavour and texture. The white chocolate parfait with black olives was very interesting. All the ingredients worked perfectly together.

Applewood gin and tonic with lime, a beautiful amuse bouche of radish black sesame and a delightful fish, fried saltbush main. A lunch that doesn't leave you wanting a sleep just more. I dined alone today and felt that I could have been served just a little more promptly. $44 speak up if you are in a hurry. Location is perfect as it's close to south Brisbane station and opposite the museum currently showing dinosaurs.

I was passing here today & needed a coffee fix. Actually was quite surprised to see all those new eateries around Fish Lane. Where have I been of late to miss them? Maybe too many holidays away I think! I got my fix after the second attempt (first cup was a tad cool) The coffee has a robust flavor, which was surprising also as on first glance it looked to be a little insipid. Anyway was suitably impressed to return at a later date for breakfast. Service was also very professional & accommodating

Finally visited Gauge today for lunch after having heard so much about it. We ordered the spanner crab w chestnut and pomelo, the blood taco and also blackened garlic bread w vanilla. All the food was very interesting and nice. The only downfall I think is that the servings are small. Overall a great place worth trying.

My oh my. Where to start. Ok. Here I go.<br/>When was the last time you went to McCafe and spent $200 on lunch, or the coffee club? Or your local coffee spot? Think, first class meal while trying to block out counter conversations at full voice of walk in patrons ordering takeaway coffee. Yes this actually happens at Gauge.<br/>This is the feel at this restaurant/cafe/..... What ever the heck it's supposed to be??!<br/>Shared communal tables. Traffic noise. Ambiance of an inner city car park.<br/>The saddest thing about Gauge is that, for all the negatives, my oh my, the food!!!<br/>Absolutely first class. If you closed you eyes and had ear plugs you could swear that you were enjoying a meal at any top restaurant in Australia. Homage to the seasons and local ingredients, and yes the subtle hint of theme ingredient. Hero for the menu: chestnut. And the wine list, minimalist as it were the selections on offer were bang on to match the food.<br/>But sad to say like an Oscar winning actor in a bad movie, it just wasn't enough. If it's not the whole package it's not the whole package.<br/>Visit Gauge for take away coffees and small talk - not for a dining experience.<br/>

I've been wanting to go Gauge for a while, finally I had a chance to look around.<br/><br/>The location is really convenient, just few minutes walk from Culture Convention Centre. However the entrance is a bit hard to find cuz there is no obvious logo. <br/><br/>We ordered four entrees, one main and one dessert. <br/><br/>Oyster, chestnut milk: The oyster is from Coffin Bay, one of my favourite region. The presentation is matched to the description. To be honest I couldn't really tell what is the chestnut milks work here. Maybe is to bring up the sweetness? <br/><br/>Raw King fish, radicchio, quandong: Amazing! This is a dish I will return for. The mixture of the king fish and the sauce is a perfect match. Really refreshing after taste, I wished I had wine with me hahaha! <br/><br/>Blood taco, bone marrow, mushroom, native thyme: if you love blood pudding you will love this dish. <br/><br/>Cucumber, sunflower, saltbush:<br/>This wasn't on our list at the first but ordered with staff's recommendation. It looks simple but taste beyond it looks. The nutty sauce give the whole dish to next level <br/><br/>Spanner crab, chestnut, pomelo: we missed out the instruction to mix before eating, therefore the taste is a bit plain at the beginning, the sauce is the same one from cucumber entree. This proven this secret sauce can go well with light taste ingredients! <br/><br/>White chocolate parfait, black olive, corella pear, pepper entry, shortbread: love the creativity to combine all these ingredients together. Never taste something like this before. <br/><br/>It's a wondering experience, the food, the place. I love it all. Definitely coming back soon.

I just treated my tastebuds!! My partner found the location online so made the choice to bring me here. Wow!!!!! It's all very affordable, very filling and uncomplicated. The chef absolutely knows how to pair flavours together very well. It's a quaint, cute location that could so easily be missed. If you're reading this you must go eat here.

Gauge is a classy South Brisbane cafe. The food is creative and exquisite and the service is always first class. This place is classy and cool at the same time, without being pretentious. The coffee is excellent and the food continues to amaze and delight your taste buds. I would defiantly recommend a trip to Gauge.

Uncomplicated, clever, concise cuisine. Great service. Brisbane's Cumulus Inc. The simple things in life like eggs sour dough and bacon are sourced and executed perfectly.  For something more out there the spanish mackeral stepped up and next time we'll try the celebrated black garlic bread for breakfast. This place deserves all the accolades its getting. So unpretentious...so good.

From the start this restaurant was a disappointment. After waiting un-acknowledged at the door we sat ourselves down on unstable seating at the counter. We continued to wait for acknowledgment. After an unacceptably awkward period of time we asked for a menu. Albeit the menu is clever, it is not enticing. We ordered the 'creamy potatoes' and it reminded me of plan, boiled microwave spuds and undercooked at that. The food took so long to come out we had to leave paying for a meal that never arrived. Staff did not even notice. The best part of this experience was the wine.

Amazing. The fish crevice wrapped in radicchio had the best flavor. The raw beef flavour combination was also spot on. High quality food. Only area that could be improved on slightly was the service.

Across from the Queensland Museum are some dark doors. Behind those doors are places turning out some interesting food. There is no signage at the entrance, only tiny black on black lettering near the door. Gauge. (One of the lines says Nature of Business: Provision of meals.). The words you have to go right up close to see.

We came for breakfast. Service was attentive and appropriate. Coffee, long black and flat white 8/10. Had the soft eggs and bacon and soft eggs with kale and tomatoes etc. very nice location. Will definitely come back to try lunch or dinner

Wow what a truly fantastic dining experience we had at Gauge last night. The  staff ( Gerome and Maddy) guided us through the unfamiliar gourmet menu. We happily and eagerly ordered from the five courses . I thoroughly enjoyed the oysters( took me back to my childhood camping trips) , the 70 day beef was lovely and tender, the duck was to die for as were  the accompanying potatoes. Dessert took us to another plain with a delicious Umami custard ( yum) with warm blueberries , the de constructed sweet potato pie with salted meringue  was a real palate pleaser . Try the Argentine champagne it's a knock out. Thank you Gerome for a truly wonderful gourmet experience, we will be back. Genevieve and Andy

MAGNIFICENT!!!! A brilliantly inventive menu that rewards cleverness and creativity! A fantastic wine list and brilliant staff! The menu is full of exciting and unexpected twists that are wonderful to explore. Without being too over the top or art for the sake of art. This is art for the sake of food! Bravo!

Just had lunch at Gauge and enjoyed it thoroughly. The three of us had the duck, chicken and kingfish and shared our sides - heirloom tomatoes; asparagus and spring onions with cheese; and new potatoes. My description of the meals does not begin to do justice to these mouth watering meals. It may sound ridiculous but each time we tried something new we moaned with delight (I don't know how to write that without it sounding stupid - but you know what I mean). Each meal was lovingly described to us and you could see each member of the team was passionate about the meals he was serving. When it came to desserts we shared the garlic bread and the custard with cacao and blueberries - OMG! - again more moaning. Each was fantastic. The staff were friendly, the restaurant was simple yet spotlessly clean, our waiter was knowledgeable about wines and the service was excellent. Also another plus is that it is within walking distance to QPAC and QAG. All three of us thought Gauge was excellent. I will definitely return.

Breakfast of charcoal roasted nectarines and ricotta with amazing coffee. Yum. Small kitchen team who smile and identify with customers as we arrive.

Its my 3rd time here and Ive come to realize that this restaurant cares more about its image than its food, service and drinks. You will pay a fortune for burnt, unbuttered dry toast with a spoon of packaged avocado on it. Also the burnt waffles weren't great either. And apparently its cool to put kimchi on everything now?? Maybe 2 years ago. Everything was plated beautifully though :/ Staff were a little on the arrogant side and coffee wasn't great. Definitely won't be back.

Seriously, it's December already?! Life in 2015 has been quite excellent so far with some big changes like moving out from by myself to a shared house, learning a different role at work, meeting heaps of new people (mostly lovely foodies!) and doing some unexpected travel. It's also been an inconsistent mix of very slow months and insanely busy months - October being one of them. After months of feeling uninspired at work, I finally have been given a project to work with that involved me travelling to Bangalore, India, which is a trip I've been hoping to go on for a while. But of course that had to happen in a month which was already busy, mostly involving events around the wedding of one of my best friends, Kirst. So I squeezed this trip in between her Hen's Day and the wedding, after which I headed down to Melbourne for a long weekend for another wedding. Weddings galore!

Everything was perfect from friendly service to rightly cooked dishes. We tried and loved king fish, clams, roast duck. The best finish you must try is garlic bread. Tofu entree was the worst and exotic. .5 was for that awful Tofu.

Seriously disappointing !!! Went for husbands birthdayS had to ask to be seated, ask for menus...ask for water !!! When we did get served the food was good - but the experience was terrible! Only two wait staff on a Friday night! We waited for desert menu...never arrived...we left after paying an expensive bill! Bet un impressed. Will not return.

A super spoil welcomed to South Brisbane by the creators of Sourced Grocer.  I haven't had the fortune to eat dinner here as yet but their breakfast options sourcing only the highest quality and freshest of ingredients are all sensational (for those I have tried!)  Great customer service too.  A must visit if in Brisbane.

Nicely presented cafe. Very clean and minimalist. Staff were friendly and helpful. Service was quick. Menu is different. Definitely not for the traditionalists who love their big breakfasts. Dishes are well thought out and ingredients very fresh. Only gripe I have is Gauge do not allow for add ons to their dishes. For example I wanted to ad eggs to the avocado dish but was told it's not possible. Also wanted to ad more than 2 sides to my selection but also not possible. Was very happy to pay to do so but was not an option. All in all not a massive issue but I for one like to customise my breakfasts. Especially with a menu as limited as Gauge's. I will finish with saying that the coffee was GREAT. Definitely up there with and surpassing some of the so called coffee specialists in Melbourne. Definitely a place to experience in Brisbane.

A modern take on traditional breakfasts. The food was beautifully presented and a lot of effort went into each dish. Some of the food combinations were really different. Restaurant has a great fit out also.

One of the things I miss most about my home town of Brisbane is the breakfast culture.  Don't get me wrong, there is an amazing food scene in Hong Kong, one of the best in the world, but no one seems to have nailed the breakfast gig. It's why, when I recently flew back to Brisbane for a week, I decided I'd get out and have as many great breakfasts as possible.  One I'd been particularly keen to check out was Ollie Hansford's Gauge in South Brisbane.  Formerly of two hatted restaurant the Stokehouse Brisbane and winner of Young Chef of the Year, I was super excited to see what Ollie was up to.

If there is only one thing that you can order from Gauge, make it the black garlic bread, brown butter & burnt vanilla ($8). This amazing modified creation of bread and butter is absolutely mind blowing. It’s the sweet, rich butter, it’s the garlic taste, it’s the soft yet crumbly texture of the bread and it’s the fact that I just couldn't stop shoving it down my throat. It’s so good.

Gauge produces a consistently high standard of coffee. The staff are friendly and the location is inviting. I am yet to try any their meals although the menu looks delicious with lots of homemade condiments.

Gauge was in a good location, however i have say I was very disappointed not only with the service but also the portion size. They don't do side orders which is unusual but if I am spending $14 for avocado on toast I do expect more than one slice of bread. When I did order more bread it cost me an additional 4 dollars. I was just very underwhelmed with the whole experience and I left hungry.

I had a few options for a decent breakfast in the South Bank area, and my second Brisbane breakfast choice was Gauge from Jerome Batten, the man behind another popular Brisbane cafe and grocer, Sourced Grocer. I knew roughly where Gauge was located but it was still hard to find as there was no signage whatsoever, and the door doesn’t look like it belongs to a restaurant. Thankfully I’d seen a photo of the inside which confirmed I was in the right place.

Try hard but not executed. Kingfish was cold, plate not heated. Waffles are too sweet, needs some tart fruit. Both meals bland as a result. Coffee was good.

I've been to Gauge many times for breakfast and I'm happy to say that its my favourite 'go to place' for prompt service and an excellent coffee. Their bacon and eggs have to be the best around Brisbane!<br/>

Gauge is somewhat of a sensory challenge. It offers a reinvented breakfast menu with offerings that'll keep your tastebuds questioning... I can imagine that for some people these adventurous combinations of flavours work; for others, they don't. Sadly no one at our table enjoyed any of the pork jowl or waffle, the latter of the two being so sickly sweet. The garlic bread is something of an unusual experience, which for me, is not fit for seconds.

I loved my meal at Gauge. Just when I thought I'd tasted every type of breakfast food, Gauge manages to inject something new to this otherwise overdone morning meal. Every cafe knows how to poach an egg and toast some sourdough. I'm glad that there are restaurants out there that can offer a fresh alternative.

OMG,OMG! This little cafe is perfect! So so sophisticated, that was the perfect word to describe this cafe! I liked smooth nice latte, a piece of cake of the day; spicy cake with dash of youghrt on, beautiful atmosphere. I definitely will be back!!

Sourdough waffle with almond, artichoke custard, bee pollen and freeze dried honey was my choice. The waffle, being sourdough was quite dense and had a savoury edge. I thought that it might end up being dry, but the thick artichoke custard ended up stretching the distance and it wasn’t dry at all. The freeze dried honey was almost like a wafer or rice cracker in its texture, and there were sugared almonds and dried artichoke pieces that rounded out the accessories. I loved it!

Gorge yourself on Gauge! Offering exciting and innovative options, including Black Garlic Bread, Sourdough waffle with artichoke custard, Smoked Kingfish and spiced pearl barley, just to name a few. There's also freshly baked pastries for those who only want a light snack. Apparently even the coffee here is nothing less than superb!

It's a great feeling when you find a cafe that ticks all the boxes. Great food, service, coffee and ambience - it's a treat when you find them at the same venue and during our first visit to Gauge we were pleasantly surprised. Opened by the same team who look after @sourcedgrocer, Gauge has recently opened in South Brisbane close to Fish Lane. A simple, clean fit out brings a comfortable atmosphere - somewhere you could easily while away the morning. Alongside strong coffees, our table enjoyed the avocado on house sourdough; the brown rice pudding with wattleseed, poached quince and shaved shortbread; the smoked kingfish with spiced pearl barley and soft egg and the sourdough waffle with almond, artichoke custard, bee pollen and freeze dried honey. All of the dishes are immaculately plated and are full of interesting textures and flavours. Service is professional and attentive.

I had a few options for a decent breakfast in the South Bank area, and for my second choice decided on Gauge from Jerome Batten, the man behind another popular Brisbane cafe and grocer, Sourced Grocer. I knew roughly where Gauge was located but it was still hard to find as there was no signage whatsoever, and the door doesn’t look like it belongs to a restaurant. Thankfully I’d seen a photo of the inside which confirmed I was in the right place.

From the creative brains behind the Sourced Grocer in Tenneriffe, along with chef's from the same cafe, plus the upcoming "The Maker" and formerly from South Bank's Stokehouse comes something quite unusual. The name of the place is Gauge. This belongs in its own league, as it is not quite fusion, is far from pretentious enough to be fine dining, and is experimental enough to attract anyone wanting something completely different. In fact, the more attempt there is to describe any aspect of it, the more nebulous it gets. <br/><br/>Using what is fairly small, or at least smaller than average, amount of shopping space the interior is a mixture between minimalism for the general design and using a few bits of high-end technology to manage and organise seating and bills. <br/><br/>They use the space well by removing several walls, and giving it much more of a communal feel by having one long table in the middle decorated with pot plants, plus several window seats cum booth seats watching the street. For more, with lack of a better adjective, intimate dining there are a couple of tables off to one inside in a cosy nook; otherwise there are several al fresco tables. Whatever your choice, it is very much a social dining experience. Even with the checkout counter, it is open and part of the dining scene as well; additionally, the kitchen is open for everyone to see - they have nothing to hide. For al fresco coffee orders, as well as coffees for people on the go there is a small order window which they are slotted through adding a small bit more efficiency in the quality of service. There is not a whole lot of distinct indication where the shop is (the most signage is etched into the wall near the door), so keeping a sharp eye out is the best bet. To make it easier, just look across to road to see the Queensland Museum's dinosaur garden. <br/><br/>Along with having a minimalistic design, they go simple with the technology as well. At most to help with the costs and seating, they use an iPad to calculate the bills and organise orders to tables. <br/><br/>It is impossible to talk about this place without discussing extensively about the ideas behind the food. This is like little else that I have had before, and there is virtually nothing like it in the entirety of Brisbane. Everything is precisely planned in the composition of each menu item, and not substitutions are allowed unless absolutely necessary. All sorts of unusual experimentation is played with, using all sorts of ingredients and pairing them with strange and ecclectic combinations resulting in an appealing presentation everytime. <br/><br/>As a plus, everything is made withint the premises - I mean everything: the butter is churned, the bread is kneaded and baked, and if not possible, gotten as locally as possible such as with getting honey from a neighbouring cafe - it is all done by hand, and with the upmost amount of love. Hearsay says that even something as simple as their bacon sandwich is something amazing. Truth is, not enough can be said about this place. Gauge is one of those places that has to be tried to be believed. <br/><br/>Showing my brother-in-law some possibilities for breakfast one morning before heading to work, this was among them and the sheer uniqueness of the menu was the deciding factor to go here. This was one fantastic and wise choice. It is a combination of great service, fantastic food and a general lovely ambience. <br/><br/>The service is really friendly, very laid back and efficient. What makes it better is how much care the waitstaff give with how clients are enjoying their food, plus they are knowledgeable about the options given and are happy to give recommendations. This exists somewhere between restaurant and cafe standards. <br/><br/>Starting off, it was the usual buisness of getting initial coffee orders. This happened twice during the meal. Each time I ordered the single origin doppio. It was a pity that I did not get where it came from, because this was one good coffee. The beans used had a sweet flavour to it. They use beans from Coffee Supreme, which seems to be a good blend of coffee which I will need to keep an eye out for in the future. Both times the double espresso was lovely, with the right amount of depth, and richness in taste served at the right temperature, and smooth going down. <br/><br/>After much perusing of the menu, it started out with one of the smaller orders on the menu. The two of us split an order of their black garlic bread, which came with a side of brown buter and a dusting of burnt vanilla. Having a taste of this, it was already off to a good start. A consistent aspect about the meals here is that from the first bite, they are full of surprises. With the black garlic bread, the closest analogy that I can think of is the texture of banana bread. <br/><br/>This black garlic bread is one of their most touted items, and for a good reason. The bread that they use is soft and moist, having a mouthfeel similar to a cake and just a hint of the aromas - soon a mild yet distinct amount of garlic feels the tastebuds. Add on some butter from the soft, generous sized glob on the side, which inevitably soaks some of the vanilla dust into it, and you have something utterly fantastic. What works is that down to the bone, it is that simple bread and butter dynamics are present all the way through. <br/><br/>Next it was onto a couple of the main meals. You can bet both of us had a hard time deciding which items to get on the menu. Eventually though, an item each was decided upon. I went with the pasta option: this was house spaghetti, infused with a parsley and whey sauce, seasoned with black garlic and cured egg yolk mixed through having a finish of crisp cabbage. This was really good, and many of the flavours were subtle. It was a lot like a vegetarian version of pasta carbonara, with a thick, eggy sauce binding the green pasta together mixed with the whey to create a creamy texture. Throughout it the garlic added sharp bites of flavour throughout. The crisp cabbage was ready salted, and light as a feather (so light, the wind blew it away initially). It was every bit as delicious as it sounds, in fact even better. <br/><br/>My brother-in-law ordered the slow roasted pork bely, which rested on a corn and buckwheat salad, was flavoured with mustard seeds, and finished off with baby corn<br/><br/>. This meal was also very good. Shout out to my brother-in-law's town, where the pork was sourced from. It was very tender, and had a good amount of fat on it that was moreish and buttery in texture. The salad provided a dual texture of soft with the buckwheat, and crunch with the corn. The baby corn was slightly different, as it was the sweet corn variety and it had even more of a crunch to it - it was a blast from the past from me when my dad used to cook stir-frys. Again, the dish was an unusual concoction, but it was ultimately worth trying. <br/><br/>All the rest of the dishes I could easily come back here and try out. They have more plans to expand the business, including dinners on certain nights and acquiring a liquor license. Additionally, I can tell that they are going to have more fun arranging the menu to keep on surprising fellow customers. Whatever the case may be, this is one place that deserves all the luck it can get and much, much more. <br/><br/>Finishing it all off, at the counter they have an array of pastries available. Before going on, this is another testament to their brand of service. They understand that with any coffee order, most people would feel like something a little sweet to compliment their's - and I make so secret that I am as such myself. Also, it is always good to finish a nice meal off with something a little sweet. Scouring the options, there was one brightly coloured snack that caught my eyes. Asking what it was, this was a merringue with a butternut pumpkin mixture in the middle. How appropriate to keep the experimental side up until the end. The mixture was creamy and sweet, and the merringue mixture was a good, semi-hard mixture that was not overtly sweet, allowing instead for the pumpkin to take precedent for the flavour palate. <br/><br/>If I could give this place three thumbs up, I absolutely would. In giving it a fair description and critique, I would exhaust all the section in the thesaurus for great or brilliant. To put it another way, Gauge is one of the best places around town and certainly should be on the must eats list of anyone who likes a good meal. What can be distinctively said, though, is that it does its own thing and with plenty of vigour.

Style over substance. Just tried the black garlic bread - which was the speciality of the house. Burning stuff (butter and vanilla) generally doesn't improve the flavor but it was ok. The chicken main was cold and didn't taste of anything - at all... I didn't make a fuss as I was with company but had it been my own tab, I would have sent it back. Sorry folks but not for me. I left there hungry. I would have had the dessert but it sounded way too complicated...

Mixed review. I have had breakfast here before and whilst I found the food lovely the serving was rather small for the price! Coffee is great , one of the best coffees around , although it could be hotter and could be larger , but seriously a great coffee! In saying that, we sat and waited for our coffees this morning and observed one of the guys dishing up meals , running his hands through his hair! Not just this but fingers in his mouth, constantly touching his face and then touching food and didn't wash his hands once! Very very off putting to say the least! So I would get coffee from there again but food may be a different matter!

Best food destination in Brisbane. The food is just sensational, the team behind the project are down to earth and very welcoming into their new place. Their coffee is also exceptional.

Absolutely beautiful. Beautiful food. coffee. interiors.<br/>that is all<br/><br/>Joe

Not worth the money. The dish is special IMO, but the portion is just too little for an average size man. The food seems only enough for a 6 year old. The coffee is not bad but just not warm enough. I like the freeze dried honey on the sourdough waffle though. If you are looking for a decent size meal, this place is not for you.

A let down.. Gauge is a try hard establishment with a hipster cool feel and attitude. Too hard at this place is decaf coffee and side serves including toast to accompany my lunch dish at breakfast which was too wet and not by anyones standard delicious. My companion had a half avocado on toast, presented like a home economics class.<br/><br/>The service is all built on the attitude that the customer needs to be subservient to the establishment and any deviations from this are deemed that you are a uneducated consumer.<br/><br/>Living next door to Sourced and having witnessed it deteriorate down the same path, I was hoping for something fresh and different. Unfortunately, it not worth finding a car park and best to drive by to the old favourites in West End.

New chairs please!!!. Yes the food is good but oh the chairs! So uncomfortable!!! Please get new chairs and that's for both your restaurants.

Really enjoyed the smoked kingfish, spiced barley, soft egg and parsley- Was lovely and warm perfect for a chilly day & the dessert special with blackberries, carmalised white chocolate and sorbet.<br/>Great attentive staff, nice location, sat on the stools by the window to people watch.

Terrific menu. Had lunch here recently and we enjoyed the whole experience. The food was well presented, generous portions and tasted wonderful. The coffee was a high point. The staff are friendly and approachable. Looking forward to trying some more of their menu.

Super impressed!. My husband and I popped into Gauge for lunch today, lured by the positive reviews it has been getting and we were not disappointed. My husband had the charred squid and I opted for the pork belly and both dishes were fantastic - fresh, deceptively simple, and full of amazing flavours. And as a bonus Gauge received their liquor licence today so I was able to try a lovely organic white wine which the waiter perfectly matched to my pork dish. Coffee was fantastic too. This will definitely become a regular of ours.

This is my favourite secret.. This little hole in the wall was little hard to find (because I get lost easily) but totally worth it. The food is amazing. The black garlic bread is an experience all on its own but we also had the line caught squid and the pork belly. All that food combined with two fantastic fresh juices, great service from Jerome and his staff and parting with less than $60 - this place is all win. We will be regulars.

South Brisbane is an odd place. In between the bustling food scenes of South Bank and West End, South Brisbane is something of a dead zone. Or at least it was. In the last year or so, a revitalisation has come upon the locale with the opening of Fish Lane Bistro, Julius Pizza, Two Tree Café and probably many others that I can't think of right now. The latest to open is Gauge, a concealed little venue on Grey Street. The café has no signage, nor a website or phone number. However, you'll know you're there once you walk inside. The cool, casual space. The use of space is very clever, given the size of the café it has to be, with communal seating in the centre and intimate nooks by the walls. Together with the low-lit lighting, the space felt warm on a rainy day. The elevated kitchen gives the whole café a view of the serious business going on behind the pass. I was excited for our early morning breakfast at Gauge. Amazing hand modelling. As the first ones in, we had our choice of tables and we choose an intimately lit table for four. The music sounded like it came from my own playlis

Gauge quietly opened in South Brisbane a couple of weeks ago. I work locally and I cannot get enough of the place.<br/><br/>Gauge is almost a secret. There are no signs, the place is small and tucked away, decorated in hip subtle industrial neutrality, it does not stand out to the passer by on the street. Nevertheless, it is busy. Not just with local writers and food bloggers snapping pics of their waffles but also excited local office workers and the occasional bewildered tourist.<br/><br/>The second outing by the owner of Sourced Grocer in Teneriffe, Gauge presents punters with a small but incredibly interesting menu. You can pick any meal at any time of day, so you can have brown rice pudding or squid with roasted gem lettuce at 8am or 2pm, whatever tickles your fancy.