Review Goma Bistro - Brisbane

Great place, inner city views situated beside the Brisbane River. Outdoor sitting area's as well as indoor. Delicious range of food choices & a cool click with the staff as well as being friendly & helpful...finally the coffee is great. See elephant for outdoors.

The fella and I decided to hit GOMA before the APT10 show ended. We had a quick look around (our second time) and then headed downstairs for lunch. The bistro is right on the river with city views, water dragons and big trees. You can sit outside or enjoy the air con inside. Staff were efficient and prompt, if perhaps not overly warm. As usual these days, ordering was at the counter. We drank sparkling mineral water for moi, and ginger beer for him. He went for the corn croquetas, plus a side of chips and aioli, while I had the poached chicken salad with peanut and coconut dressing. My salad was very generous with lots of tender chicken, and had a tangy dressing. He enjoyed his croquetas which had lots of corn, rather than being a pancake. This was a good thing :=-) They were golden on the outside, with a corny interior, and had a generous grating of smoked cheddar over the top. Chips were fine as was the aioli, but I do wish they were more generous with the garlic in their aioli. (But I am a garlic fiend.) All up, a filling and tasty lunch before heading to pastures new.

This bistro is conveniently accessed by a lift inside GOMA which means you don't have to sign back in and out but can stop for a rest as we did while viewing the APT10. The menu is limited but they have specials on a board. You order at the counter with a table number. I waited a long time, over 15 minutes to have my order taken due to a woman with very rude children that monopolised the counter with their demands. The staff member behind the counter handled the situation with style and humility. As a result there was a line of people that had built up and my order came a long time after my friend who had finished eating. One till taking the orders just doesn't work and you can see the line builds up during lunch service. Coffee is ok not high end and my latte was so frothy it was almost unenjoyable. The corn croquetas and vegetarian mushroom banh mi were lovely. There is a cakes cabinet with some treats, healthy popsicles for hot days and large water coolers to help yourself to chilled water. Service was very good, friendly and knowledgeable staff. It's licenced with good disability access. Perfect for a break when visiting GOMA.

High points: gnocchi with smoked pumpkin and kale was well presented with nice flavours and colour, pastrami bagel with pickles was tasty and indulgent, service was fast despite big crowds. Low points: wrong wine brought out (correct one delivered after long wait), water for two never appeared, bagel dumped on a plate with little care or even a hint of greenery for presentation (as other reviews have mentioned).

Not entirely sure why GOMA bistro is so highly rated. Maybe people are in awe of the view/location but to be honest for the prices charged I expected a lot more. The bagel tasted ok, but for $16 I must admit to thinking it would be something great. Being served up on a plate by it's lonesome makes it look sad. If they only added a small salad to keep it company you might not get the feeling that someone had just pick pocketed you. Add a $4.50 tea from a tea bag and the feeling of being ripped off is completed.

Food was lovely we had the croquettes, bahnmi, and the cheese and cold meat plate. Can't fault the food. The service was quick but I found it very rude to have my plate taken while the other two at my table were still eating and I was interrupted mid sentence as my plate was whisked away. I would give a five star but the episode put a bad taste in my mouth. We felt like we were being pushed out.

Incredible food at GOMA Bistro, really upped its game this past year. Being able to sit so close to the river to quietly enjoy a glass of wine while you can enjoy the scenery of the busy city opposite is so therapeutic. Hats off to Chef Josh, Emma and their whole team for creating such a wonderful atmosphere here. Make sure you try the fresh house made gnocci!

Awesome food in a great setting. I had the pasta of the day. Clam and chilli. Wow. So good. My mother had chicken ribs and my Aunty had cheese and leek croquettes. Both looked amazing. 100% recommend is your near here or even are miles away.

At a cafe attached to an art gallery I expect food that will enhance the experience of the art. On a whim I decided to have a light lunch after seeing an exhibition and it was just perfect. I ordered the coconut chicken salad; so glad I did. Every ingredient worked perfectly with every other. It was delicious, light and healthy. The service was quick and the staff are delightful.

Great view outside. It was a hot day, so chosen to sit inside, but the cafe is very open with floor to ceiling windows, so you still great the view. Menu choices were bit limited, couple of burgers, salads, few share plates, and chips & wedges type sides. I had the Angus beef burger. A little average looking, but the patty was juicy. Couldn't taste truffle in the aioli. The fries were average. An ok meal made more enjoyable by the view.

Beautiful cool setting on a hot day and lots of space to enjoy the river views. Staff were very friendly and attentive. Menu not extensive but it was still difficult to choose between dishes. We shared the roasted cauliflower and the salmon which were both delicious. The prices were very reasonable for the large portions and drink prices were good too. The food was beautifully displayed and the staff took the time to explain the details. A very pleasant way to spend a afternoon enjoying great food, the river, the architecture and the art.

The place to go if you want to chill. The outdoor space on the river is relaxing and peaceful for the centre of the city. Food, coffee and drinks are good quality with matching prices. Line up for service by polite staff. Overall a fantastic place to visit.

Great share plates the charcoal chicken and corn is amazing. Pork with apple and plum is also another great dish. The quality of the menu has fast improved since I was last here

Took family to Art Gallery - excellent! Decided to eat at bistro as celebrating 2 birthdays and an anniversary.  Lovely situation and food to standard expected. Unfortunately experience ruined by pedantic chef!. Ordered 4 meals, 3 coffees and my husband ordered a milkshake. Told by waitress that only strawberry milkshake available. As husband does not eat strawberries he asked if he could have a banana and was again told "No".  I now have an upset husband, son and daughter-in-law so lunch completely ruined.  I cannot believe that despite paying out over $100 for lunch we were unable to get a banana milkshake.  Amazing that if milkshake on menu you have only one flavour.

Beautiful location. Tasty food. Delightfully decorated. I highly recommend going to the GOMA cafe as a lunch interlude to gallery wandering. Morning tea after lunch is also totally recommended.

is my go-to cafe every month when i finish visiting GOMA on weekend, enjoy sitting outdoor so we can hear the waves from the river and have a natural breeze. <br/>We love ordering the carrot cake from here, it used to be bigger pieces....well it still tastes good and is gluten free.

Not value for money. Ordered 2mains -$22 & $23. When they arrived we thought we'd been given entrees by mistake. The servings were minuscule. Quite tasty but not good value for money. Won't be in a hurry to return. Pity because the view was great!

I have been super happy with the good quality food options in Brisbane at great value prices, however I just orderd sourdough and smashed avocado, it was ok to taste but Wtf it was a small piece of bread a scrape of avocado and some water crest or somthing on a napkin it was $12 worst value than perth

Great service prices and snacks!. I hung out here with my child, cousin, wife and their child during the day for 90 minutes and we had great service, prices, and relaxed atmosphere. Our kids ran around a little not disturbing others and we had a fine time. Thanks staff & I'm happy to recommend!

Artful Coffee. Great location overlooking river and city, loads of space and atmosphere, friendly staff, fresh muffins and good coffee - this place ticks all the boxes for a pre cultural experience coffee

Great experience. Went here for a coffee with the parents and we enjoyed the whole experience. The atmosphere was lovely and relaxed, the staff were very friendly, and even though it seemed quite busy our orders were taken and received efficiently. The coffee was delicious. Nice little spot, definitely recommended

Nothing inspiring. Cafe GOMA's food and service is typical of cafes in popular venues. staff really don't care if you enjoy your meal or not because there are always plenty more customers coming through the door. The lentil and celeriac salad was drowning in vinegar and quite unappetizing. Two of our group had to ask where there meals were three times before they came out and everyone else had finished. When the meals did come they were cold. If you want a quick snack and don't expect too much then you won't be disappointed.

Terrible food . Risotto was like it came out of a baby food tin. The gnocchi with prawn was tasty but tiny portion with 5 bits if gnocchi . No broad beans as suggested in the menu. Sent it back came back with a tiny amt of beans but did have more prawns , this place is def not worth the effort .

Diana. Giving this the like tick for the view & the home baked fresh muffin I enjoyed there. The coffee was on the verge of being bitter.

We had a lovely lunch at GOMA but felt that the food was not very good value. The kids' fish and chips were well priced but included only 3 small pieces of whiting. The salad was just lettuce leaves so didn't get eaten. Some cucumber, tomato, grated carrot and other salad ingredients would provide more choice for kids. My pumpkin and feta salad was nice but mostly contained baby spinach leaves. In fact, there was only one piece of feta on my whole plate. The flavours were nice, the quality was good and the service was very friendly but there was something stingie about the servings.

Nothing really to rave about however better than the museum cafe or the state library cafe. Long wait just for a couple of coffees and fries. The outlook is better than the other two cafés mention as the GOMA Cafe is facing and on the river. Tucked away outside to the right of the building just to give urbanspoon members the heads up so u don't walk around for ages inside.

Went on a very busy day, took 20 minutes to order, 40 mins for food to arrive.... Kids whiting had bones in it, was served with spicy tomato sauce, other food was stone cold and salad was limp and undressed, was $60 for two kids meals and two burgers, so was very expensive and completely rubbish<br/>Terrible, such a shame as location is amazing and could be so much more !!!!

Great location. Beautiful location nestled under gumtrees on the river. Food was good without being great. Service was efficient. Nice Yering Chardonnay.<br/><br/>But what a lovely restful spot.

GOMA Cafe Bistro - South Brisbane. The Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane has a lot on offer for its residents and any visitors. It has a big focus on the new and how to be aesthetically appealing as well as how to engage with people about culture and interaction. It has the fortunate position just along the river giving it some great views and that indescribable feeling of looking onto the water. Therefore, complete sense could be made to put areas for general relaxing here including green lawns and cafes - such as the Bistro. <br/><br/>It is very open - a word that can be used a lot but there is no other way to describe the ambience and vibe. Fresh air and views of the skyline aplenty here, all a short walk from each other with the bridge nearby and public transport a stroll away. You would go here more for the atmosphere than intentionally go here for the food, though that is good itself. Brisbane has come a long way for itself and this southern centre is a way to see why and how. <br/><br/>But I digress. With my big sister and her daughter, I went here to meet one of her friends from work in the law courts. It was a brief meeting - just some sweets and drinks (mine was a double-shot cappuccino with a pain au chocolat on the side). <br/><br/>The pain au chocolat was very good; it had a buttery texture within the pastry which was superb. They used a dark chocolate in here which was beatific upon each bite. They can make a decent coffee here as well - it turned into a melluccino because the baby is not allowed to have marshmallows which basically came with the babychino ordered for her. <br/><br/>The two girls were not particularly big eaters, so being the hoover that I am I managed to finish theirs off. They got the scone, jam and cream. It may be a simple dish, but when it is done absolutely right a world of difference is made; thick cream, real fruit jam and soft, cakey scones make for a brief and filling snack. <br/><br/>For a place to meet, this does a very good job. It is close by the business area and it would be hard to ask for a more aesthetically appealing location as such; business or social meetings here might do the trick.

Understaffed, overpriced. Food below average. Overall a disappointing experience. When being charged almost $20 for a sandwich one would expect something reasonably good. However hardly any filling- one piece of tomato, a couple of lettuce leaves and smidge of bacon and to top off almost cold. Try elsewhere

Beautiful and relaxing. Go there many times. We usually have lunch. The service is relaxing and the prompt. There sourcing of wines is excellent to. Many times we have tasted a glass there and then gone out of our way to buy the wine from our wine sources.<br/><br/>We find value for money is excellent. My mother comes from Fremantle, WA and can't believe the quality vs cost.

To be honest the lunch food good (not great) but is overpriced especially when they do not offer table service.<br/>Counter service is for fast food not for a bistro.<br/>If I had a waiter looking after me I would have had another wine or coffee but who wants to get up from their table to pay for another drink.<br/>Especially when there is a line of people.<br/>I'm sure it isn't a pub!<br/>Up selling must not be the idea behind the counter service.<br/>I've worked in the industry for years and can immediately tell the person behind this restaurant has no idea!<br/>The supervisor (grey hair) was abrupt when directing me where to order.<br/>Very off putting.<br/>The floor staff were polite and helpful but also apologetic for the counter service.<br/>Coffee was the nicest since I arrived from Melbourne ( female barista/red hair) and they use a Melbourne blend. ( Genovese)<br/>With such a fantastic location the potential is endless.<br/>Maybe I should apply to run this venue rather than the current venue coordinator.<br/>If you provide good service people would return.<br/>From reading prior reviews other customers feel the same.

Worst breakfast. I went with my husband for breakfast on a Sunday morning. The wrong meals were brought out and when we raised the issue I was told I was lucky to get an extra side on my plate, while my husband's meal was replaced. However, this meant that the people at the next table (whose meals we were given) had to wait for their meals. I had eggs Benny, but the eggs were over cooked, the basil holinese sauce was sweet but otherwise tasteless and the muffins were not properly toasted. The ham was the only good part. Such a shame about the food as the location is beautiful. It also seems its troublesome to the wait staff to hand out the plates of what masquerades as food.

Great atmosphere on a Friday night! So laid back and relaxed, perfect spot to have an end of week glass of wine. Friendly service and diverse menu.

Hopeless Service and Food. I took four friends to breakfast for a special occasion and was so embarrassed that I will never go there again. OK we found our own table but had to wait 10 mins before the waiter came near us.<br/>We ordered coffee and eggs to start. Six of us ordered at the same time. Two coffees came within 10mins, two more 10mins later and two more 10 mins after that. Two meals came within 20mins, two more came 30mins later and the last two we had to go and look for. It arrived 60mins after the first meals. When the manager was confronted all he could say was "it's busy". All meals were cold as was the coffee. Be warned, enter at your own risk.

Considering the price for the sandwiches we were very disappointed. A friend and I both ordered the wagyu sandwiches for $19 and they were extremely dry, there was the thinnest slice of tomato I have ever seen and and a very small amount of ketchup. I could hardly see the cheese and the wagyu pattie was so thick it felt like you were just eating bread and meat. For $19 there are so many other places you could find a better burger and they would be much less. Definitely not coming again.

Great place to dine. Goma Cafe Bistro was not only a pleasant place to dine but the food was mouth watering with some delicious flavours.<br/><br/>The coffee was enjoyable and the staff especially the manager were very friendly and always servicing any needs we have.<br/><br/>Definitely recommend dining there and will return again in the future.

Beautiful View!. Fantastic location on the river. Food was delicious and the manager was extremely helpful. Would definitely recommend any one to eat here.

Another reminder that we should check the urbanspoon rating and reviews before sitting down... Aside from the bad service and average food, we also had the uncomfortable feeling of the cafe being packed up around us 1hr from closing!

If the service was as good as the view they would be millionaires .... They really need to smarten up .... Over priced also

Great coffee and okay breakfast - nothing to rave about. Extremely poor service will not return.

Good breakfast! The big breakfast was tasty and coffee was good. The service was mediocre, but overall it was not bad!

Okay not great. Went with a group for lunch, food was okay but service was slow.<br/>I do love the view and have great hopes this spot will only get better with time.

We love the location for the view and the kids can explore the park area near restaurant whilst adults finish dining. The food is above average but that's where it stops. The wait staff are very slow in responding to your arrival or any requests like a menu or water. We wait a long time for meals.

Great outlook BUT food cold; coffee cold; service extremely slow. Cafe opens at 7am but apparently staff not used to having to serve customers before 10am.<br/>We moved to the cafe in the library for our second coffee - much better!

Coffee to stay!. I had breakie here while visiting from interstate. The gallery is great and so is the coffee! Nice food too. Apparently it's all been changed, and for the better it seems!

Beautiful location. Horrendous service. Completely disorganized. Leave at least 60 mins to have coffees. Not game to order anything more complex. Plenty of staff on Sunday am...what are they all doing

Ran out of what we had ordered and told us 10mins afterwards. Lunch baguette was terrible, plain and could have made it myself. Iced chocolate was like drinking milk. I would not eat here again

A++!. I dined at GOMA on the weekend and was very impressed! we had hoped to sit outside but the place was completely packed so we were seated inside. our waitress was so lovely and attentive. such good service especially considering how busy it was. the food was great and the portions were huge! i will definitely be going back!

Absolutely terrible!. Went there with my girlfriend on Saturday around 11.30am. Took only a minute to be seated. We ordered a 2 x chai lattes and 1 x scone w/jam and cream. The place was not busy, plenty of empty tables outside as well as inside.<br/><br/>It took fifteen minutes for our order to arrive, and to top it off, they then mention they were out of scones. So the waiter gives us carrot cake instead. Two minutes later a waitress comes out and goes "here's your scones". Riiiiiight....<br/><br/>It just goes down hill from there. The service was deplorable.<br/><br/>One word: FAIL!

GOMA Cafe. Even though we had spoken to the restaurant the day before, when we arrived they had run out of sandwich fillings. We had ordered 8 lunch boxes for a little girls party, and they only had vegemite left. All but one girl didn't like vegemite. Not happy. The adults ordered lunch but couldn't have it because there was no seating left and they wouldn't let us take plates onto the lawn. Very disappointing as we love GOMA itself so much.

Female staff were aloof/bitchy. Was only brought a fork for my cutlery. Had to wait twenty mins to be serve at a non busy time, even after calling over twice. Food was good and atmosphere was nice.

New concept works well, mushroom risotto w/ truffle oil was perfect & you have to see the muscle dish to believe it, unable to polish them all off but washed down nicely with Felton Road.

Perched on the Brisbane River with lovely views of the city, the GoMA Cafe is a perfect venue for an alfresco lunch. Situated on the ground floor of the Gallery (one of our favourite places in our lovely city) it boasts not just a relaxing atmosphere but also a surprisingly deluxe menu. We tried the pumpkin soup with almond and feta tortellini and burnt sage; the GoMA burger featuring wagyu beef and gruyere cheese on a brioche bun; the truffled sweetcorn risotto with parmesan crumble and the beautiful Hervey Bay prawns and potato gnocchi in a crayfish sauce. The cafe is open 10am-4.45pm daily and is counter service. Gallery of Modern Art, Stanley Place, Southbank Brisbane

The trio of desserts include a peach bun, jasmine sago pudding with preserved kumquat and jade green tea and pandan mooncake. It was just the right amount of sweetness to put a perfect touch to our afternoon.