Cicada - Brisbane CBD. Part of a five-way partnership of the Cicada Group in the heart of Brisbane City Central, at the base of the Telstra Building Cicada certainly shows a whole lot of popularity. That might not be the key reason why at any waking hour that Cicada is either full or at least has a lot of people dining there, but you got to sometimes remember, location, location, location! It should not come at any surprise that the quality of the food also helps, by both bringing back clientele and also in tow, other associates to show how good the restaurant is.
In all honesty, I have been eying off here for longer than I can recall; with walking from a previous workplace to the nearby library many times, I have bypassed it numerous times and the aesthetic looked really appealing. It was all in how I would eventually get to it, if ever. That day managed to come in the form of a belated birthday lunch.
I was meeting a friend in the city for the said lunch, and it was to her choice for where to go turning the big 2-5. While she was asking if there was anything in particular I was going for, I stood by the fact that it was her choice being the one that had the birthday that the lunch was for. I altered the usual spot in which to meet her, which led both of us to near King George Square. Nearby was the Cicada Group, and after a bit of discussion (although I was easy as always, I did give a mention that to me the food being thermally hot is the non-optional aspect), she settled on this place; other choices she was considering happened to be Cicada Group restaurants as well.
It is one of her favourite places to eat at, and I can easily see why. This bistro has an air that combines the best aspects of sophistication while keeping a generally casual atmosphere. What also makes it work is how diverse the seating is from casual al fresco, to a very picturesque inside - fancy gold, black and grey tones are coupled with copper wall hangings and practical, comfortable furniture for eating. This is where you can go for drinks afterwards, a meeting or even a date. From an architect's point of view, this would be a fantastic marvel.
So, on to the meal and what else to start off with but drinks? Being fairly predictable by now, it was bound to be a coffee for me. I opted for the usual double shot cappuccino. Additionally, when they are using Toby's Estate as their blend, you know that you are in for a great cup of coffee. Fortunately, Cicada has managed to recruit talented staff for the coffee machine as well. This is a usual oversight of high-end restaurants. This coffee had it all: it was strong, and very flavourful. The style had the foam of milk on top with a modest dash of chocolate powder.
There was that plus the usual water. Now I am not one to review water, as it is essentially just water. However, they keep up appearances with how the water is served. The water that was ordered for the table came in a vodka bottle; and even from a teetotaler's perspective the aesthetic and look of the bottle is sometimes impressive.
What to order for the meal is a tough decision at any time of the day here. Admitedly, this is coming from someone who is often indecisive about what to eat at a restaurant. I must have changed my mind half a dozen times with what dish I was going to order; the mind changing even extending beyond where I had closed the menu upon deciding. There is a great selection of options, all made from high-quality ingredients. This is one place that proves you can have brilliant quality fare without having to break the bank; even better, the range is diverse and focused enough to please everybody. They do all this within only one page of options - much kudos for that.
The service varies depending on what you want to order. Seeing as there is a bar there, if you want something from the bar you have to go up to it. Apparently, ordering from the breakfast menu is counter service and the other parts of the day a member of the waitstaff will come to your table. The menus were placed on the table for perusing. After some time, I attempted to get the attention and started making a beeline for the counter; after a few steps the waitress from previously realised that she had yet to wait on the table and was pleasantly apologetic for it.
I ordered the pappardelle, a kind of pasta. This dish came with a slow cooked lamb shoulder in a mixture of cream and pine nuts topped off with black pepper. My friend got the baked field mushroom stack, which I managed to get some asparagus, beetroot and the titular mushrooms off of; part of the reason for this was down to the usual role of being a hoover.
The pappardelle pasta was amazingly delicious. The combined mixture of cream and pinenuts made a rich, slightly buttery texture that hugged the thick, al dente pasta. They were generous with the amount of lamb in the meal, and this was meat that had obviously been cooked for a long time and pulled. In short, it was a delicious dish that was well-prepared and substantial.
From the bits and pieces I managed to score from hoovering, my friend's meal was also good. It is obvious that it was lighter, and possibly healthier (i.e. less cholesterol) than my choice. From it, the different vegetables were robust and distinct in both flavour and texture. This was the only vegetarian option from the lunch menu, so not much choice for vegetarians; however they are not left in the dark for quality and flavour here.
This meal out was not complete without getting a couple of sides, and each being for only a few dollars more it is not bad incentive. My friend is a big fan of fries, so that was a given that she was going to be ordering them. It made it a little easier to decide for me. Having a pasta meal, I went with the most apt side - a type of bread or toasted sourdough. This came with a garnish of watercress and a really generous pat of butter. It would often be a worry that there was not a knife on the side, but the pat of butter was soft enough to spoon out onto the bread. It was really tasty, and the bread helped melt the butter further. The fries were shoestring and very crispy; I could not believe the size of the serving provided. On the side was the usual aioli.
It is definitely more the fault of the diners than the staff; all of this that was ordered cramped up the table. Not that that is a complaint, since close to everything was finished off eventually. They have managed to get the perfect portion size in relation to quality. You can appreciate the quality of the food and how it is cooked, enjoy the flavours and ingredients that it contains, then be finished up satisfied with the amount that was served as well as how tasty the dish was. At the end of it all, there was no room for dessert which is a pity because some of what they offer does look really good.
Cicada is a big step up in numerous ways from a number of the options that surround the city. It is really good quality, has a finer, more comfortable dining atmosphere, showcases all sorts of well-prepared dishes and the wide spread of clientele it attracts can show its appeal. All I say is this was a great choice and I absolutely enjoyed the food.
Make a reservation
Order online
Find the best restaurant in Brisbane
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes