Many might argue that Melbourne institution Supernormal’s pièce de résistance is the New England lobster roll. At Supernormal Brisbane, it’s arguably eclipsed by its golden, crispy, bite-sized neighbour: the Moreton Bay bug toast. It is no surprise that the Queensland take on a classic dim sum dish is how Andrew McConnell makes his mark on Brisbane’s dining scene. A thick layer of tender bug is generously piled atop white bread, coated in sesame seeds and fried, then finished with citrus mayonnaise. The snack, like the restaurant itself, is shaped by produce and locale, distinctly different to its predecessor.

In August 2025, Brisbane’s premiere Champagne bar, garden and bistro opened in Fortitude Valley. It instantly became the talk of town, granting guests by-the-glass access to one of the Southern Hemisphere’s largest Champagne collections, including the harder-to-find ‘grower’ Champagnes. Winnifred’s, named for founder Megan Nunn’s hospitable nana, is home to around 15,000 bottles, including more than 360 cuvées from upwards of 60 growers and Grande Marque houses. Among its incredible offerings is the Domaine Carré Frères’ 2020 Champagne, a singular drop made from single-plot pinot noir grapes by growers, and brothers, Édouard and Victor Carré.

We know Josh Niland knows how to cook fish. In fact, we’d argue he’s the best. But the beauty of his Catseye Pool Club menu in new Whitsundays resort The Sundays is seeing the award-winning chef do something different: cook meat. And boy, does he do it well. Niland plates the Little Joe sirloin in signature style, sliced and neatly reassembled around the bone. Here, mains come with sides pre-selected by Niland. The beef arrives with pepperberry sauce, parsnip mustard, charred cabbage, rocket, rhubarb and sorrel salad, and – in true zero-waste Niland fashion – a gremolata of horseradish and roast bone marrow.

The lure of butter put to one of its finest uses – baked into flaky pastry – beckons Tamborine Mountain locals and visitors alike to join the queue snaking out of Franquette along Gallery Walk. Inside the sustainably focused Queensland bakery, where French pastries, flans and breads line the cabinets and walls, one popular bake reigns supreme: the Croissant Loaf. This shareable, accordion-like loaf represents everything you want in a croissant, only bigger, and filled with creme patissiere. Better yet, there are four flavours to choose from, including classic chocolate, Biscoff, strawberry and passionfruit curd, and a near-impossible-to-decline dulce de leche.

For the gourmand, watching Sarah Baldwin prepare for the evening service at Joy is not unlike a sports fan watching a top athlete. It’s a thrilling and mesmerising display, full of surprises. The chef-owner of the 10-seat restaurant in Brisbane’s Bakery Lane, Baldwin is the brains (and hard-working brawn) behind a stand-out chawanmushi. It’s little wonder the feedback she most commonly receives on this velvety egg custard is that it “tastes like a warm hug”. Currently using a chicken and porcini stock as the base (in place of the traditional Japanese dashi), an unassuming course becomes something soul soothing.

When freshly minted Marlowe opened inside a 1938 heritage-listed Art Deco building along Fish Lane, expectations were high. In fact, when the Fanda Group (the team behind Rick Shores and Southside) opens any venue, anticipation inevitably follows suit. Fortunately, Marlowe lived up to the hype. Its crunchy-shelled prawn cocktail tartlet, complete with classic marie rose sauce and crisp iceberg lettuce, gives a playful wink to a bygone Australian culinary era, when dining marked an occasion. And yet, this bistro is far from gimmicky or themed. Nostalgic yet refined, the menu from head chef Ollie Hansford is simultaneously comforting and precise.

Since its opening in April 2022, Hawthorne’s shining red beacon of Mexican street food, Cartel del Taco, has been consistently abuzz with those seeking sterling, authentic tacos served alongside suitably lip-puckering margaritas. With the opening of a second venue in New Farm early last year, word of the taqueria’s generously stuffed Suadero taco has spread further. Slow-cooked over several hours in its own juices then grilled until crispy and caramelised, the Suadero’s robust beef brisket tortilla filling is topped with juicy salsa taquera, coriander and onion. Words to the wise: be sure to book, and save room for dessert.

The mango danish is an ode to Queensland summers at Anyday group’s breezy bakery cum cafe, which has been humming since it opened mid-last year. Elderflower syrup brightens the perfectly ripe fruit, diced over creme patissiere in a croissant pastry case, all topped with a whorl of cream. Seasonal bakes meet can’t-be-moved bakery favourites like choc wattleseed cookies and epic pains au chocolat, while diners can opt for a bacon and egg roll with waffle fries or Baghdad eggs with labne and flaky flat bread from a menu that runs seamlessly from breakfast through to afternoon closing.

There are few desserts as instantly nostalgia-inducing as a deep-fried ice cream. And yet, much like the refined, retro-futuristic interior design of this modern Cantonese restaurant housed inside historic Naldham House, The Fifty Six’s contemporary take on this classic is both comfortingly familiar and new, all at once. Executive chef Gerald Ong swathes his lightly battered deep-fried ice cream in char siu caramel, which is enriched by the savoury depths of the kitchen’s char siu pork roasting juices. The result is a richly salted, thickened caramel that is completely unlike any caramel ice cream topping you’ve tried before.

The nuttiness of Comté and the delicate flavour of spanner crab are met by an ample pour of classically French yellow wine sauce in The French Exit’s exquisite tarte au Comté et vin jaune. Despite having only opened in December last year, this elegant bistro is already establishing a name for itself. Helmed, as so many of Brisbane’s best-loved dining institutions are, by the Anyday group, this sophisticated Brisbane spot looks set to beget a lasting legacy. Joining the tart on the menu is a series of quintessentially French dishes – think savoury beignets, pâté en croûte and creme brulee.

Summer on the Sunshine Coast may herald the beginning of a season known for its perfect beach weather, but the astute diner knows it also marks the launch of Humble on Duke’s summer menu. This 14-seater Sunshine Beach venue, opened, led and owned by Jade Tahera and Stacey Connor, is responsible for inimitable dining all year round, but its sour cherry summer pudding with a lick of vanilla cream and almond granita offers serious splendour when temperatures soar. Dessert aside, a cooling menu appeases with the likes of chilled pumpkin and ginger soup with smoked dates, cashew and creme fraiche.

While the idea of tucking into a post-beach-trip chicken burger may be nothing novel, the chicken parmy burger at Halse Lodge is as fresh and, dare we suggest, as life-affirming as an ocean dip. This artfully layered burger at hilltop neighbourhood-pub-meets-hotel Halse Lodge Noosa Heads sees golden-fried chicken schnitzel with crisp green oak lettuce and a good dollop of caperberry tartare, a blanket of sharp cheddar and a ‘just right’ smattering of piquant pickles and onion all encased by a plump bun. It’s no surprise that this burger, accompanied by well-seasoned fries, has become the stuff of local legend.

Labart’s chocolate mousse is, at its heart, a well-executed, classic French dessert: texturally light, as if whipped, yet rich and nuanced in flavour. The accompaniments – toasty popcorn ice cream, with specks of salted popcorn and chopped roasted hazelnuts, reminiscent of the casual indulgence of a Ferrero Rocher, sprinkled everywhere – might seem at first unexpectedly playful for a white tablecloth setting. But this is the point. As the Burleigh Heads dining scene becomes increasingly discerning while maintaining its signature Gold Coast ease, Labart’s chocolate mousse captures that sensibility perfectly. It is the perfect way to end a long lunch there.

Brisbane’s best pina colada is nowhere near a beach, and will never see a ray of sun – it’s served in a subterranean bar down a deserted laneway in the CBD. Under the menu section ‘Something Silly’ is the classic, potentially best-known cocktail of all time. Shaman’s is made on Appleton Signature – a Jamaican rum suited to balancing tiki cocktail ingredients – fresh pineapple juice and Coco Lopez, the iconic sweetened cream of ‘coconut product’ that is essential in a great colada. It’s served in a comically tall glass with ample crushed ice, a sprig of mint and a dash of bitters.

Family-run Malaysian restaurant Little Nyonya Kitchen makes the Ferny Grove Bowls Club smell like smoking hot woks, sambal and char kway teow – just like a hawker centre. Owner-chef Annie Kerk’s standout signature is her curry laksa with expertly sourced egg noodles and a whole soft-shell crab. She makes the base of the broth in-house, with ingredients and produce from local farms and her garden. The result? A complex, creamy soup punctuated by punchy umami, aromatic lemongrass and balanced spice. The crab is golden and crisp on the outside, perched triumphantly next to mussels, prawns and wok-fried green beans.