Bringing the energy and fun of Tokyo’s back-alley record bars to the Brisbane River, B-Side, upstairs from Yoko Dining at Howard Smith Wharves, is the beloved restaurant’s more playful little sister. The izakaya-style dishes are the same level of quality you’d expect from Yoko Dining – try the miso-glazed eggplant sticks, the prawn roll and the miso caramel soft serve – but the moodier lighting and DJs spinning vinyl invite you to settle in and make a night of it. It’s a good thing, then, that the full Yoko Dining drinks list is also available – including the famous yuzu slushie – as well as some B-Side specials, such as a vodka-infused matcha latte slushie. yokodining.com.au/bhome

If the sign of a successful restaurant is planning your next return before you even leave, Hellenika at The Calile is unquestionably a star. Boasting a warmth, generosity of spirit and generally upbeat vibe within its white-bricked walls, diners are welcomed in like family by a team of pink-jacketed, buoyant, knowledgeable staff, who charismatically balance personality with professionalism. Book a table outside to experience a taste of the Mediterranean with the sophisticated taverna overlooking The Calile Hotel’s pool; while inside the open kitchen waft tummy-grumbling scents of wholesome Greek cooking throughout the elegantly restrained space… (click to read more).

Art’s value is often down to the eye of the beholder. It’s easy to assume we only venture to Queensland’s Gallery of Modern Art to digest the works of many of the modernists of our time, but one of Brisbane’s finest exhibitions of contemporary cooking is housed in the very same building. Floor-to-ceiling windows drench a sophisticated space of polished concrete floors, classic bistro chairs and white-clothed tables in gorgeous sunlight. It’s the perfect environment for chef Josue Lopez to deliver aesthetically stunning food that relies on Australia’s native ingredients and breathtaking technique in equal measure. Slivers of emu get a sweet kiss from beetroot, rosella and eucalyptus, while desert lime and watermelon add a refreshing twang to the earthiness of Murray cod. Then wagyu finds unusual allies in sandalwood nut and avocado before burnt meringue adds merit to macadamia and anise myrtle. With food and service so good, it’s just a shame it’s only open one night a week (Friday) – but then again, a long, languid lunch is one of the greatest pleasures of modern life. Must-eat dish: Coral reef – fish, scallop, cauliflower, finger lime, oyster mushroom

When Gerard’s Bistro blew into town it created a dust storm. It represented change by embracing the ideology of the new wave of Australian dining that pulled the double white tablecloths off tables but maintained that focus on great food and wine. The combination of Gerard’s smart, casual swagger and a Middle Eastern sentiment that weaves throughout the menu makes for quite the dining experience. Owned by the Moubment Group (The Defiant Duck, The APO, Hatch & Co., Laruche), its success can be earmarked to a seamless and satisfying consistency from the kitchen of gun chef Ben Williamson. Cushions coloured in mustard, paprika and olive add warmth to the chic industrial motif of concrete bar, warm woods and Moroccan tiles. You can dine on high chairs in the bar, in the giant courtyard or the dining room that is anchored by a layered-wood feature wall framing a window view of the kitchen. Sure, there is an overriding Middle Eastern thread through the contemporary menu, but African and European ingredients add exciting exclamations, too. Start with oysters – natural with a sumac mignonette or steamed in buttermilk and dotted with Aleppo pepper oil. Then crisp bread crowns lamb tartare (Laham nayyeh) that’s given a harissa caress while bright egg yolk brings it all together. Creamy, toothsome squid partners plump mussels in hazelnut milk sprinkled with Turkish kishk (fermented burghul and yoghurt). Williamson’s food is beautiful. Centred on balance, harmony and downright deliciousness. Must-eat dish: Laham nayyeh, harissa, preserved lime, shallot, pickled cucumber, egg yolk

Few chefs have had such a monumental impact on not only the Queensland restaurant industry, but the Australian one as well. Yep, Philip Johnson carved the path for contemporary dining that put emphasis on stellar local produce without doing too much to it. A let-the-produce-sing-its-own-song ethos. His bistro-style restaurant, which opened way back in 1995 in a former tea warehouse, has been banging the local, sustainable drum for longer than most, but this is no marketing ploy, it’s just the modus operandi that underpins the big deliciousness that arrives on each plate. It may be at the pointy end of the dining spectrum, but Johnson’s vision of modern dining is as inclusive, restrained and casual as it is a serious lesson in sophisticated eating experiences. An energetic, almost boisterous room hums with an alluring buzz as classic service bridges sincerity and smart attentiveness with great aplomb. With such joy emerging from the kitchen, it’s not hard to understand why all the staff are so thrilled to feed you. Superbly sweet spanner crab, lemon and rocket entwine with tagliatelle. Smoked egg yolk and the zing of piccalilli bring a playfulness to wagyu tongue. Garlic and almond sauce help round out the savoury Murray cod, while cardamom ice cream brings oomph to warm pumpkin brioche. Long live E’cco Bistro. Must-eat dish: To share – Milly Hill za’atar-spiced and herb-crusted lamb shoulder, shirazi salad, smoked eggplant, mint garlic, blackened onions

The evolution of Brisbane’s dining scene in recent years has relied on the roll-of-the-dice bravery of local entrepreneurs and an influx of successful operators from the two big cities south of the border. Where Otto and Aria spawned from Sydney’s successful siblings, the Stokehouse Q emerged from the very heartbeat of Melbourne dining culture. While Otto and Aria share many similarities with their big brothers, albeit with a touch of Queeenslander, Stokehouse Q is perhaps the very embodiment of what it means to dine Brisbane style – circa 2016. Sweeping panoramic scenery of the city and the Brisbane River help guests settle into all the swagger of casual sophistication where a modern spin on the Mediterranean could have you sitting on its shores if you close your eyes. Moreton Bay bug stars in a mussel and clam chowder. Seville orange jam calms the textural journey of rich pork terrine. Anchovy butter melts into wonderful charred wagyu intercostal before a white-chocolate parfait provides the foundations for a bombe Alaska. Brilliant. Must-eat dish: “Fish & chips” – grilled Coral Coast barramundi, vegetable tempura, Caesar aioli

Otto Brisbane is the archetypal example of consistency and reliability. Food that isn’t challenging convention, but rather respecting the building blocks of great Italian cuisine within the context of contemporary Australian dining. Owned by the Fink Group (Quay, Bennelong, Firedoor, Otto Sydney) and overlooking the Brisbane River and Story Bridge, it’s the sibling to the Woolloomooloo, Sydney, stalwart of the same name. Just as famous for its fine dining fare as it is for its spectacular view over the Story Bridge, Otto is tailor-made for anniversaries and special celebrations. Order à la carte – make room for the house-made pasta – or go all out and enjoy the tasting menu with matching wines. 4/480 Queen St, Brisbane ottoristorante.com.au/brisbane

Some restaurants just have a certain energy about them; when arriving at The Wolfe there is an overwhelming sense of being welcomed into someone’s home. Beautiful black wrought-iron doors lead into a contemporary-meets-classic bistro with white-panelled walls, dark-brown tables, pale-grey chairs and a red copper floor. On the fringe of Brisbane’s CBD, The Wolfe has marked its territory at the start of suburbia with style. Sweet spanner crab is tossed with salt-baked beetroot, chilli and piquillo. Kohlrabi – pickled and soaked in squid ink – moderates rich skate wing and rich and plump lamb sweetbreads. Brown puffed buckwheat crowns spot-on suckling pig, and then pickled muntries make a great bedfellow for a luxurious sheep’s milk sorbet. If you’re talking great locals, The Wolfe makes a solid case for pack leader. Must-eat dish: Sheep’s milk sorbet, pickled muntries, tofu skin, nashi

Eyebrows are often raised when something isn’t easily put into a box. It’s human nature to label something to not only understand it better, but help explain it to other parties, too. But Gauge, from the team behind Sourced, doesn’t fit into any box. In one breath it’s a serious cafe, the next a leader in the new wave of restaurant dining. It’s polarised some, but pleased so many more. Perhaps it’s the casual cafe setting of this quaint diner, the wine bar whimsy and laidback demeanour of the floorstaff, but the casual surrounds play tricks on your mind as to the nature of this wonderful addition to Brisbane dining where select produce is supported by strong technique and spot-on palates. The food is far too good to label ‘cafe’, and to do so seems an injustice. By day it’s next-level everyday food – think Spanish mackerel, soft egg and sabayon, or heritage bacon sangas with housemade barbecue sauce – but the deg-only night menu is a complete knock-out. Eggplant adds depth to silken almond tofu. Warrigal greens and mustard complete slow-cooked lamb neck. Buffalo ricotta delivers deep satisfaction to spiced shortbread and salted meringue. It may not be everyone’s vision of ‘restaurant’ dining, but it’s confidence and commitment to produce is undeniably fulfilling in its final form. Must-eat dish: Spanner crab, chestnut, pomelo