The term “gastropub” was coined in ­England in the early ’90s and although it sounds as if dining in one might cause some sort of bowel disorder, it merely describes pub grub’s move into the realm of gastronomy. Rather than a packet of salt and vinegar chips or a ploughman’s lunch, drinkers could eat something like spicy pork sausages with a thyme and olive gratin, which was on an early menu at London’s first such establishment, The Eagle, in inner-city Clerkenwell.

All of this filtered through to Australia, with the “counter meal” giving way in some, mainly inner-city, pubs to bistro-worthy food. Now, as part of a massive renovation of the heritage-listed Queens Arms Hotel in inner Brisbane’s New Farm – the four-star Sage Hotel has popped up where the car park used to be – the food has also gone up a notch with the addition of Botanical Bar & Kitchen. The restaurant, with its puffed ­sorghum salad or Flinders Range organic lamb belly, is next to the ­existing dining room where more ­traditional fare such as steak sandwiches, lamb pie, chicken parmigiana and pizza are still on the menu.

Botanical has a lot of hard surfaces with polished concrete floors, bare wooden tables, a double-height ceiling that allows music to drift down from an upstairs function room and a bare-brick wall on one side. The effect is softened by the opposite plant wall, with a garden centre’s worth of greenery sprouting artfully above comfortable blue banquettes.

The menu is divided into four sections: “lighter” runs to Coffin Bay oysters and hand-picked crab with angel-hair pasta; “larger” includes steaks (Queensland Diamantina Black Angus), Borrowdale pork from Goondiwindi and whole fish; “smaller” is home to sides such as duck fat potato scallops, and caramelised brussels sprouts with speck and garlic chips. “Cleaner” is perhaps the most on-trend section with vegetable- based dishes such as charred heirloom ­carrots with peanuts and harissa; golden beets with green sprouting lentils, or organic red quinoa with pecans, pickled ­apples and mint. It’s enough to make an old-school drinker choke on his XXXX.

A champagne sabayon oyster ($5.50 each) is a pleasant beginning, and we share four flavoursome grilled ocean king prawns with chilli confit garlic and a splash of white wine ($17.90). Next, house-cured matcha smoked salmon, served with kipflers, sun-dried olives with the pits in and confit tomatoes ($35.90) is a lovely piece of fish, with the accompaniments serviceable if unimaginative. Nicely cooked, moist Grimaud duck breast, with a confit leg, cubes of compressed watermelon, feta and hazelnuts ($37.90) is a delicious, more complete dish.

The restaurant is newly opened and the decent wine list is a sheaf of printouts, with the mainly Australian collection including by-the-glass choices in 150 or 250ml sizes.

Apple tarte tatin ($13.90), with its puff pastry base, is a pale imitation of the caramelised pleasures of the real thing but teams well with a scoop of Calvados ice cream.

It’s early days but Botanical looks like it’s on its way to continuing the gastropub dining evolution.

This review originally appeared on couriermail.com.au.