Factory 51 is like that bargain online fashion purchase.

On the screen, it looks so sexy. The fitout by designer Alexander Lotersztain is truly impressive.

His vision has transformed an old laminex factory in the backstreets of Coorparoo, in Brisbane’s east, into a striking, timeless space featuring a long bar and open kitchen inside, leading on to a fairy light-lit courtyard lined with potted plants mounted on vibrant red brick walls. The outdoor room is filled with high tables and bentwood chairs creating a sophisticated yet relaxed vibe.

As with internet shopping, the menu options seem endless. There are nibbles such as breads and dips; share plates, including duck and mushroom pate, pork shoulder meatballs and arancini; salads; wood-fired pizzas with either a red or white base; and the grill, where diners select from eight proteins to be paired with a choice of sides.

Patrons place their order – quickly and easily with the staff using iPads – and then, sit back and eagerly wait for the delivery to arrive.

Turns out we should have paid for express postage on our purchase. After 30 minutes without food, a sympathetic staff member comes over and tells us our order is up next. Ten minutes later, the rather flustered owner ensures us our food is just five minutes away.

Finally, after 45 minutes, our pizza arrives. Eight minutes later, our gnocchi starter and red snapper turn up.

The apologetic waiter informs us that they have been slammed by a couple of large groups celebrating parties. Having only recently opened and still finding their feet, you can’t help but feel sorry for them. But with an 120-seat function space also attached to the venue, hopefully they can iron out the kinks in the kitchen before restaurant diners have to fight with function guests for food.

Unfortunately, speed is not the only problem the kitchen has to contend with.

As is so often the case with bargain fashion buys, the product doesn’t quite live up to the expectations set by the flashy website and pretty packaging.

Serious money has been spent importing a Forno Bravo wood-fired oven for the pizzas and the dough base undergoes a 48-hour ferment, but all that is let down by mediocre toppings. The beautifully crisp, puffy-rimmed crust of our salami and chilli pizza ($22) has potential for greatness, but is made soggy in the centre by an overly watery sugo, while the salami is bland and the chilli fails to make it on to the dish at all.

The gnocchi ($19) suffers a fate so common with the Italian classic – it is dense, stodgy and almost gluey. While the so-called ragu of pork and fennel sausage is no more than pork mince in a tomato sauce.

As for the reef snapper with citrus salsa and our selected side of sweet potato mash and spinach ($24), it is a tasty enough dish, although the salsa is perhaps hanging out with the chilli
from our pizza because it also fails to make the plate; while the mash and spinach have so much butter they need to come with a health warning.

A solid drinks list, where small batch beers are the hero, will no doubt entice locals to return.

Just like that online purchase that seemed to be such a steal at the outset, when the fit isn’t quite right, there are pulls in the fabric and the stitching is falling apart, it’s unquestionably disappointing.

But is the store – with such potential – worthy of a second chance? Yes.

Originally published on couriermail.com.au