What: Blackbird Restaurant / Blackbird Bar and Grill
Website: Click here
Where: Riverside Centre, 123 Eagle St, Brisbane CBD
Rating: 
Why:
Affordable luxury comes in many shapes and sizes, and this restaurant is just the right shape and size.
Nestled into Riverside Centre behind the Rugby Club, up the stairs and to the left is Blackbird Bar and Grill. Head right instead and you walk into Blackbird Restaurant.
The Bar and Grill is one of the places to be on a Friday night after work for the young and exciting. It is blessed with superior views up and down the Brisbane River and looks straight out at the Story Bridge, which is breathtaking when lit up of an evening. The well-stocked main bar overlooks this panorama and both the indoor and outdoor areas are clean, shiny and plush – and often standing room only after 6pm. As you might expect for a bar situated where and how it is, drinks are not cheap, but they won’t break the bank either.
Away from the bar and through the corridor is the Blackbird Restaurant, a swanky affair with plush seating and tables, velvety and mahogany appearance, and well-trained attentive front of house staff.
The food will also not disappoint with a tasty array of options to suit most palates. Their steaks are also a specialty and range from a tasty 250gm scotch fillet all the way to a 1kg rump (which is not for the faint-hearted).
Once again, the food is not cheap, but you don’t come here for rubbish or cheap food – that said, an excellently cooked 300gm steak is still south of $40 at the time of this review which is very competitive given its quality – but they do also have more luxury choices such as 100% wagyu options and the 1kg steak will set you back about $95.
A pleasing array of vegetarian options is also there and they do serve entree, main, dessert and an array of platters to cater for all group sizes.
If the great food and views are not enough to make you remember the place, you will remember the professional staff who during our visit were most attentive and capable of actual conversation and humour. Definitely not a once-only place to visit.
