My Brisbane restaurant picks for all occasions

Where to take a visitor for hip late-night drinks:

Cru Bar, Fortitude Valley
Barsoma, Fortitude Valley
The Bowery, Fortitude Valley
Lychee Lounge, West End

Where to take your rowdy, raucous friends who enjoy drinking and possibly karaoke:

Ben's Vietnamese and Chinese Restaurant, Woolloongabba
Arriva, New Farm
Superbowl, Fortitude Valley
The Story Bridge Hotel, Kangaroo Point
Spanish Tapas Bar, Fortitude Valley

Vespa Pizza, Woolloongabba

Where to take your parents for a civilised evening:

Montrachet, Paddington
C'est Bon, Woolloongabba
Restaurant Two, City
Two Small Rooms, Toowong
Sachi, Edward St, City
Jellyfish, Riverside Boardwalk, City

Where to go to impress the in-laws:

Ec'co Bistro, Boundary St, City
Montrachet, Paddington
Siggi's, Edward St
River Canteen, South Bank
Alchemy, 175 Eagle St, City

Best for a romantic, special or intimate dinner for two or three:

Vill'Agio Ristorante, Brunswick St, New Farm
Bacchus Bistro, New Farm
Confit, Fortitude Valley
Azafran, Annerley
Sono Japanese, Portside

Where to go with kids:
Arriva Italian Restaurant, New Farm
GoMA River Cafe, Southbank

Where to go for breakfast:

The Little Larder, New Farm
Cantina, West End
The New Farm Deli, New Farm
Fat Boys, Fortitude Valley Mall
The Gun Shop Cafe, West End

Where to go for a casual lunch or dinner with funky friends:

Pearl, Logan Rd, Woolloongabba
Trang's, Hardgrave Rd, West End
The Gun Shop Cafe, West End
Watt, The Powerhouse, New Farm
Tongue and Groove, West End
The Fish Cafe, Manly
Wagamama, Emporium, Fortitude Valley
Vespa Pizza, Woolloongabba or New Farm


Where to go for casual coffee or lunch with a potential date:

Bouquiniste, New Farm
Wordsmith's, University of QLD, St Lucia
Yo Mama, Merthyr Rd, New Farm
Caffeine, Coorparoo
The Three Monkeys, West End
The Fig Tree Deli, Camp Hill
Pearl, Logan Rd, Woolloongabba

Where to go for coffee with people you hate (or obligation coffee):

The Coffee Club, Indooroopilly
Cream, Coorparoo

Where to go for after-work drinks or food with workmates:

Belgian Beer Cafe Brussels, Edward St, City
La Dolce Vita, Park Rd, Milton
Pane e Vino, Albert St, City
Lux, James St, Fortitude Valley (next to the cinema)

Where to book a special-occasion function (Christmas party, birthday, etc)

The River Canteen, Southbank
The Breakfast Creek Hotel, Hamilton
The Lab Bar, Conrad Treasury, City

Where to pick up a fabulous morning-tea cake or dinner-party dessert:
Jocelyn's Provisions, New Farm
The Vanilla Pod, Ascot
Judy C Cakes, Ascot
The Welsh Lady, Rosalie
Chouquette, New Farm

Where to go in the middle of the night for snacks:

Fat Boys, Fortitude Valley
New York Slice, Fortitude Valley

Where to go for a nice lunch with family:
C'est Bon, Logan Rd, Woolloongabba

Where to take a client or work visitors for a classy lunch:
Jellyfish, Riverside Centre, Eagle St
Cha Cha Char, Eagle Street Pier
Pier Nine, Eagle St
Sono Japanese, Portside, Eagle Farm

Where to go by yourself:
Sushi Station, Carindale
Happy Chef, Fortitude Valley
The Bowery, Fortitude Valley