Blackbird

Super slow service! Bring your own food if you want to eat here, you might have to wait for a while before they actually serve you anything…

If you want to dine with a great view, Blackbird is your place. Tonight we decided to go upstairs to the bar and try their accompanying food and drinks menu. If you enjoy all things liquid, in particular scotch, you are in for a treat with such hits as Highland Park 18 yo and Glenmorangie Signet.
Now the food menu isn’t as expansive but provides some great sustenance none the less. The slow cooked oyster blade was the chosen one tonight and it married well with their Shiraz by the glass. With tender meat, bags of flavour and über smooth mash it was a winner from the get go.
The service at the bar can be quite horrendous (packed) but once that is complete the staff coming to our table were fantastic, with one gentlemen being a stand out for his manner.
In closing, a truly good bar meal with a fantastic Brisbane view.
Food ⁸⁄₁₀ service ⁷⁄₁₀ décor ⁷⁄₁₀

New favorite. Consistently good food, drinks and service. Usually when there is a good view, I find that something else is lacking. Not with this place

I Took my wife here for our 15^th Wedding anniversary. The atmosphere is incredible, opulent and charming. The food was absolutely amazing. We got the tuna carpaccio started and steak for mains and it was quite possibly the best steak I’ve ever had. The prices are very reasonable, too.

I have dined here about three times now, first time I was given rockstar treatment with the best seat in the house with views of the Brisbane River and Story Bridge it couldn’t get any better than this.
But wait the food came and it did! WOW, everything about this menu has been well planned and creatively designed.
Without being too pretentious it introduces you to new flavours you thought couldn’t be possible.
Tuna Tartare with green tomato and a Jerusalem artichokes Im not a person to eat cold fish, but I gave this a go and I was very satisfied with the choice — Its a must do item on the menu.
Steaks and Oysters are at the top of their game here but make sure you order it Medium Rare
its the only way to eat a steak here.
Oysters served ON ICE unlike other restaurants that serve on rock salt.
Restaurant gets VERY busy and often noisy get there early to avoid the crowds and make a booking.
I enjoyed the mid week degustation menu on another visit with wines — slightly smaller than I hoped for and the wine selection was not very nice (all from QLD) Would of been good to see some South Australian and Margaret River Wines, also wines are not a full standard glass as they pour under the standard fill line on every course — this was annoying
Prices here are little bit steep but worth if if you want to splurge on a night out with good company.

I dined here on a Wednesday and it was a full house which was promising but that’s as far as it got. The wait staff were to busy to make us feel welcome and the main and dessert was closer to bar food than Eagle St Pier.

Even if the prices are a bit expensive, you can only appreciate it. A good terasse with view on the river.
Have a drink in those condition is always good. Alone or with friends, afternoon or evening.

Too pretentious for its own good.
The menu is obscurely written to try and communicate fancy complexity. But the delivered dishes fall flat.
I had the swordfish and the fish was good but most everything else on the plate was too salty and unappealing.
The manager was also rather rude to me while I was waiting to pay.

The food is soso on the pricing side. The service is extremely slow, I cannot understand why it have 4 stars.

Great views and fun cocktails! A fantastic place if you want to soak up the afternoon and mellow out into the early evening!
Next time I aim to try the food as well as the cocktails.

I recently ate dinner at Blackbird and I really got the feeling that they were all about serving fine food but without the pretentiousness of fine dining. I love the huge circular booths, the open kitchen, and just the overall décor of the place which they call 1920’s prohibition era style. Not having been alive in the 20’s, I’ll take their word for it! But it was also modern enough for me that it didn’t feel stuffy or old. I just thought it was too bad we didn’t have a bridge view from our circular booth. It looks like you either get a view or a cool booth, but not both (unless you have enough people to book out one of the private rooms, maybe).
Food-​wise, I had one of the best steaks I’ve had in Brisbane at Blackbird, and my head kept swivelling back and forth at the interesting plates they were bringing out of the open kitchen. I think I asked my server, «What’s that dish they’re eating?» like five times. The Tomahawk steak looked amazing, but I was told that it’s usually split between 4 – 6 people, so it was a bit too much for us to order. Instead we ordered individual steaks, which were well-​seasoned and really delicious. Maybe it’s the wood fired grill… We also had the seafood platter, which was nicely presented and fresh. Last, we had the Blackbird Rocky Road Trifle for dessert, and it was amazing! My criteria for good dessert, besides tasting good, is that it has to be worth paying for in a restaurant. It can’t be something that I can easily make for myself at home, or buy in the bakery aisle of the grocery store. The Rocky Road Trifle definitely met this criteria, and it was soooo good.
Definitely a good choice of a restaurant for a fun night out where you can eat and talk all night. Although it’s not cheap eats by any stretch of the imagination, I really think Blackbird is great value for the food that you’ll eat.

Completely loved this place. Was über packed the night we went in the lead up to Christmas still the service was awesome and the food and cocktails totally lived up the hype.

Newcomer to the Eagle Street Pier dining precinct is Blackbird Bar and Grill and its presence is well deserved. The experience starts right from the front entrance with a double staircase taking you up to the main level. It is split into two halves, the restaurant dining area and the bar, and both have uninterrupted views of the Brisbane River and Story Bridge.
The main dining room has a very 1920s-​style fit out, from the decorative print on the windows, carpet and seats to the extravagant lighting fixture in the centre. Only a passing glance was had of the bar area, but it appeared much more open with an deck style arrangement.
It could be assumed that a restaurant of this look and feel would be expensive fine dining, but the prices are in fact quite reasonable for what is served — mains are in the $ 30 to $ 40 range.
On this visit, I ordered the Steamed Australian green asparagus, blue swimmer crab cake and warm yuzu mayonnaise as an entrée, followed by the Kobe Cuisine wagyu sirloin with caramelised red onion sauce and sides of Steamed broccolini with garlic and parsley pangrattato and Dutch cream potato with parmesan butter and rosemary salt. That sounds like a lot of food and it was, the sides are really designed to share.
The crab cakes were divine. Once combined with the asparagus and yuzu it became a creamy, flavoursome flavour mix. Slight nitpick, the dish probably should be named as crab croquettes rather than crab cakes, but I digress. The steak was equally well cooked. Good quality wagyu is usually recommended to be cooked to at least medium due to the marbling, however I typically like to order steaks rare. The waiter said that it should be fine with this meat, and it was. The steak nearly melted in my mouth but with a slight hint of texture on the outside. The sides were just as tasty and complimented well, although, as previously mentioned, they were a little too much for one person. Interestingly, the potato side was cooked in a clay pot which was broken up and displayed on the plate. If there were to be one thing to criticise it would be the sauce, the caramelised red onion tasted not too much different to a red wine jus.
Dessert was stunning and both looked and tasted like a dish from a much higher priced restaurant. I ordered the Strawberries and cream, served with meringue, sorbet and rhubarb purée. A wonderful sweet, fruity and creamy dish to finish the dining experience with.
Service was impeccable at Blackbird with the wait staff explaining the components of each dish as it came out and also offered well paired wine choices. Noise from the bar, particularly on a Friday and Saturday night, can be a bit overpowering at times, but that is to be expected with a restaurant having an adjoining popular bar. Blackbird is a well positioned and outstanding addition to the Brisbane food and entertainment scene.

Not much to say, Everything is just perfect.

My new favourite place for a fine dining or have a decent dinner River view, all glass windows, good service, fabulous bar.
The hostess at door is so beautiful and friendly.
I’ve spent at least three time there. T
The oysters are more than lovely. My favourite is the «Luna (hope I spell right, anyway the second one on menu). Fresh and creamy. You can tease the favor of the ocean but not too salty. Get the platter which is a good value of money.
Speaking of the main. Steak is a must. Can’t remember the name but the third one from the menu. I’m trying to try all the mains on the menu, up to now the third steak is my best plate. Medium or medium rare come with pepper and corns. Prefect Red onion sauce is not my best choice but feel free to have a go. The chips here is rather thin, look like the McDonald ones than the normal thick, finger-​looking restaurant chips. So I’m not a big fan of it. Vegetables can never go wrong.
The riffle is the BEST dessert. Idk how to describe but it’s best combination of cake and chocolate. A must !
Vibe– good dining surrounding but sometime s it can be crazily noisy. Well make a reservation and try to avoid the busy hours. Last time my table was at 8:00pm but I got a group of 15people dined with me… always ask them first. No restaurant wants a quiet night but sorry I do prefer a slightly quiter environment such as the night on Mondays or so
Try the cocktail bar next door, would be worth the wait.

Having recently dined at Blackbird bar & grill, it is now one of our favourites for elegant dining, with amazing sweeping views to match of the Brisbane River & Story Bridge. It used to be the old Qld Rugby Club site but has been transformed into a beautiful space with inspiration from the excesses of the 20’s & «Gatsby» era. Proof is in one of the wine rooms whose upside down bathtub, with vintage decanter feature lights are said to be from the set of The Great Gatsby movie. Aesthetics aside, Blackbird delivers in all aspects of quality of food, exceptional service & value for money. Considering the classy fit out, & priceless views, the price points are surprisingly accessible. Entrees $ 18 — 22 & Mains $ 28 — $ 38. Cocktails average $ 16, beers $ 8, & a bottle of 2012 Fasoli Gino Corte Sparkling wine only set us back $ 49. All this makes for a great night out. Though the atmosphere is a little loud, it’s only because Blackbird makes everyone so happy & excited. It’s a good sign then when your table shuts up because the food is that good, that one must savour each bite & remember the feeling at that moment. For entrees, we highly recommend the butternut pumpkin gnocchi, & moreton bay bug as well as the pan roasted coral trout with golden chicken jamon & shitake broth. Amazing!
For mains, our favourites were the Market fish, the sword fish, apple wood smoked duck, & free range pork cutlet. Incredible. Service is brilliant. Attention to detail & utmost care for lively patrons. So whatever your night out maybe, dinner at the restaurant or drinks at the bar, you will be in awe at the magnificence of Blackbird, whilst at the same time feeling like you totally belong & deserve it!
Take your family, your friends or impress that date. There’s plenty of cozy booths too. Brisbane festival 2014 & Riverfire can’t come soon enough!

Black Bird Bar & Grill is a relatively new addition to the Riverside Precinct and there’s been a lot of hype surrounding it. It’s popularity hasn’t waned since opening and I hear that it can still be difficult to get a reservation. Soon after opening, I went to check it out with a few friends when we were looking for a dinner spot but being a Friday evening we were told apologetically that it was completely booked out… probably should have anticipated that! Instead we went out to the open rooftop bar and had a few drinks. It was packed but after jostling through the crowds, we found a small space to stand and enjoyed the Story Bridge and river views. Tip: reserve an area!
So when asked to suggest a place for dinner with work colleagues on a Tuesday evening, including a visitor from the US, I tried to think of a place which would show off the best of Brisbane, wasn’t too expensive but would still be a good meal and wasn’t too far from the CBD. Despite the large number of eateries around the Riverside/​Eagle St/​Southbank areas, there aren’t a lot that match all those criteria but Black Bird seemed to tick all the boxes so I made a reservation.
We arrived early just before 6pm for our 6:30pm reservation and were told that although our table was ready, the restaurant wasn’t open until 6pm but we were welcome to get a drink. I was hoping to have a drink outside to get the views but the area was booked out for another event so we did what was suggested. I ordered a gin & tonic with Hendricks ($ 9) and the others got a James Squire beer from the tap and a lemon, lime and bitters. The drinks list is extensive with several cocktails around the $ 16 mark, a large range of beers and spirits and a long wine list with some decent ones by the glass.
After getting our drinks we were taken into the restaurant by the hostess and seated at a table in the middle. The restaurant area isn’t huge but there is room for several tables of varying sizes as well as some comfortable looking booths. The décor is very Gatsby-​esque and that is clearly the theme of the place. The external walls are glass which allows diners to have a great view of the Story Bridge.
I’d perused the menu before arriving but still had trouble deciding on what to order. The menu includes a range of cold and hot starters and main meals plus a grill section for steaks and large shared meat plates. As it’s truffle season, there is also an option to have freshly shaved truffle added to any dish for $ 20 which I was tempted by! I was keen on the slow cooked lamb shoulder but the others preferred to order their own meals. They ordered steaks which came with chopped salads and mustards. The waitresss suggested that they get a side to go with it as the salad was quite simple but they declined, not being overly hungry. I loved the sound of the apple wood smoked duck breast with caramelised carrots, chestnuts and confit leg stuffed cabbage ($ 34) so ordered that. Soon after our order was taken we were given a basket of breads and truffle mushroom butter. I wasn’t overly hungry and generally don’t react well to bread but the truffle mushroom butter sounded too enticing so I gave in and I am so glad I did. The roll I picked (a variety was provided) was olive bread and was warm with a crunchy crust and the butter was amazing — do NOT skip the bread!
Our meals didn’t take too long to arrive and my meal was a work of art. It tasted fantastic too — the duck breast was perfectly cooked and still slightly pink and the confit leg stuffed cabbage was soft and incredibly flavourful. The flavours of the meal combined perfectly and I savoured every bite! The steaks looked well cooked, although quite plain as expected, and both men said that the salad was actually quite substantial so they didn’t feel the need for a side.
We were all quite full after our meals so didn’t opt for dessert. The restaurant was obviously quiet when we arrived but by the time we left, the majority of tables were filled, which is quite impressive for a Tuesday night! I’m super keen to get back to Black Bird — the only tough decision will be whether to try something new or get that delicious duck again!

Can I just say wow! Whether you’re there for fine dining or Friday night drinks, Blackbird has nailed it! I’m not going to lie, the food is pretty amazing. If you’re going there with a group of 3 or more I suggest getting the lamb to share. If you want a more casual lunch the bar menu has got you covered! There’s a wide variety of drinks and The bartenders are very talented and know how to make a good cocktail! The décor is really classy but not in an obvious way and their view is pretty amazing I love it! Congratulations Blackbird on killing it!

A friend of mine booked the Champagne room, one of the private rooms. We had shared plates from the feasting menu and all the food was excellent! Would highly recommend eating here and booking it’s facilities for any occasion that needs a touch of class.

I’m telling you, I laughed the entire night!
After a super wonderful day off work my team and I thought we’d check out Blackbird for a spot of dinner. As we walked in with limited research my high waisted jeans and blazer didn’t seem as classy as I’d once thought. Gorgeous cocktail dresses and well suited men started to order expensive Melbourne wine!
My goodness me. As my casually dressed friends ordered cocktails, I ordered a classy. sprite! Bless the waitresses, they really respected my uneducated choice. A full fine dining experience was offered, the cloth napkin was placed on my lap, my glass of water was filled when it was at near empty, upselling was in full swing, but I liked it. There was no pushiness about it. My favourite sound is someone who knows how to do their job– offering everything is a clear indication that they know what’s up!
Our table was «that table». We were loud and having fun, feeling a little bit silly in our attire but embracing it all the way. I wouldn’t have had it any other way to be honest. Meat was everywhere. Being the only vegetarian at the table I ordered a delicate artichoke salad with the most glamorous trio of vegetables, potato and pumpkin purée. My darling friends ordered a «Feast». Truly, it’s all in the name: Rosemary Lamb with cumin sauce went a long way! The meal was massive, meat was flying all over the shop, being devoured by my carnivore beauties.
My advice:
* dress up! Don’t hold back; wear your cocktail dress, grab a stunning drink and order a fancy meal.
* book in advance! It was busy.
* Pay with cash or get a relevant bank app. They do not split that bill. If you forget or it is a lot of hassle there is an ATM next to the cocktail bar ($ 2.50 charge for using said privilege)
* Eat the complimentary bread! GET AMONGST THE FREE STUFF.
* Don’t feel silly if you can’t manage the bathroom taps straight away. Seriously. Complicated stuff.
If you want a stunning night out with a breathtaking view of Brisbane City, go. Get in there. Get your classy-​posh self out for a night.