It’s all about the view when it comes to dining at Brisbane’s River Quay and even a makeover at The Jetty South Bank, couldn’t drag my eyes away from sunset on the river.

River Quay offers the best of Brisbane’s relaxed dining style with its row of restaurants curved to take full advantage of the glowing green grass that stretches down to the Brisbane River’s bank. The back drop is the city skyline dominated by the State government’s seat of power, 1 William Street, which is known by locals as Big Willie.  Take a close look at the building, and you’ll understand.

More River Quay dining at Stokehouse Q

The Jetty sits comfortably near the middle of the restaurant parade with a long row of tables perfectly poised for catching the view.  Along with a new bar area and function space and a new menu, chef Rhett Willis has stepped up to the helm.  You may remember Rhett from his stint as a semi-finalist in MasterChef: The Professionals in 2013, just missing out on winning the $200,000 top prize as runner-up in the grand finale.

The new menu is an uncomplicated collection of restaurant faves, including charred beef ribs, crisp calamari, soft-shelled crab, panko crumbed fish, wagyu burger and steak frites.

I started with oysters, just as they are (Although alternatives included cabernet vinegar and shallot or chorizo and Franks hot sauce Kilpatrick).  The Sydney Rock oysters came resting on a bed of fried spaghetti which is supposed to be a garnish, but I was told some diners also tuck into it with great delight.

Next was the Jetty Papaya Salad from the entrée list which I transformed into a main with the addition of crisp fried squid and tempura soft shell crab.  Fish and chips sounds much more sophisticated when described as panko-crumbed but tastes just as good.

We managed to avoid the temptation of launching into the dessert menu which included an orange frangipane tart and vanilla pannacotta.

If you just feel like grazing in the afternoon, Jetty’s offers a paired back menu from 3 pm to 5.30 pm so you won’t go hungry.

Where will you find The Jetty?

Walk along the river bank at South Bank Parklands to find The Jetty at River Quay, Shop 4, Sidon Street, South Bank. It is open from 11:30 am to late, seven days a week.  As with all the River Quay restaurants, it is always best to book for evening dining, although you may be able to score a walk-in table outside peak hours.

The restaurant is owned by Jason and Katie Coats, who also have Eleven Rooftop Bar, iL Molo Bulimba and One Fifty Ascot.

Disclaimer

Ed+bK was a guest of The Jetty.