Superb modern European style food at NOTA Paddington is a popular choice on Paddington’s Given Terrace in Brisbane.
Dining at NOTA Paddington
Dining at NOTA Paddington is a delight to the tastebuds with its carefully curated menu that is big on flavour and seasonality but still approachable and affordable for dinners. It is a project from two of Brisbane’s most exciting young chefs. Kevin Docherty has worked in kitchens from Glasgow to Brisbane, including Javier Cordina’s Spanish-inspired MODA. Sebastiaan de Kort also trained at MODA. There’s also a new head chef, Matteo Pisanu.
Kevin and Sebastiaan
Over the years, Kevin and Sebastiaan have cultivated relationships with select producers to bring fresh and exciting produce to Nota. This is how smart chefs set their restaurants apart from the crowd with the ability to offer unique dishes. “Ultimately, Nota is a celebration of great ingredients, which underpins our ‘we cook, you eat’ motto, says Sebastiaan. “We want to provide our guests with simple yet satisfying meals where they feel right at home.”
Tasting the NOTA Paddington menu
The NOTA Paddington menu is divided into snacks, entrée, mains, fish and dessert, with share plates. I sampled the Chef’s selection with a group of diners. The first dish was a plate of puffed rice crisps with smoked sesame cheese and semi-dried, smoked tomato. My taste buds melt at any hint of smoked food, and these delightfully crisp bites with soft tomato filling were an excellent start. Next were tempura fish sandwiches which were tender strips of tempura fish on a brioche bun with a house tartare sauce. These would make an excellent lunch choice on their own too. Slow-cooked octopus with a raspberry emulsion, fennel and citrus was a fresh dish with balanced flavours.
More NOTA delights
Your eyes will light up when the house mash with its bone marrow sauce lands on the table. This is a must-order dish, as is the warm lamb salad, which comes with a combination of greens, mint and ricotta. It is spiced with chimichurri but balanced, so individual flavours still emerge to delight. On my list to try next time are the savoury churro with Ortiz anchovy and honey and a Brisbane Valley quail with sweet corn polenta and burnt butter. There’s also market fish with pipis, champagne velouté and caviar! For the meat lover, a sirloin served with hassleback potatoes in a nod to Kevin’s Scottish heritage, accompanied by bone marrow sauce and watercress, should suffice.
Time for dessert
A simple crumble, which is a complex crust of crunchy topping on a soft bed of seasonal stone fruit, with a big pour of vanilla anglaise on the side, is another memorable dish. Other mouthwatering desserts include a Callebaut chocolate brulee, raspberry sorbet and a cheese selection with house condiments.
Have a drink at NOTA Paddington
The long black and white marble bar, a hallmark of this restaurant since the Montrachet days, is still a feature. On the drinks menu are new and classic cocktails with a twist, bubbles and wine, all by the glass or bottle. There’s the NOTA Sour, a GPS and Bloody Gazpacho to sample. Beer expert Matt Kirkegaard has collaborated with NOTA to produce a satisfyingly local beer offering, including Madocke, Balter and Stone and Wood, with two on tap and the rest by the bottle.
Getting there
NOTA Paddington is located at 224 Given Terrace, Paddington, Brisbane.
Noise level – Moderate to high. The atmospheric exposed brick walls are balanced by banquet seating, but there are many hard surfaces for sound to bounce off and plenty of excited diners.
