LOCATIONThe top of Adelaide Street across from the Storey Bridge in the Brisbane CBD.
PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAI tend to get nervous when chefs spread their wings, creating what I always fear will be some soulless extension of the brand. But when the godfather of Brisbane cuisine, Phillip Johnson, decides to expand he does it with diligence, precision and the same successful framework he applies to his restaurant and his cookbooks. Perfection. Ecco Bar is directly underneath Ecco restaurant; a safe distance away for Phillip to maintain a watchful eye. The space is small and intimate, the bar taking centre stage, framed by warm cherry-red walls, muted lighting and mixed seatings of intimate stools and tables with bench seating along the walls.
The wine list is well considered, offering a great range of half bottles to while away an evening tasting from all corners of the world. If you find it hard to part with your cellar, Ecco Bar will also allow you to bring up to four bottles into the bar. Bliss. The food menu offers a series of tastes; a broad range of textures and flavours to match the wide berth of wines, aperitifs and cocktails on offer. The parmesan croquettes with truffle mayo beg you to wash them down with a champagne while the
buche d’affinois on sourdough toast with quince and balsamic is living proof of the Ecco team’s ability to execute simple chic with sophistication.
Katrina Meynink