Restaurant Two

LOCATION
Corner of Edward and Alice streets, overlooking the Botanic Gardens.

DETAILS
The very chic Restaurant Two attracts a who’s who crowd to its cool-casual wine bar and spacious dining room. Chef David Pugh has been wowing Brisbane diners for years, first with Two Small Rooms in Toowong and now this establishment in the heritage Old Mineral House. It’s a minimalist, ultra-modern space fitted out in glass, steel and polished timber and split over two levels - the main dining area and the intimate mezzanine.

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
A mainstay of the Brisbane restaurant scene for over a decade, the immaculately styled Restaurant Two is a true institution. While young pretenders come and go, Restaurant Two does fine dining as it should be done. Assurance, experience and quality can be taken as read.

The brains and heart of the operation are chef and owner David Pugh, a man whose passion and expertise has made him one of the most respected figures in Brisbane. He is the official Queensland ambassadorial chef, reflecting this depth of ability, and his diners reap the benefits.

Ever active, David changes his menus monthly, but always meets, and exceeds, the exacting standards which Brisbane diners demand. Much in demand is the degustation menu, a sublime showcase of the team’s abilities. Tastes range from fragrant lamb so tender it almost melts under the teeth, to the exquisitely pitched tang of wasabi mayonnaise on seared yellow fin tuna. This is the perfect way to sample the quality of the Restaurant Two experience.

Experience is very much the right word. The consummate attention paid to the food does not mean other factors go ignored. The waitstaff are full-time professionals who treat clients with extraordinary respect, and are proud of each dish they serve.

The restaurant space is large and open, with a welcoming yet sophisticated feel. The historic building’s location on the corner of Edward Street allows diners to soak up the verdant sight of the Botanic Gardens as they exclaim in delight at another culinary masterwork. Restaurant Two is fine dining. At its finest.

Aran Ward Sell


FOOD & BEVERAGE
David Pugh’s menu is a well-designed library of elegant, contemporary fare. Dishes are spiked with Asian and Mediterranean flavours and cooked with classic European inflections, garnered during his time in the kitchens of prestigious hotels. A menu that changes monthly can be explored a la carte or via an eight course degustation. Among the many outstanding dishes on offer are starters like the salad of white peach, fennel, prosciutto, rocket, pine nuts and red cow parmesan, or grilled quail on sweet corn galette with thyme butter, crispy bacon and goat’s cheese. More substantial courses include loin of Casino veal with white bean puree, Huon Valley mushrooms and Madeira jus. Finish with a selection of European and local cheeses, or exquisite sweets like the macadamia nut tart with mascarpone.