bar alto

cafe would do it better. four of us, after a show. expecting something a step up from bar alto. risotto - gluggy and tasteless. ravioli as hard as bricks and stuffing was indistinguishable. i wouldn't have bothered with a review except that we keep trying brisbane restaurants and far too often waste our money on sub standard food. i don't understand how many of these places are still in business. look forward to hearing about some decent restaurants in the new farm/ newstead area.


-----12 nov, 2014-----

waste of money and time. three of us decided to eat here after a show. why do brisbane restaurants get away with such totally substandard food? the risotto was bland, tasteless as 'mush'. we expected the duck ravioli to be tender - the pasta was tough and hard, the filling indiscernible as duck or anything else. for a friday night, there were few tables occupied so perhaps the word is out on bar alto. service poor too - i didn't enjoy being continually referred to a 'lovey' . what a shame - we are locals and would happily patronise a restaurant serving well executed food. we are supposed to be living in an area with good eateries - well we've tried many and there are very few we return to. wish we had an equivalent to bondi's a tavola.

i attended at 30th birthday in september with approximately 25 people, for an early 5.30pm booking time, in the separate room at the end. the staff asked us to order immediately as they had another booking at 7.30pm they refused to take further orders after 6.15. this caused significant stress for the latecomers, who, god-forbid, showed up at 6.30pm on a saturday. it also made us feel like they didn't really want to serve us.
when the food came, the servings were very small (even the apparently 'main' size barramundi, especially the entree size crespelle which was only a few mouthfuls). the chips the kitchen threw in still didn't fill us up. when we were forced out at 7.30 we ended up ordering extra nibbles at the bar downstairs. all in all, i would not recommend this venue for a relaxing celebration!

so so good! i'm so happy i have found this place, best pasta, best dessert and the only issue was choosing something from the menu because it all sounds amazing! this is what italian food is all about.

above it attached to the bar above is bar alto, a modern italian restaurant serving many patrons of the shows that are playing in the powerhouse’s theatres, or those there for a sunday soiree. bar alto is quick for groups of pre-theater diners who want a meal before a show. 

i have fond memories of smoked salmon terrine and was expecting a dish similar in form and texture. what was placed in front of me looked more like a salad.

this is our where to eat and drink guide to brisbane; incomplete and personally biased for the sort of food we like and what we consider to be ‘value for money’. we have decided to divide our restaurant preferences into occasions rather than areas. we find that generally, where you go depends as much on the reason as the suburb. you have favourite places for family dinner, for sunday afternoon drinks and wednesday morning breakfasts and you are happy to travel to get to them. if you want a complete guide for where to eat in brisbane by price or suburb, visit urbanspoon . you can read our urbanspoon reviews as well. we hope you enjoy our recommendations as much as we do. good anytime foxy bean, wooloongabba – can’t say a bad thing about this place seeing as it was birgit’s wedding venue, but it is good for any meal of the day. kettle and tin, paddington – popular from brunch through to tuesday trivia and birthday parties, it’s hard to go wrong at kettle and tin. hoo ha bar, south brisba

it was ok. the vibe of this place was great and service was also good.
the food was not the best that i have had and for the price i was left disappointed .
i had the chicken dish which was lovely and the others at the table had the lamb belly which was very rich and it was the only thing on the plate. the beans lost their natural flavour as it had an over powering bacon taste.

deserts were a mixed bag the apple tart was lacking the carmel sauce with anise was bitter and over powering the highlight was the gelato.

the tiramisu was light nice flavour and one of the better ones i have tasted, however it needs less cream and more mascarpone. the self saucing chocolate pudding was very rich and could not be finished by those who chose it.

it was not a bad meal and i do not mind paying the price for a good meal but i will not be going back it was just so so

excellent service and the best ravioli i have ever eaten, the lamb belly was to die for and everything tastes really fresh.

best food and friendly service. nothing has ever been wrong with a visit to bar alto. the servers know me by first name and am usually greeted with a warm hug and taken to the best available table. the food is always the same taste and quality. since moving to sydney, i am flown back once a month for work and without fail i take the time come here. in fact am going there tonight! can't go past my very first dish i ordered years ago, the tender, delicious goat ragu and the mussel special when it's available. molto delizioso!

declining service. looking for a pleasant location on a sunny day we decided to lunch at bar alto. we have often frequented both the restaurant and bar and had been there recently with good results. today we walked out after a single drink. our staff member could not have been more negative or unhelpful. any request appeared to be a chore. my only regret is that i didn't ask her name to support my review.

lovely, simple food. hard to find an italian restaurant that isn't all about lasagne and garlic bread!!! love the simplicity of the meals..... can't wait to come back.

had dinner here. goat ragù - the sauce was excellent, meat melts in your mouth and pappardelle cooked al dente. duck and mushroom ravioli - very rich mascarpone based sauce, flavors were excellent, maybe a tiny but too rich, ravioli cooked perfectly. i still absolutely loved it. atmosphere was excellent, we had a seat outside overlooking the river. wait staff were friendly, very knowledgable and made us feel comfortable. i think about two seconds passes each time i finished my water before it was refilled gain! great restaurant!

raw. when i recently visited bar alto i was very excited about ordering the t-bone per due. unfortunately, the steak was mostly raw (very rare). everyone at the table thought the steak was too rare to eat. we didn't end up eating the 'thicker' pieces due to this. very disappointing as we were not asked how we liked the steak cooked and thought they would present a medium to medium/rare steak. the 'jus' tasted like it was just balsamic vinegar.
the pork ribs were tasty- but not enough salad.
the wait staff were cranky and rude. it was difficult to order a drink as they did not make themselves available to the table very often.
atmosphere was excellent.

amazing!! i recently enjoyed my 30th birthday there for dinner with a large group of friends and family and was more than impressed. the food was delicious, the wine was superbly matched to our meals and the staff were incredible. seamless transitions between entree and mains kept the table alive and vibrant. thank you so much for an amazing night bar alto, see you again soon.

great time. had a wonderful time with the family last night at bar alto. we always come back for the goat ragu, and ben always looks after us well.