bar alto

yum. made a last minute booking on saturday night, turned up to prompt service - food was delicious and generous, dare i say thepastais better than bucci!
everything on the night was delicious and would love to go back and try more dishes off the menu!

i'm told that it is owned by the same people who own ortiga (yum), but because it operates out of the brisbane city council owned powerhouse arts centre, the council restrict them in terms of pricing which is why you can get mains under $30. maybe so starving actors can engage in some fine dining without breaking the bank? i've eaten at bar alto twice now, and both times the food and service has been pretty good. and certainly excellent for the price. but here are two tips for you: if you sit inside, you will come out smelling like a fish and chip shop as there isn't a lot of ventilation and the deep fryer gets a real work out here if you order off the a la carte menu, you will have food envy of those who order off thepastamenu what

besides the morning after, it was another temptation after i read the article from the urban list that the mussels at bar alto is an a-must dish in brisbane.
we have not been around the area before and i was shocked about the development here although i lived in new farm years ago.
located inside the powerhouse, the ambience is cosy with nice river view. there are around eight chefs working in the kitchen, two bar-tenders and around five front-line staff. service is hospitable. our table was at the end of the indoor dining area so it was peaceful and comfortable to enjoy our good journey.
after perused of the menu, we decided to go for the charcuterie board of all the varieties of cured meats that it is serving for entree. we also ordered the prawns and squids strozzapreti and one kg of the signature mussels.
before any meals in the table, the set up of bowls and plates on the tables was spectacular. they nearly occupied the whole table surface.
first came the charcuterie board, which was composed of air dry wagyu, salami, pork loin and prosciutto. we had the salami and prosciutto before but never had the the wagyu and pork loins. they were both interesting. after that, thepastaand the mussels came at the same time. wow! look at those mussels sitting in the big bowl l. they looked great. however, they were slightly overdone and not the best that we had in our past dining experience. having said that thepastagained marks back. it was al dente. tomato based sauce came with strong sea water taste. it is very tasteful.
overall, dining experience is decent.
rating:4.5/5

with relatives in tow, we headed to bar alto for dinner. oddly, there aren’t many brisbane restaurants on the river, so this was a no-brainer for out-of-town guests. i started with the prosciutto di parma, which came with a couple of different types of bread. this was delicious, melt in your mouth stuff; fabulous bread and luscious meat. i ate every bit of it, and even the bread which i don’t often do when eating out. hubby had the ciabatta to start, and ate every slice himself. he is a huge carb fan, and he loved this chewy, flavoursome bread. the rellies are always watching their weight, so went straight to a main meal. cuz and i both chose the spanner crab gnocchi, while hubby and the auntie went for the crespelle with ricotta, pumpkin and burnt sage butter. i am not apastafan in general, but this gnocchi was really wonderful. the gnocchi was light and pillowy, the sauce tasted of fresh, delicious crab, and the broth/sauce was so tasty and not overpowering, leaving the taste of crab floating delicately on your tongue. we both loved this dish! hubby and auntie were fans of their crespelle, a vegetarian option, full of flavour, coming in a light broth. we all shared the dessert of white chocolate granita, raspberry sorbet and chocolate ice cream. the granita was like eating chocolate-flavoured snow; i felt like a kid again. (yes i am from a colder climate originally.) this dessert was so pretty, and so sweetly delicious; we were all fans. cuz and i drank prosecco, while it was soft drink for the driver and the aunt. we had wonderful service, with a brilliant and friendly waitress. the view was lovely, looking out to the river and the new pontoon full of jet skis which took off into the night with their lights glowing on the water. a really delicious dinner, enjoyed by all of us.

have been here a couple of times in the last 7 years. it’s not cheap but the food is good. theirpastadishes are the highlight. i smelt someone eating the platter of meat for two and it made my mouth water! great location for drinks on a sunny arvo too.

great night. i went to see the world press photography exhibition at the powerhouse and so booked to have dinner with friends beforehand. bar alto is an italian restaurant on the ground level of the powerhouse. the wine list and menu are extensive (perhaps too many food choices) and the service was efficient. i ordered the roast duck ravioli with mushrooms and pinenuts and my husband ordered the quail. both were cooked to perfection. (hint - if you are not a big eater order the entree sizepastaand then you will have room for dessert). for dessert i chose the almond milk pannacotta with strawberries and balsamic (the special) this was so light and the strawberries went really well with the almond flavor. the only slight drawback was the jelly like pieces - they gave too big a burst of flavor. perhaps it would of worked if they had been smaller. it is perhaps slightly overpriced but overall it was a great night and i would return.

we'd go back..... we got to the powerhouse often, and always have drinks at the bar, but last night was our first night eating at bar alto. i booked (table for two) two weeks in advance, but we still managed to get a crap table - right opposite the open kitchen. i'm not a fan of having to watch people slave away in the kitchen, cooking my meal, so would have asked for another table when booking - but didn't think of it - i will next time. there's outside seating too - but on a 34 degree night, inside, even near the kitchen, was okay.

we both found it hard to find something we felt like eating that was light enough to then go and sit for a show (burnt pig's ears didn't sound tempting). the cod croquettes for the entree were perfect, and s got the lamb shoulder with a side of smoked green beans and said it was excellent. i got spiced seafoodpastaand it was amazing too.

the service, while swift, and not unfriendly, wasn't what i'd call friendly - the staff are just too busy, getting everyone fed before they need to leave. so, we felt a little rushed.... we were seating at 7.30pm and were all done by 8.15pm....for a show that started at 9pm. not a great feeling being so rushed, but we'd return - the food was so good.

excellent food and efficient service. bar alto is my reliable go-to for laidback food made well. nothing beats their flavourful, aromatic food served piping hot. the texture of thepastais just right. seafood is just cooked. the vegetables are fresh. the meat is still juicy. (and all served hot!) the service is a very good balance of friendly and efficient --- none of that chirpy hovering service one usually finds these days, where the server invariably takes away one's plate while one is still chewing and makes so much conversation, one feels one has to entertain rather than enjoy the meal. two thumbs (and big toes) up, bar alto! keep up the good work!

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 - thepastawas 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.

group lunch event. we had a birthday lunch here in the private room - the views over the river are lovely, the staff provided great service and the food was delicious. a great spot to have a special event. thepastadishes were wonderful, as well as an awesome "venetian style crespelle filled with ricotta, pumpkin, burnt sage butter" - which at my table was voted as best ordering.

too cool for school. 4 of us dined pre-show on a saturday night. our starters were good and the mains were all tasty too. i did feel the portion size of mypastamain was less than generous.

while not overwhelmed by the food (which was good but not dazzling), we were definitely underwhelmed by our "too cool for school" waiter who had a permanent *sigh* about him. my side was basically thrown on the table and he was always in a massive hurry to rush off eg. clear empty drinks glasses but not ask if another is required. the restaurant is really not trendy enough to warrant said behaviour, not that it would ever be acceptable.

the mains took a while to come out and we finished just in time to see the show. i don't like feeling rushed when we'd allocated enough time.

i may dine there again based on food quality and convenience but won't be in a hurry to do so.

we've been here once before and both times have loved it. the service is wonderful (although reading the other reviews ... maybe we just hot lucky!), the food is gorgeous and the atmosphere is casual but classy. the pumpkin crepes are to die for and the strawberry risotto was delicious. my duck was a little overcookef and chewy but it didnt spoil the meal the black olive tortelini is one of the nicerpastadishes i've ever eaten. the prices are reasonable and the portions are huge! we had a three course meal and could barley finish our dessert. i would recommend bar alto to anyone looking for a nice meal that's casuaul but still a bit special.


-----19 feb, 2011-----

we've been here once before and both times have loved it. the service is wonderful, the food is gorgeous and the atmosphere is casual but classy. the pumpkin crepes are to die for and the strawberry risotto was delicious. my duck wad a little overcookef and chewy but it didnt dpoil the meal the black olive tortelini is one of the nicerpastadishes i've ever eaten. the prices are reasonable and the portions are huge! we had a three course meal and could barley finish our dessert. i would recommend bar alto to anyone looking for a nice meal that's casuaul but still a but special.

the bestpastain brisbane. my favorite place in brisbane, for perfect modern australian/italian with a beautiful view.

bar alto is the sort of place you will find yourself going back to regularly for a casual lunch or a special event. there menu is well rounded with a selection of authentic yet modernpastaand mains. the only dish i would avoid getting is the ravioli which is delicious but often on the small side and leaves you a little disappointed. this is not the case for my standout two dishes that i almost always order - ricotta and pumpkin crespelle with burnt butter sage sauce and goat ragu pappardelle. these two dishes much be popular as they are permanent stayers on the menu.

downside is the parking can get a little hard if there is a show at the powerhouse, but the location and food more than make up for that.