e'cco bistro

it's ok. hopefully the presence of tastier, cheaper, friendlier restaurants popping up all the time in brisbane will force e'cco to re-evaluate. disappointing. the second visit was perhaps a wishful thinking.

great. i had dinner here again last week and the food was excellent as always. the service wasn't as polished as i remember from previous visits but certainly better than what you will find elsewhere.

for a special event it is still the place.

e'cco bistro has all the components of a great restaurant for me. grown up and confident but not too showy, and a menu that's bold without being too trendy normally have my fingers hovering over the 4.5 mark. sadly, e'cco fell short on a recent visit.

service and setting, done well, have the ability to make a decent meal memorable, and this is really where my gripes lie. we arrived on time and walked in to the good looking room. there's no reception table so we stood while someone rushing past said hello and that somebody would be with us shortly. after two or three more people did exactly the same thing the manager eventually connected with us and we checked in. we were asked if we were happy to have a seat at the bar while our table was being prepared. the woman tending bar was fantastic as was the glass of gruner veltliner served. we then saw two people walk in and get shown straight to "our" table. i don't think this was a deliberate slight but there was definitely a whiff of distraction amongst the floor team. after another wait the manager then showed us to another table, one that had been empty the whole time. we were in the bar section which definitely feels like being in the afterthought section of the room.

our waiter was professional but perfunctory. everything was done correctly but there was no engagement or warmth. it felt a little like being cogs in a machine. the staff were all busy being very busy but the customer was merely an extra rather than part of the main cast. our waiter asked us if we were there celebrating a special occasion. no i said. just as i had done when making the reservation initially, and again when confirming the reservation that very day. why ask if no one listens?

food was good however. the entree of pork belly was delicious as it had that soft and crispy, savoury and sweet mix that pork belly done right can deliver. my companions octopus looked great on the plate, a single piece, and tasted good. mains of barramundi and lamb were decent but not standout - the lamb was slightly under and the fish had a sauce that seemed somewhat heavy. we shared a very good cheese plate although another side plate and knife might have been considerate.

overall i wanted to love e'cco but couldn't. service wasn't bad exactly, but the feeling that the staff are on autopilot marred what should have been a better experience.

stunner. hi

i ate at e'cco last night 5/5/11 & just needed to put down in writing what a stunning experience from start to finish. it's really rare to have a fabulous starter (quail) outdone by a wonderful main (angus) only to be floored by an astounding desert (the alchemy of green apple and coriander is still bowling me over). great wine selection also. we had an international party who were all left (almost) speechless.

we ate here on a friday night with another couple, this was our first e'cco experience & the food was exceptional. my husband & i shared the lamb shoulder & were particularly impressed. the serving size for the price ($80) was very generous, we ended up sharing it with the other couple we dined with. the meat was tender, the sides perfectly matched & the jus perfectly balanced.
the wine menu was impressive & we weren't disappointed, what was disappointing however was the service. i sincerely hope the waiter who attended our table on this particular night was working his first ever shift waiting tables. he was eager & helpful when questioned about the menu but his service left a lot to be desired, it was very unpolished & akin to the type of service i would expect in a cafe. i think when one is paying $40 for fine done mains that the wait staff should mirror this & on this particular night our waiter did not. we tried not to let his unpolished wait skills deter us from enjoying the delicious food coming out of the kitchen but when we were served main & were forced to delay eating our main course while waiting for the wine we decided that the service was a genuine problem.
i would like to hope that this was a one off & that this particular waiter had a really bad night that this his ineptness is not an indication of the level of service one is to expect at e'cco.

delicious food in a nice casual atmosphere. been several times. tip - dont book an early table and you will have a great meal.

the food was incredible. the best dish of the night would have to go to the smoked quail which was beautifully complimented with the leeuwin estate art series chardonnay.

great food!!!!. always love going here!!! great food and service

consistency, quality produce and good cooking. service is above par. parking is a hassle but well worth the effort.

not worth the money. disappointing, food bit of a let down - not great.

this was before covid-19 restrictions, but i was looking through my photos & was reminiscing on the beauty that is e'cco bistro. can't wait to come back & dine in again!

we had the three course lunch - atlantic salmon, market fish & peach raspberry cheesecake, & it was amazinggg 😍😍😍
the main & dessert in particular were a knockout, & left my partner & i wanting to lick the plate. our starter of salmon was good, although i personally wanted a bit of kick from it, perhaps through a citrus hit? the second course of fish was perfectly cooked - the veloute so buttery & flavourful, plus the pairing with the soybeans & seaweed gave it a beautiful umami flavour.

the dessert
my gluttony wishes there was more food but they are definitely decent sized portions.

service was also on point, but we'd gotten there around 2pm on a saturday, & it was dying down anyway.

need this food again my life, because all i do is work so i can go out to eat. see you soon e'cco!

we had a lovely time for our 15th wedding anniversary. service was prompt and attentive. liked the fact it was byo. the food was wonderful. it's relaxed and not too posh. we had a fun and memorable night. thanks.

a very big restaurant name in brisbane, very high reputation when friends recommended it to me. i went with the 39 dollars lunch special to try it out. i had a really high expectation for.it as everyone talked it up therefore it wasnt an extrodinary experience unfortunately. salmon was good size 4.5 star the steak was okay probably 4 star as well. service waa 3.5 stars.

still has not been beaten. best food we have ever had in brisbane and we are 50 somethings. everything about this restaurant is just right. can't wait to return.

it was nearly two year since our last visit for supporting the bushfire crisis appeal.
read the promotion from the restaurant and noticed that it serves a la cart menu in the weekdays so booked a table for last thursday night.
we occupied the first table on that night at 05:30pm. after perused the menu, we settled with a quail and a cured toothfish for the entrees and the wagyu 7+ striploin and the coral triut for the mains and a side dish of charred broccolini.
first thing came to our table was the complimentary house-made artisan sourdough. it was so nice that explains why the restaurant puts it on the menu for diners putting extra orders.
quail was tenderised and the skin was perfectly caramelised. tooth fish was very refreshing. the wagyu was no doubt a high quality steak and the chef’s culinary skill was flawless. coral trout was so fresh that it looked just filleted from lived fish. the well-done texture was refreshing. importantly, the side dish of charred broccolini matched both mains well.
at last, we did not have any rooms for dessert but we promised ourselves that it would be our goal for next time😋😋😋
previous rating: 5/5 jan 2020; 4/5 may 2015