Welcome to Brisbane

Fact: eating a hearty meal in Brisbane is much cheaper than eating the same hearty meal in other Australian cities such as Melbourne,

Gold Coast and Sydney, so make sure that you make the most of your gastronomic cravings when you visit Brisbane.

Featured in this article are the most recommended restaurants that can

be found in some of Brisbane's popular commercial complexes.

First in the grouping are restaurants along the eastern end of the

Adelaide strip. most of which are noted for receiving awards as reflected by their innovative culinary delights. One of these is E'cco, Brisbane's most highly awarded restaurant which including Courier-Mall Best Restaurant Award, Best Restaurant in the Central Business District of Brisbane and Best Restaurant in Queensland American Express Award.

It is located along the corners of Boundary and Adelaide Streets.

In 2001, E'cco made it to the American Express Award Hall of Fame.

E'cco is certainly for those who are aspiring to taste the modern Australian menu. Savor your taste buds with eggplant and yogurt dip, egg yolk ravioli

with asparagus, seared scallops and tomato and goat's cheese couscous while get impressed with the restaurant's relaxing interior. One day to two

days reservations in E'cco is encouraged especially in weekends. It’s open from Tuesday to Saturday.

Another restaurant located in Adelaide Street is Circa, which is elegantly radiant with its old handmade brick wall structure. "Australian cuisine with a French twist" has always been the phrase that describes Circa's palatable dishes and one can enjoy them while overlooking the Brisbane River and Story Bridge. Aside from the good food, customers will also feel at ease with best wines Circa has to offer.

Eagle Street Pier is dubbed as Brisbane's Premier Dining Precinct. True to its name, Eagle Street Pier houses some of the most iconic and famous dining institutions in Brisbane. It is also the most frequently awarded restaurant strip. One of these restaurants is the Il Centro Restaurant and Bar which showcases the spectacular view of the Brisbane River and Story Bridge while offering its diners mouth-watering dishes like Beef Capaccio, Lobster Gnocchi, Milkfed Lamb, Kangaroo Striploin and Veal Scallopine among other tasteful delights. Since its establishment in 1992, the restaurant has already reaped a number of awards such as The Courier-Mail Good Food Award for Best New Restaurant (1993), American Express Restaurant Awards: four-time Best Brisbane Restaurant and once as Best Queensland Restaurant in 2001. It also made its way to the Hall of Fame of the Brisbane Tourism Awards.

Another notable restaurant in the Eagle Street is Vino's Restaurant which is well-known for its European-influenced modern Australian menu, as well as their vegetarian dishes. Grab a taste of Vino's fresh market seafood plate, braised rabbit or chilled Queensland prawn salad. It has garnered awards from the Queensland Hotels Association and Australian Hotels Association.

In the previous article, we have discussed on some of the highly-recommended and most-awarded restaurants located in Brisbane’s popular commercial complexes, with a focus on Adelaide Street and Eagle Street Pier. This time, we will unearth some of Brisbane’s not-so-hidden food treasures and explore each one’s unique treats for their prospective diners.

Isis, which is situated in Brisbane's old red light district, in Fortitude Valley's Brunswick Street opened in 1997 and is now considered as one of Queensland's most dynamic restaurants. It received positive raves from critics, bagging awards such as Restaurant of the Year from the Sunday Mail (2001) and The Courier Mail (2005) and Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year from Restaurant and Caterers (2005). Taste some of Australia's finest via

their roasted Queensland scallops, roasted banyard quail, roasted grass fed Black Angus beef, Char grilled Buffalo fillet and Caramel baked baby apple.

Isis also offers a comprehensive wine list which wine lovers will definitely look forward to. One can try any of their aperitifs (Campari, Pernod, Lillet ), sherries (Tio Pepe Fino, Lustau), Champagne (Stonier, Krug, Croser), Riesling (Crawford River, Mesh, Goaty Hill) and Pinot Grigio (Bortoluzzi, Pipers Brook, Tiefenbrunner) among others.

Finest modern dining is highly recommended in the riverside-located Watt, found within the Brisbane Powerhouse Center of Live Arts. The restaurant has intelligently fused food, music and space, attracting customers for a unique entertainment and ambient mood. Aside from its modern dining motif, it also includes a Park Lounge which is open from 10 in the morning until the wee hours of the night, serving light snacks, coffees and cocktails. The restaurant has been a two-time recipient of the Best Al Fresco Restaurant Award (2004 and 2006) from the Restaurant and Caterers. Watt is also a perfect place for function, more than the usual dining area. Basically, Watt accepts award celebrations, media releases, client lunches, product launches, wedding receptions and product launches,.

Watt's menu is mainly composed of a fusion of Asian, Middle Eastern and Eurpean to Australian menu. One shouldn't leave Watt without having a taste of sand crab ravioli with seared scallops, one of their innovative cocktails. Other recommended in the menu are organic pumpkin & pepita bread, witlof and fennel salad, local barramundi and Atlantic salmon.

Are you looking for a purely vegetarian restaurant in Brisbane? Then Govinda's restaurant is the one for you. Govinda's is located at Elizabeth Street, and has been serving authentic vegetarian food, only from the finest ingredients for the past twenty years. Govinda's offer an eat-all-you can buffet, thus their North Indian influenced-foods assure the diners a unique blend of nutritious and satisfying meal. Including in their menu are Fragrant Jasmine Rice, vegetable curry, lentil soup, fresh garden salad, vegetable puffs, fruit pudding and more.

Don't forget to try these restaurants in Brisbane: Mythos Greek Restaurant (New Farm), Aloha Malaysian Restaurant (Fortitude Valley), Tukka (West End) and Breakfast Creek Wharf Seafood Restaurant (Newstead).