Urbane Restaurant Brisbane: If you are anything like us, then the success of your city trip will be linked to the food you eat and the restaurants you find along the way. As a business traveller, you’ll be looking for a place which falls within the magic triangle of professional service, high quality food and original yet comfortable ambiance.
Brisbane’s Urbane Restaurant ticks those boxes, which makes it our top recommendation for dinner after a long day of work or sightseeing: unwind, celebrate and put your taste buds into the skilled hands of internationally renowned Executive Chef Alejandro Cancino and his team.
Originally from mesmerizing Argentina, Alejandro has traveled extensively and honed his skills in the UK, Spain and Japan. In 2013, he was honoured by Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine’s Restaurant Awards for Best New Talent, in addition to being named Chef of the Year 2013 by The Good Food Guide.
Degustation Menu at Urbane Restaurant in Brisbane
Urbane Restaurant offers two degustation menus with 5 or 8 courses, and either one can be omnivore (for people who eat everything) or herbivore (for vegetarians or vegans). We chose the 5 course herbivore degustation menu and what a treat it was!
What surprised us most was the delicacy and harmony of all the dishes, originally presented on stones and other earthy materials. Each course came with a matching wine from Australia or New Zealand, creating in a sensual and sensational dining experience which we’ll remember for years to come.
Even with the most familiar ingredients, such as cauliflower or pumpkin, Urbane Restaurant delivers exceptionally original flavours and sequences of courses. The cauliflower with sunflower seeds and buckwheat was one of our favourites, together with the pumpkin with polenta and porcini, as they both just melted in our mouths. The coffee ice-cream desert was an excellent way to end the degustation menu, as it provided a fresh sensation without having to order coffee.
Behind the scenes: eco-smart hospitality
After enjoying one of our best dining experiences so far, another highlight followed: the Urbane Restaurant behind the scenes tour with Pablo from Spain, also chef and a good friend of Alejandro, with whom we had chatted earlier at the table.
We started the tour in the kitchen, where we were greeted by the friendly faces of a very international team, catering both to the fine dining Urbane Restaurant, and its next-door “little sister” and slightly more casual The Euro, a European-inspired brasserie. The high standard of the food is the same in both restaurants, so if you are looking for a more casual experience, The Euro is your place.
Sustainability initiatives at Urbane Restaurant
When we choose a restaurant or accommodation to review for GreenCityTrips.com, we not only look for top quality food and good quality/price ratios, but also if the persons running the business are genuinely committed to environmental best practice. Urbane Restaurant ticks both boxes.
Below video shows how Urbane Restaurant actively supports local farmers and aims to keep its environmental footprint as small as possible. Technology plays a key role in achieving this and at Urbane organic waste from the kitchen goes into the on-site composer (which surprisingly does not smell at all!), a high-tech machine turning waste into nutritious, natural fertilizer, used on-site to grow herbs in the restaurant backyard.
Big thanks to Alejandro, Andy and the entire Urbane team for the a great time at a great restaurant. A very special and truly unique dining experience which we recommend to anyone visiting Brisbane.
Check out our Brisbane page for more info and tips on eco-friendly accommodation, tours and activities.