I will admit from the outset Lebanese is not my favourite cuisine but I do love fresh food & good…read moreservice and this joint has both in ABUNDANCE. in fact the service is GREAT. Now lets get the look of the place out of the way. A sparkling clean takeaway with tables. Upmarket kebab shop would about cover it. It also had gas heaters which were welcome. Lastly, but definitely not least, the food was Great with a capital G. Fresh, plentiful & heaps of flavour. The platters large & full of tempting tasties. (We ordered #1 & #7 on the platters menu) Both came with fresh Pita, tabbouli & really good, strong flavoured dips. #1 included a selection of rolls & pastries. #7 was a choice of chicken or lamb. No room for sweets but I was tempted. Next time. And there will be a next time. Will definately go again ... for the SERVICE alone. He was lovely.

Truly Brisbane's best kept secret!…read more Firstly, this is not a fine dining establishment, it's more like a take away shop with outdoor (street side) seating, but don't let that put you off! The food & service more than makes up for what this place lacks in ambiance. The (who we believe to be) owner is incredibly friendly, patient & helpful, happy to explain each dish and make recommendations. He's also quick with a joke & loves to have a chat, giving excellent personal service. We'd gone here on a Living Social voucher, and were wary as past voucher experiences had been a bit hit & miss. At Ba'Albek however, we were treated the same as all the other diners. The voucher entitled us to the Banquet off the menu, usually reserved for 4 people, a selection of 8 tapas style dishes & 2 meat skewers each, followed by coffee & baklava. To say the food was delicious would be an understatment, it was amazing! The hommus & falafel were the best I've ever eaten, and the rest of the dishes were an impressive assortment of new experiences. So fresh & full of flavour, kudos to the chef. And there was just so much of it, we were willing to forego the coffee & desert, but the owner insisted we take the baklava home & we were so glad he did, it was absolutely divine, melt-in-your-mouth good! Do yourselves a favour, eat here!

Vibrant funky restaurant with great staff and service. We…read morehad sharing dishes with vibe leaves, barramundi and fried spinach and burgher balls. Great flavours. Very enjoyable

Been here several times during my stay in Brisbane and have decided my original 4 should be…read moreupgraded to 5. It is true that the food has not always excited us, but is great as river side venue where it's good people watching and enjoying the sunset. The tunes are pretty decent also. However, Byblos truly stands out as cocktail bar with many unique creations on offer. The bar tenders are fun and produce consistently excellent drinks. To ensure maximum enjoyment of said cocktails, it's best to go for Sunday afternoon happy hour from 3-7. Cocktails $10; beer/wine $5.

Nicey but pricey! This is a lovely venue, the service was…read morevery attentive and we thought that the food was delicious - beautifully presented and cooked well. I just felt that $35 was steep for 1.5 octopus tentacles!

If you are within an hour of this restaurant and you haven't been, you have yet to experience true…read morejoy. Every menu item is made with love and has an authentic, rustic feel that is reminiscent of Mediterranean/Middle Eastern culture. The staff are inviting, attentive and have a warm familiarity that sets their guests at ease. The worst thing about coming here is that I can only eat so much and I always want to try a new menu item whilst longing to revisit old favourites. Each meal is quite sizable, so a single main is often plenty. Olive Thyme consistently offers MORE. More flavour. More food. More joy. Always a good week when I've eaten at Olive Thyme.

Walking through the front door of Vageli's café and bar is just like stepping into the…read moreMediterranean. Wrought iron sculptures decorate the walls and grape vines hang from the ceiling. The restaurant is open and bright with soft colours, the atmosphere is pleasant. Full table service is provided by the friendly staff and you are able to dine indoors or alfresco. My favourite dish is the Cheese Saganaki, a delicate slice of grilled haloumi cheese which is served with fresh tzatziki dip, warm pita bread and a fresh garden salad. I love the squeak of the haloumi cheese and the added tang from a drizzle of lemon juice. The prices are very reasonable and you can pay cash or card. If you are heading to Vageli's for breakfast on the weekend it is best to book ahead - they are famous for the breakfast menu and have won the 'Best Breakfast Restaurant in Brisbane Award' four years running!

Ok I'm going to be honest here; I'm a bit of a breakfast snob. I like my eggs poached and I like to…read morebe surprised with a unique ingredient (even if it's something simple like marinated mushrooms, slow-cooked tomatoes, home-made baked beans; whatever). Finding a saucer of tomato sauce on my plate is a not-so-nice surprise and instantly rings alarm bells; if it needs sauce then the ingredients mustn't carry enough flavour within themselves. Also, I'm not so much of a fan of a full breakfast which looks and tastes like something anyone can make at home. Sadly, this is what I found at Vagelis. We ordered two "Mini Breakfasts" ($7.95 each) which came with a slice of thick buttered white toast, one grilled tomato, two rashers of bacon, a fried egg, chipolata sausage pierced onto the egg with a toothpick and a single piece of lettuce as garnish. Oh and the tomato sauce, of course. Not having a choice of how I wanted my egg done irked me somewhat, but it was still nice and runny, so I was content. Don't get me wrong - it was a tasty meal, and a cheap one at that, it just didn't 'wow' me.

If you're looking for a place to test your patience, practice mindfulness, or age gracefully while…read morewaiting for your food, Mecca Bah is the spot! We arrived full of hope and left full of... well, nothing, because after two hours our food was still making its spiritual pilgrimage from the kitchen. Drinks took 30 minutes to arrive, which gave us plenty of time to reflect on life's big questions, like will I ever see my water glass filled? (Spoiler: No.) At one point, I started to believe the waitstaff were part of an elaborate social experiment to see how long humans can survive on sheer willpower. But hey, at least we left with one thing--dehydration and a newfound appreciation for fast food. Would I recommend it? Only if you bring a tent and some emergency rations. 1/5 stars, and that's being generous.

The "dietary menu" has some great vegan and gluten-free options. Great cocktails as well. The new…read morelocation by Gasworks is nice! Their pizzas are unique and delicious.

I love olives. So it makes sense that my mind-tank…read moreautomatically processed the Purple Olive with fun delicious times. Located very handily on James St, this place is slightly remnicist of the alfresco establishments of Europe (although slightly more clean!) I've heard mixed reviews on the food, but I found the Fettuce al Salmon rich and super tasty (and thats something from a usual non-pasta eater!) The semi-dried tomatos + fetta combo never fails to placate my rumbling stomach and the pasta was soft and perfectly cooked. Although a bit too pricey for the everyday I'll definitely come back to sample the intriguing "Beef Cheeks in Red wine" main. This place is buzzing on the weekends, so be sure to book ahead.

At the "old" end of James St (cue - not near all the new trendy stuff) sits The Purple Olive...it's…read morea small and more traditional type space but what it lacks in cool factor it makes up for in authenticity, value and taste! The burnt butter gnocchi is a winner, as are almost all the pizzas, the veal scallopini, the duck gnocchi, the rocket, pear & parmesan salad and the salt & pepper squid. They have a really reasonably priced wine list, cocktail specials up on the blackboard and also do an amazing tiramisu for dessert...if you've got room! There's a cool little spot in the restaurant where you can have a table of about 8-12 people next to an exposed brick wall and it's slightly separated from the rest of the restaurant if you want to celebrate a special occasion. Also bookable on Dimmi which is a tick from me. Downside is that parking can be tough, especially since the CityCycle station was set up in front of them. Also, the bathrooms are outside the restaurant around the corner (shared with an apartment block & 2 other restaurants). All in all though, this place is a fave - one of the best, most consistent and enjoyable Mediterranean food experiences that works as a couple or as a large group - we keep coming back...! 9/10.

Dish Bistro is one of those casual eateries that make for a simple dining experience. There is…read morenothing over the top about the food. It's delicious Mediterranean cuisine that does a good job to highlight the fresh ingredients. I feel that Dish Bistro must have a hard time filling seat seeing as they are physically directly opposite Beccofino, which has a long lasting following and is always popular. It's not often that you see Dish with more diners than their rivals across the road. For Dish though, it's their breakfast that is seriously memorable. Buttermilk pancakes with fresh strawberries and organic maple syrup? Ummm....yes please! They only serve breakfast on the weekend, but it is definitely what keeps them remembered. The coffee is a little bit of a let down, but it's hard to tell whether it's the blend or the barista that is responsible. I am definitely a fan of Dish Bistro's breakfasts but can think of places I would rather go for lunch or dinner to spend a similar amount of money. But if you're in the area and need something delicious to kick start your day, Dish gets my thumbs up.

These guys are the cutest, most enthused cafe go-getters you'll find in bris…read more Food is always delicious and very very fresh. The cater to allergies - win. Service can be a little hit and miss, but that's only based on speed and efficiency. They're never rude or obnoxious. At best they hit the a little too excited to see you greet you and then say hi :-)

The old Stafford City kebab joint (pretty sure they're now going by "Ispa Kebabs", although the…read moreproduct remains unchanged) conveniently located right outside the movies to catch the hungry swarms coming or going from the latest Fast & Furious flick. They've been there, same location, different names over the years, since at least 2001 when I first tried a kebab as an inquisitive 13 year old. Frozen in time, their display and menu has not changed. Most importantly, the kebab has remained a tasty one, varying only slightly in quality depending on the staff (predominately middle eastern) rolling your kebab. The range on the menu is typical kebab joint fare. Lamb & chicken kebabs are available with their beloved lettuce, tomato and onion (if you're a veteran of kebab joints, that's the order you'll hear the salads shilled in, too!) plus extras such as cheese, tabouli, olives, pineapple and mushrooms. Hot chips are also available, although not once have I ever seen the fryer cooking up a batch. It's all about the kebabs, here. Dolmades (Mediterranean rice wrapped in vine leaves) and even the option for a "kebab burger" is on offer, but as adventurous as I am with my food, I can't seem to go past my old faithful Jumbo chicken with cheese and BBQ sauce, hold the rabbit food. Occasionally, I've done a Lamb kebab with hot chilli sauce, garlic yogurt, cheese and olives which is a bonafide winner, but really, I don't come here for adventure, I stop by because I know exactly what I'm getting. A generously stuffed kebab that'll fill a hole for under 15 bucks. Nothing more, nothing less. 3 1/2 Stars.

Called this restaurant to make a reservation with Ashley (the manager) and was told it was…read moreconfirmed. When arrived there the place was in utter chaos and no table was available. We were asked to sit on 2 seperate tables until a table was cleared to sit down. 20 mins later No drink menu or even an update as to what was going on. Finally went and spoke to server asking why we weren't even given the menu when people who came after were seated and happily ready to order. Finally we got the menu and got a table to sit. Already 30 mins had gone by. We place an order for drinks which showed up 20 mins later and tasted like water. Very dissapointing! We placed an order for some entrees and and our dinner order! Waited for 1 and half hours and nothing! Not even an apology for why the delay was, We finally asked to cancel the order due to the fact that the place does not even have air conditioning! And it was steaming hot. The place was holding a large crowd which I felt like exceeded the capacity. I will never step foot in this place again. Extremely disappointed on the standards of service shown by the manager on how to handle this type of situation.