I've been sitting on writing this review for a few days. Trying to find the right words to adequately describe what a intimate and quality experience we had dining at Gerard's Bar,the little sister to Gerard's Bistro, last Thursday evening. For the uninitiated, this is a charcuterie and cocktail bar. There are no large plates piled high with food. You won't go hungry and if you do it's most likely down to not ordering enough or correctly. Harsh but fair. If you're still reading and still interested, what you will find is a menu carefully crafted with a variety of salumi, a handful of cheeses (no decision overload), a selection of small plates (don't question it and just order the Sobrassada with grilled Bee One Third Honeycomb) and a drink menu to whet any appetite. The seating is bar style so prepare to perch yourself upon a Tolix stool and as you do, take a moment to notice the Moroccan tiles beneath your feet. And then admire the concrete bar tops. The wow-factor is in the interior and restaurant fit-out as much as it is the menu. Nothing has been overlooked including the jars of made-in-house pickles. For my dining partner and I we left with a bill rounding out to approximately $55 each. If you've dined at Gerard's Bistro, you know head chef Ben Williamson is about quality food for affordable prices and doesn't believe in charging over and above what is necessary. This ethos has carried across the James Street laneway. That $55 each gave us a drink each and more salumi than we care to admit (it comes in 50g servings but even this is deceivingly large), 2 small plates, a cheese and a dessert. Our dessert, inched so close to overtaking the love I have for the Sobrassada. The chef said to us he'd recommend the frozen yoghurt mousse over any of the other desserts (I'm still planning to try the Sarsparilla granita on my next visit) for its palette cleansing properties. We agreed and before us was a liquid nitrogen science experiment. Given it was a reasonably quiet evening, he took showmanship to the next level and made the dessert right at our section of the back bar table. The texture of the frozen yoghurt mousse is one I still haven't found the words to describe. Suffice to say: just order it and prepare to enjoy. In fact, go to Gerard's Bar with no expectations. Switch off, talk to the bar tenders and the chefs, watch them cutting the Mahi Mahi in front of you, blow torch grill the patties for the cheeseburgers, talk to your dining partner or group of friends, savour each mouthful and walk out satisfied and recharged. read more

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If I lived in Brisbane, this would be my local. Seriously, I would be here ALL. THE. TIME. I would ask if I could salary sacrifice Gerard's Bar as a weekly expense. Why do I love thee? Let me count the ways... I have to start with the charcuterie. Oh my god. I mean, anyone can do 'wine and charcuterie' on a menu, but this is another level. The dishes served here are incredible - every morsel tastier than the next. Things like the spicy spreadable salami, the truffle salami, great cheese selection - the duck liver parfait with PX (YES!) ...just out of this world. We had the mackerel tartare too, which I can't even begin to describe, but it tastes just as good as the theatrics of having pork blowtorched over it in front of you. The wine by the glass list is excellent, good craft beers, and they also have a full cocktail bar. To top it off, the head chef is one of the nicest and most passionate guys around. Food nerds will walk away very satisfied having dined here. I found it to be great value given the exceptional food on offer too. Ok, so I forgot to count...but I think you get the gist of why this place is amazing. I'm ready to go back now. read more

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This little gastropub is pretty cool for Brisbane, it's something I've been waiting for every time I've gone home. An extensive list of charcuterie, a handful of cheeses, and a spot of miscellaneous items thrown in for good measure. The cocktail selection leans heavily on absinthe and aperol -- which I'm not fond of -- but it's the "in" thing right now all over so no harm no foul. I ordered The Quiet Mexican which consisted tequila as its base. Lovely cocktail. My friends and I order some charcuterie, cheese, but my favorite was the Quail Liver Mousse parfait. The Storm Clams were amazing and I wish we had ordered more. The cheeseburger was decent as was the mulloway tartare. Love the presentation of torching the lardo over the plate. Great little spot to hang out with friends. read more

Found this place just walking around with my friend and ended up going for dinner. Wow, firstly the service was amazing. Staff were all helpful with the menu. Water was consistently topped up. They asked about our favourites and feedback on the cocktail. Service was perfect. Food was fantastic. Presentation was amazing. Flavour was amazing. Went with recommendations of some meats and wow... just blown away with the flavour and texture of them. Had a very new smokey whiskey cocktail which was amazing. And was surprised by the bill, it was pretty reasonable considering what we had. Well done! read more

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A last night out in Oz after a wonderful trip and the recommendation to try Gerard's was spot on! Hipster cool, super friendly staff and fun food. I had an assortment of small plates and asked for the Vesper martini. read more

Gerard's Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Fortitude Valley, QLD

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First of all, I'm a massive fan of Gerard's Bistro - they produce some of the most interesting, delicious food in Brisbane at a very reasonable price and I have enjoyed every time I've been there. So when I heard that they were going to open up a charcuterie bar, I was excited and waiting in anticipation of what Ben Williamson was going to put up. Luckily I got my opportunity last Saturday when I happened to be in the area around lunchtime. It's not overly obvious where it is as it's off James St, behind where Gerard's Bistro is. If you walk through the laneway where the restaurant is and across the carpark, you'll see the tell-tale dry meats hanging in the window. The bar is small with only a few tables and couches with the majority of seating being at the bar. An impressive selection of liquors line the wall behind the bar with a row of pickled vegetables in jars on the shelving above it. We were instantly greeted on arrival and told we could sit anywhere so we chose the bar. It was a quiet time with only a few other couples there. Menus were already laid before us and display a long list of salumi with a range of cheeses, snacks, sweet snacks, Spanish preservas and pates & terrines. The price of the salumi ranges from $8-$28 with serves being 50g. Cheeses are under $10 (for 50g serves) and the rest of the menu is under $20. After some long deliberation, we chose a serve of the Morcon Ahumado Picante (La Boqueria, classic Spanish smoked salami with chilli paprika, nutmeg and rum) and the Cinghale Bocconcini (Quattro Stelle, tiny cured salami made from Australian wild boar). Additionally the Mahi Mahi Tartare with Jerusalem artichoke chips, fermented kohlrabi, kimchi, shiso and smoked lardo appealed so we ordered that too. The drinks menu is extensive and features a range of wine, beer, ciders, cocktails and liquor. It was too early in the day for me to drink but my friend ordered a Moo Brew Dark Ale which he loved. A wooden board (the standard to serve on these days but actually made sense in this case) soon appeared with the cured meats and was accompanied by a bowl of pickles and a piece of a baguette. I requested some crackers to go with it too and was given a few large shards of what was essentially a cracker. The Spanish salami was sliced thin and was soft with the hint of nutmeg and rum flavour. The boar salami was smaller and harder with a stronger gamier flavour. Hard to say which was my favourite! The pickles were an array of items including cabbage, cucumber, chilli and garlic. Soon afterwards the Mahi Mahi appeared and then the bartender proceeded to use a blowtorch to smoke and melt the lardo onto the bowl. The combination of the kimchi and tuna was absolutely delicious and my favourite of what we ordered. After eating most of the salami and devouring the Mahi Mahi, I ordered the hard goats cheese which came with additional crackers and some fruit paste, which went well with the remaining meat. Verdict? A new favourite for me due to excellent food, reasonable prices and also excellent service. Can't wait until my next visit! read more

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I hate to speak well of Gerard's Bar publicly because I want it to myself. This is my new favorite place in Brisbane. The idea here is Spain. Well, I've not been to Spain, but I have been to Buenos Aires and this place does remind me of that fantastic city. The atmosphere is very cool and minimalist. The ambience is completely laid back so don't come here in a rush and try to force your will on the one or two people preparing the food. Don't be in a hurry. This is somewhere you should kick back, sip your wine and eat the food as it arrives while you judiciously tick off the orders. If you're not prepared to go with the flow, then you should go elsewhere. Seriously, don't harsh the vibe. The food options are limited, but much more than adequate and incredibly inventive. On top of the charcuterie options of salami, cheese, olives, canned seafood and pate, there are also dishes like the following: -Spreadable salami mixed with homemade rye crisp and honeycomb. Wow. -Double-cheeseburger cooked with a flipping blow torch -Green egg concoction filled with candied bacon and, possibly, angel tears Gerard's smartly combines excellent food with perfect drink options. The wines, champagnes and beers absolutely and beautifully match the delicious food. read more

Charcuterie, cheese and sherry. The holy trinity of deliciousness can all be found at Gerard's Bar. If you can't get in to big brother Gerard's across the street then this is where you need to be. The view of the carpark may not be the prettiest sight while having dinner outside, but once you have mounds of cured meat in front of you it hardly matters. Pro tip: save space for the burger. read more

Great atmosphere. But it has meat hanging in the front Windows how could it not... Plenty of good reviews and all justified. Thought id be the negative one. So... Only one beer on tap. Only one unisex toilet ( there are more across the car park), it's.. kinda in a car park, only new so qld summer outside (front) yet to be proven a good idea. But that's about it. It's a great place. Nice staff. On the upper side price wise but quality is there to justify it. Go and enjoy! Ps Can get crowded read more

Yes. Yes. Yes. Do yourself a favour and go here on a sunny afternoon and settle in to stay awhile. Get the gin & tonic, and as much food as you can eat. The cheeseburger is the best in Brisbane. The spreadable salami with rye and honeycomb is ah-mah-zing and the staff will help you pick the perfect wine to go with your selections and your mood. This is absolutely a thing. read more

Gerard's Bar - Half eaten, much enjoyed - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Fortitude Valley, QLD

Gastropub? The word gastropub, sounds like pre-diarrhoea. -- or maybe returning to a bar where you snuck in at 17, binge-drank and threw your guts up and now everytime you get an invitation to the place you feel like running to the toilet. I hate that word, but it is fitting here where the food is as good as/better than the alcohol/you would drop in for a bite and not just a drink Walking in at 1045 on a Saturday night I was reminded how annoying drunk people are when you're not drunk. It was Louder towards the front, but at the very back of the indoor space we sat a concrete slab that was large enough to accommodate all the plates we and drinks we ordered, and taking a seat in industrial style barstools our experience began. At the back the sound level was fine, and the service was OUTSTANDING - staff were friendly and very knowledgeable about everything on the menu. Look & Atmosphere The industrial look is typically not an aesthetic I enjoy - but here it fits well. The unfinished concrete are perhaps a metaphor for the brilliant food, simply served and oozing quality but not in an intimidating way - one that says hey, i'm good as f*ck just eat me and you'll see. Drinks We ordered the BOTANIKA, served in a carafe, so approximately 4x serves in tumblers provided. Tastes like drinking springtime. beautiful flowers float throughout - it's so baller, you know that flower scene where DiCaprio is wearing a white three-piece suit in Luhrmann's Gatsby remake, you remember how many flowers were in that room? That's what it tasted like. Really. F*cking. Good. FOOD Now I realise that tapas have gone out of favour within the last 12 months as smaller serves have gone out of favour, as people want a decent meal. But, you shoulda seen this platter - sabrosada, tuna done in a compressed salami dry-cured style, and the bread was off the hook. Now this was served up in an honest yet sophisticated and stylish way - all not too fussy. I almost forgot about the dessert - HAVE IT. We had poached nectarine served in a deconstructed style, superb - this could have been a dish from Stokehouse. Just f*ckin' order dessert okay? STAFF The staff knew their sh*t! They were friendly, attentive, and offered fantastic recommendations that we really enjoyed. They deserved the fat tip they got. Wait staff elsewhere take note - whether or not Australians typically leave a gratuity, there was NO WAY I was going to leave without saying thank you via $$ - well-deserved indeed. I would call the place versatile: it's a bar, but a bar you would go to because the food was MAD decent( now mind you, I wouldn't walk in without shoes - but who would??). It was relaxed, but it was sophisticated - I suppose it was the experience you made it, but hey they were always poised for success because this joint is standout. read more

What a fun bar! My date and I taste-tested a few drinks thanks to Gerard's amazing mixologist. We also had a taste from a selection of nice wines!!!! What a fun last night in Brisbane. read more

burger good. cocktails good. cheese and charcuterie selection good. pastrami sandwich - you must eat this and if you don't, know that you have never really lived! That last one was originally in all CAPS but yelp doesn't allow that. So just imagine me shouting that at you. In a really nice shouty way of course. Go eat it. read more

What a place, friendly staff, even the security guy is very nice, we where walking past and weren't planing on staying, but due to persistence , of the security guy, we ended up going and stayed a few hours. Tried the espresso martini , yum and the food world class. Would highly recommend for locals, interstate , as well as international guests. read more

Good little eats, great wine pairings, helpful staff.

After reading the reviews here I had expected a real taste of Spain. Having lived in Barcelona, this Bar's food was a disappointment. We tried the Sobrassada , which was not spreadable. It would have been helpful to have served it with some olive oil. The fresh loaf of bread was very nice. The Wagyu Beef mini Cheeseburger was also disappointing. The staff were friendly and the price was reasonable. We will try the Bistro next time. read more

its overpriced as all 'trendy james st' places seem to be. The staff cut me off after serving me 3 standard drinks despite the fact I informed them that i A) I have a disability that causes my voice to sound slurred even when i'm stone cold sober and B) struggle to walk in heels. We had a tab and it was well over what would be expected ($700 for 5 people about 2 drinks each and a few cheese platters) also nothing on the menu to cater for gluten intolerance OR vegetarians. Thank you for the total embarrasment of hanging out at your 'bar'. It's also nearly impossible to find. Very unpleasant. Stuck up. Not worth it. Save your money, go to fourth wall nearby or junk bar in ashgrove if you want a real cocktail cheese platter experience and don't go there if you have any disability at all. The staff won't care or believe you. Also despite it being 9 degrees the heaters were off outside. Standard staurday night at Gerards maybe? read more