Parents, parental figures, your mates who are pushing 30 – no matter who you look up to, dining with those from another generation is a completely different experience to hitting up KaiKai for a fried chicken and loaded fries buffet with your mates.
Because they deserve a great meal in an environment that won’t make them uncomfortable (anywhere with references or noises they don’t understand), we’ve rounded up a list of Brisbane’s most parent-friendly restaurants to make your job of organising dinner that much easier (jokes on them if they expect you to pay though, you know you have about $10.32 left to last until payday).
Go, enjoy the dad jokes, buy mum a glass of wine – because all kidding aside, your parents are the absolute best, and if they raised your smart ass and still love you, they deserve an award-winning feast.
The Garden Pantry | West End
Mum wants hearty Italian food, Dad’s up in arms because he’s trying to be healthy, and you just want someone to make a goddamn decision. Lead your tribe to The Garden Pantry and you’ll find the ultimate dining hall with three eateries to choose from, namely Salt Meats Cheese (for all your Italian eats), Cheeky Poké (for those Hawaiian bowls the kids are always going on about) and Mr. Bunz (for bloody good bao). Once you’ve each picked your bites, come together with the folks in the lush, contemporary garden surrounds… and wait for them to ask why they don’t have grandchildren yet.
Nota | Paddington
For the ‘rents that like to eat light and drink well, Nota is the right call. Paddington’s cosy and quiet yet extremely atmospheric space is big on European-style snacks and share-plates that are perfect additions to celebrating special occasions with your family. Order a mix of savoury churros with ortiz anchovy and honey, confit pork with toasted brioche and jamon and slow cooked octopus with raspberry emulsion, fennel and citrus, and a round of smoked old fashioned cocktails (if you’ll pardon the pun). How long before dad says ‘this place is rather notable’?
Julius Pizzeria | South Brisbane
Great pizza and pasta, and zero chance for disaster. Julius Pizzeria is an enthusiastically owned Fish Lane staple, complete with a wood-fired pizza oven, the best Aperol spritzes in town, and a whole lot of Italian hospitality. Keep an eye out for the specials or order calamari, tartufo pizza and calzoncino for the table before taking your grownups on a stroll through South Bank (mostly to walk off all those carbs). WHOLESOME.
Billykart Kitchen | Annerley
If their hearts are in the suburbs, take the olds to Billykart Kitchen for something closer to home. With dinner running every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 6pm, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to head down for the monthly-changing menu. Expect to see something matching the same quality as cassoulet duck with Basque saucisson, cannellini and horseradish crème fraîche, mussels Provencal or crab parmentier (if you couldn’t tell, we wrote this when the month’s theme was ‘France’ – y’all could be in Italy by now). Frankly, whichever parent carries the cooking at home will be glad to step out of their kitchen.
One Fish Two Fish | Kangaroo Point
‘80s music – that’s it, you’ve sold them. With One Fish Two Fish taking a musical trip down memory lane and a modern yet approachable take on classic seafood favourites, this Kangaroo Point banger of a family-friendly restaurant is tonight’s dinner pick. Share the night away with whole fish of the day and chorizo potato bake, or go solo with Thai green curry, mushroom tagliatelle and soft shell crab sliders. After all, dad is still on the ‘see food’ diet…
Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers | Paddington
If your parents take literally HOURS reading through a menu, take them to Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers. We’d like to see them take that long with six gnocchi options, but given how good each of them look, it still might (damn it). For time’s sake, know that the wild mushroom and truffle sauce gnocchi is 10/10, made better with mopping bread, and topped off with a serve of fresh Sicilian cannelloni. Bellissimo.
Donna Chang | CBD
Modern Chinese dining has never been finer. Donna Chang is one for our fancy folks, or again for special occasions, with the space boasting luxurious materials, chandeliers and high quality eats. Sink into a velvet booth (make sure dad doesn’t fall asleep) and start the night right with serves of spanner crab with silken tofu, abalone and egg whites, Chinese roasted duck with Davidson plum and five spice, and wood-roasted Moreton Bay bugs with salted duck egg and fermented chilli. The only other woman you’ll end up respecting as much as your mother is Ms. Chang.
Hellenika | Fortitude Valley
If your life is too similar to My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Hellenika is the perfect place to catch up with your parents (assuming that the other 50 people in your family don’t automatically take on the invite as well). The Calile Hotel’s signature Greek restaurant will wow the crowd from the very first zucchini chip to the very last forkful of spanakopita, right before the moment your mother asks why you can’t cook like this. How else will you marry???
Here’s to family – the cause of and solution to all of life’s problems.
