Nota has popped up as a noble attempt at filling some big chef shoes, taking over the space formerly occupied by long-term Brisbane icon, Montrachet.
Owned by Kevin Docherty and Sebastiaan De Kort (also of CBD fromagerie The Cheese Pleaser), Nota is a European-style affair serving up tantalising snacks and a tight, mouthwatering menu.
Kevin and Seb met while working at the Spanish-influenced Moda, with that Iberian flair making its way to Nota’s menu too. While they were working as part of a large team at Moda, the boys knew their cooking styles were compatible: “we have a similar vision,” says Seb. “We knew we would cross paths further down the line.”
Now, Nota is the result of that vision – a minimal but attractive take on the suburban restaurant, with plenty of exposed brick and bottles on display making for a moody Insta-paradise, or the perfect place to curl up with a dignified cocktail (or three).
To start your Nota experience, Kevin recommend kicking off with a “few snacks and cocktails, and move into the chef’s selection.”
Said chef’s selection is a round-up of the best dishes on offer, coming in at either $55 or $75 dependning on the number of courses – a great way to try the experts’ (read: owners’) picks, and leave the choosing to someone else!
If you are brave enough to pick your own dishes, Seb recommends the quail with sweet corn polenta and burnt butter paired with Sonos Wines’ Carignan/cinsault, while Kev’s pick is the fish sandwich (a fancy take with house tartare and mustard cress) with the Nota sour – a Frangelico-based take on the standard.
Other standouts include the savoury churro with Ortiz anchovy and honey (trust me), sirloin with garlicky Hasselback potatoes and bone marrow sauce, and agnolotti with smoked eggplant, crispy pancetta, and Pecorino Romano – you’re going to want an agno-lotta these!
The classy beverage menu features rejigged takes on classic cocktails (like Our Martini, with German gin Monkey 47, Lillet Blanc, and Casa Mariol Blanco vermouth) and a broad but tidy wine offering including Fortitude Valley restaurant Happy Boy’s collaborations with Murdoch Hill and La Violetta, exclusive to the two venues.
Beers on offer include favourites from Stone & Wood, Peroni, and Balter, as well as some unexpected new favourites like the Barley Griffin pale ale by Canberra’s BentSpoke Brewing Co, and a Belgian-style blonde by Madocke Beer Brewing Company from the Gold Coast. Seb and Kevin also hint that a collaboration with beer writer and expert Matt Kirkegaard is in the works once Nota has found its feet.
Though there’s undeniably pressure involved in taking over such a well-known location, Seb and Kev have put together an offering that’s sure to have Nota being noteworthy in its own regard.
