Swill
Hotel Orient
560 Queen St
Brisbane
Mon-Sat
Lunch, Dinner
Licensed
3839 4625

The classic Richard Gailey designed Hotel Orient is not just one of Brisbane's oldest surviving pubs, dating from 1875, but was also the hotel that Powderfinger called home in their early pub performing days. Today it has been carefully restored and Swill is the classic pub dining room that inhabits the first floor.

A world away from the boisterous bar downstairs, Swill's dining area is a charming old word affair with exposed rough-hewn red brick walls, carpet, leadlight windows, cool background tunes and a Yak head on the wall.

The food is well executed pub grub, with steak (with mushroom, chilli or pepper sauce), and signature Swill burgers featuring on the menu along with chicken schnitzel, spaghetti marinara, vegetarian frittata or slow roasted pork belly. All come with chips and salad except the pasta and Atlantic salmon.

This place is a real find for those hankering after some simple food in a pub setting and done with panache – a hard act to follow on cold winter nights.

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