Blackbird Bar & Restaurant

Blackbird Bar & Restaurant is the glamazon of the Riverside Centre, occupying curvaceous upper floor premises that command royal box seat views of the Story Bridge.

The third and biggest venture from the owners of swish long-time bar eatery Byblos, Blackbird incorporates an indoor outdoor cocktail and whisky bar, luxuriant private dining room and a restaurant which revolves around a giant wood-fired Argentinian grill that is the only one of its kind in Australia.

The entrance to Blackbird is via an unassuming signed door just behind the Pig’n’Whistle – from here step inside and take the elevator or the carpeted stairs up to where the action is: the restaurant with its scarlet and royal blue curved booths, flocked black and gold/silver wallpaper (and must-see separate dining room with bathtub light feature) or the bar overlooking the river, with its chain curtains, crystal whisky decanter light fittings and al fresco gold couches.

Cocktails are a work of art served with theatrical flair  at Blackbird and divided into themes inspired by the Prohibition era: The Roaring Twenties, Bootlegger and the Escape from Bootleg (an alcoholic foray into the Caribbean and Cuba for those wealthy enough to escape the US). Out of the Roaring Twenties come cocktails like the Molls Martini or the Charlie Chaplin while in the Speakeasy/Bootlegger stakes Honey the Milkman is Here (chai-infused honey water with duck-fat washed Canadian whisky) is served in a vintage milk bottle with straw or the Weekly Tincture (house negroni with special Asian tincture that comes on the side with eye dropper).

The whisky list is extensive with rye, bourbon, blended, single malt, Japanese, Canadian, Australian and Irish all on the menu and rum hails from Cuba, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Guatemala and the Virgin Islands.

Meanwhile beer drinkers will find tap beer, lager, pilsener, pale Indian ale, wheat, Porters, Stout and dark ales available. Otherwise, the champagne is French, and wines mostly Oz with a handful of European.

By day and evening there’s a foodie’s bar menu that ranges from charcuterie, cheese or shellfish plates to House burgers, crispy fried local sand whiting fillets with fries and crispy pork kroeskies with citrus and herb mayo.

On the restaurant menu delectable hot starters include wild rabbit and black truffle tortellini with garden peas or wood BBQ octopus in oloroso sherry with plumped raisins and chorizo on toast.

But the underlying source of most of the deliciousness here is the Infierno96 Wood Grill, the 3m open fire cooker that dominates the kitchen and permeates most of the food’s unique flavour.

As such it’s a carnivore’s dream with a display cabinet of top shelf meats to choose from just inside the entrance: Darling Downs Black Angus Scothc fillet, Kobe cuisine wagyu sirloin and Northern Rivers Hereford Tenderloin. Order one of these or a cumin spiced slow roasted BBQ shoulder of lamb with a side dish for a dining experience is a combination of basic primal and utter refinement.

Nice to know: No need to be a meat eater to enjoy dining here though, with options such as John Dory & scallop with lettuce boudin and roast cauliflower & black bean vinaigrette.
 

The menu may have changed since our visit.