Clarence

Clarence is a contemporary Euro-style restaurant on a corner of Fish Lane in South Brisbane, from the folks behind the lauded original Clarence restaurant that for years attracted a loyal crowd in Woolloongabba.

In stark contrast to the old Clarence, which inhabited a heritage-listed 19th century shop, the new incarnation is bustling, bright and modern, with counter seating around the open kitchen and brasserie-style banquette seating along each of the walls.

The menu offers a more casual take on the previous one, whilst still retaining the impeccable taste, presentation and quality of the dishes that Clarence is known for. Seasonal food is carefully sourced from local producers where possible, including Neighbourhood Farm and Tommerup's Dairy.

For starters, a tempting selection of cold and raw seafood includes 'Singapore' mud crab & fried mantou cake; Hervey Bay scallops, tiger milk, caper & radish; or yellowfin tuna, peas, grapefruit & ginger. Or choose from appetisers like smoked & glazed house made ham with green bean chutney, or tropical rock lobster Nashville style with pickles and house-baked white bread.

Entrees include witlof salad with blood orange, dates & ricotta salata; Jerusalem artichokes, sunflower miso cream & yuzu; or pig head schnitzel, celery, apple & wasabi Green Goddess; while for Mains, choices include dry aged duck, witlof & cumquat yuzu kosho; Margra lamb rump, onion tart, peas & soy pickled shiitake; or wild caught barramundi with dill pickle butter & carrots.

There's also a couple of mains to share such as coral trout meunière with new potatoes and Neighbourhood Farm leaves, or O'Connor 5+ grass fed sirloin, koji aged with bordelaise sauce, duck fat potatoes & creamed spinach.

For dessert there's a house signature apple tarte tartin with Tommerup's jersey cream & whiskey, which serves 2-4 and needs to be pre-ordered as it takes at least an hour to prepare. Other choices are caramelised mandarin mousse with granita and honeycomb or chocolate and black sesame pavé and sansho pepper ice-cream. In addition there's cheese with quince pie and honey toast.

Clarence's wine list features 100% boutique Australian wines; while beers on tap are Clarence's own Rice Lager, Pale Ale or Ginger Beer. There's also dessert wines, whiskeys, Digestifs (including house made Falls Farm limoncello)  and dessert cocktails - espresso martini, negroni or baby Guinness).

Even if you're not stopping by for a meal, Clarence has a special 'Happy Hour' menu (3-5pm), consisting of small plates from the appetiser, entree and raw & cold seafood menus with the addiion of the Clarence cheeseburger; as well as a Late Night menu (9-11pm), perfect for post-theatre or shows and including the same dishes as happy hour along with a couple of desserts.

Good to know - An ideal spot for pre or post-shows at QPAC.

Need to know - There is limited metered street parking available nearby.

The menu may have changed since our visit.

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Still hungry for more suggestions on where to eat out in Brisbane, head to our comprehensive Eat & Drink section HERE! Happy grazing!