Patina at Customs House | Brisbane, AUSTRALIA
I took a sip of a mocktail that the waitress just brought over - a Strawberry Mule made with fresh strawberries, lime, mint, hibiscus syrup, ginger ale and lemonade and it was incredibly refreshing with just the right amount of sweetness. I was in awe of the view in front of me - an iconic bridge all lit-up in shades of purple and its reflection twinkled in the river. Behind me stood a heritage-listed building with its grand colonnades and portico. As the river breeze gently brushed against my face, I thought to myself how lucky I was to be living in this city, to be able to enjoy a dining experience with such stunning surroundings. Where was I? Patina at Customs House - the newest addition to Brisbane’s riverfront dining scene.
The restaurant, which provides both alfresco and indoor dining options, is beautifully decorated with a modern touch to create a contrast against its heritage-listed location. I was spoilt for choice as the dinner menu, which focuses on the paddock to plate philosophy, offers a great selection of dishes including everything from freshly shucked oysters to 1KG Darling Downs OP rib with chimichurri. When I saw chargrilled octopus, smoked tomato, olive, basil and mozzarella ($25) on the menu, the other travel bunnie and I both decided that it would be the perfect way to start our dinner. Memories of our trip to Greece flooded back as I took my first bite of the octopus. It was meaty and tender with a slight smokey aroma, so similar to the octopus that we had by the water at Dimitris in Santorini, but far more sophisticated. The main meals didn’t disappoint either as I thoroughly enjoyed my medium rare eye fillet ($45) served with smoked potato, celery, truffle, confit & fried leek with jus while the other travel bunnie devoured a crispy-skinned barramundi with gem lettuce, peas, broad beans, sunflower seeds and preserved lemon ($43).
If you have a sweet tooth then you’ll need to save some room for dessert as Patina offers five solid dessert options. I struggled to make a choice between the strawberry tart with verbena, candied lemon, strawberry buttermilk ($17) and the peanut butter parfait, chocolate, brûléed banana and candied peanuts ($17). So what did we do? We got them both, obviously. The end result? Three happy diners.
Kudos to the team at Customs House for creating such an excellent venue which provides a feast for the eyes as well as the tummy. Brisbane, you are gorgeous.
Disclaimer: with thanks to Patina at Customs House for welcoming me to the property as a guest, please note that my opinion is as always, my own.
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