It’s a breath of fresh air smack bang in the middle of the Brisbane CBD. A breath of fresh Northern Rivers air, to be precise. Great coffee is a given. The new café is a sister venue to Botero coffee roastery and espresso bar in northern New South Wales. They’ve brought five beautiful coffee blends from their roastery on the Clarence Coast, along with that oh-so-chilled vibe. 

Begin the day at Botero with fennel and green-tea cured salmon, crumbed egg, pickled beets and sumac-spiced sour cream. Later on there’s a simple but stylish, well-priced lunch menu – think crisp-skinned fish of the day with yellow curry sauce, a pulled pork and kimchi burger or potato and pea fritters with coconut-tomato chutney.

Because time is money in this part of town, food comes out in a jiffy, so the lower level of this beautiful three-storey heritage-listed building is bustling with business types. But head upstairs and there are cosy corners just perfect for long lunches. House-baked treats such as custard-filled salted caramel and bacon doughnuts are worth lingering over. After dark on Thursdays and Fridays they keep the chilled vibe going with tapas, a short-but-sweet wine list, craft beer and cocktails – and naturally they do a killer espresso martini.     

Location: 258 Adelaide Street, Brisbane; (07) 3040 5114; botero.com.au
Cuisine : Modern Australian
Atmosphere: Industrial-chic décor attracting professionals and lunching ladies
Seats: About 50, spread over two levels
Open : Monday-Friday for breakfast and lunch, plus tapas Thursday-Friday evenings
Big tick: Delightfully switched on, friendly waitstaff
Must-try: Espresso martini

Images: Savannah van der Niet

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