The Wolfe – Restaurant Review
Finally, Josue Lopez has his own restaurant. The acclaimed Brisbane chef’s purchase of The Wolfe got a little lost amid last year’s never-ending parade of new dining options but this is the first time since leaving Goma Restaurant in 2017 that he’s had a regular platform for his artful cooking.
Lopez is interested in narrative and provenance and his chef’s menu has a knack for conjuring a sense of place. There’s Bleached, which gathers together line-caught coral trout, scallop and crab for a starkly coloured comment on the plight of the Great Barrier Reef. And Coat of Arms – emu and kangaroo meat paired with wattleseed, silver leaf and heirloom pepitas in a formation that mimics the real thing. The local focus stretches to include a lengthy but very approachable collection of wines, which can be paired with the menu’s six courses. The dining room itself is a quiet spot in an old East Brisbane shop just 10 minutes from the city – a great way to dip your toe into Brisbane’s sprawling southern suburbs.
989 Stanley Street East, East Brisbane; (07) 3891 7772; open Friday-Saturday for lunch and Tuesday-Saturday for dinner.
