Winter’s almost over and restaurants are rolling out their best warming fare to close out the season. At Goldfinch, in Brisbane’s CBD, the current menu is all about warming food that fills the soul as well as your belly.
We took advantage of a particularly chilly night to visit Goldfinch and try out the new additions while we still could.
One of my favourite things about this restaurant is the big glass windows—it’s a fabulous opportunity to sit and watch the world go by. I also like the greenery hanging from the roof. It makes it feel like a classic conservatory or sunroom.
For starters, I choose the soup of the day to warm up my belly and my palate. My friend goes for the beef bresaola, stracciatella cheese, fig jam, watercress, herb croutons, baby capers.
To be honest, when her meal turns up I think I have made a bit of a mistake—soup is never the most attractive looking dish. But taking a spoonful soon allays my fears—the lentil soup is hearty and full of flavour, with a lovely spice undertone. It’s very easy to slurp up the whole bowl quite quickly. (Still think the bresaola looked tasty though, wasn’t fast enough to steal a bit.).
For my mains, I go with a grilled chicken breast accompanied by kipfler potatoes, sundried tomatoes, spinach, artichokes and tarragon velouté. And look, I hate using the word moist but that chicken was so moist and juicy. The flavours of the tarragon sauce and the piquancy of the sundried tomatoes go together really well.
My dining companion went for the pappardelle pasta with a slow-cooked brisket ragout, green peas, whipped ricotta, rocket salad and parmesan. Pasta is al dente perfection and the brisket is tender and falling apart. August really is the perfect time to be grabbing these types of comfort food dishes!
Speaking of comfort food, I give the dessert menu some side eye and see there are apple fritters on there that look mighty fine. They’re served with cinnamon dust, salted caramel, dried fruit, vanilla ice cream, berries and crème anglaise, and they’re about to be in my belly. The fritters are warm, and crisp and set off well with the creaminess of the ice cream—a classic combo. I would have liked the apples to be a teeny tiny bit softer but honestly that’s splitting hairs.
My foodie companion has already spotted a baklava on the menu and made that choice before the mains were even ordered. Described as Bundaberg macadamia baklava, lime and rose syrup, fig, and white chocolate mousse, this dessert is flaky and sweet, with a lovely tartness added by the strawberries.
We leave VERY full and probably should have shared a dessert. But then we wouldn’t have gotten to taste both of them so… swings and roundabouts. Thank goodness we parked close and didn’t have too far to roll out the door to our cars.
Goldfinch’s August menu is delightful, and they’re also adding in a few Ekka specials while the show is in town—definitely one to check out before it finishes.
Goldfinch, Cnr Ann &, Roma St, Brisbane City QLD 4000 p. (07) 3222 1128
In her spare time, she likes long walks down the makeup aisle and performing in Brisbane theatre. You can follow her adventures on Instagram and TikTok @thebeautypalate.
