Featuring: Corella, Le Bon Bar, Unwined Bar & Kitchen…

WHEN chef/restaurateur Paul McGivern opens a venue Brisbane diners expect delicious simplicity on their plates. They also expect red-hot service, some of the best in town, and an inspired wine list with a strong leaning towards Burgundian-style wines from both the old and new world.
He sifts through collections as carefully as he chooses his fish, cuts of meat and produce, much of which is organic and comes to him still bearing nuggets of the northern New South Wales earth, from which it was recently exhumed.
McGivern’s latest venture is Corella, which is the Aboriginal word for water hole, something that used to unite the local people in Woolloongabba pre-settlement. Here McGivern is drawing on his indigenous heritage to give depth and meaning to both the venue and the part he plays within it.
He sold The Wolfe (named after the wolf in the coat of arms of the famous Burgundian village of Morey-Saint-Denis where he spent several vintages) in East Brisbane recently and still operates La Lune, a pocket-sized wine bar in the thriving food metropolis of Fish Lane, South Brisbane.
McGivern’s vision for Corella is to create a place to gather and enjoy “refined service, simple and interesting food at a great price point.” And with beautiful dishes like heirloom tomatoes with almond curd and sorrel granita ($17) and heartier main course offerings such as John Dory, saffron sauce, witlof and sea greens ($35) he is delivering on both price, quality and originality, albeit in a seriously unpretentious way.
McGivern’s love of Burgundy is abundantly clear on the wine list, with fine examples of its varying styles coming not only from France but Margaret River, Geelong and Central Otago. Grouped by weight there’s also a tasty little section for those looking for something more full bodied – a 2014 Chateau Grand Tayac from Margaux is a classic example as is the 2016 Nick O’Leary Bolaro Shiraz from the Canberra region and closer to home, 2016 Barambah Rack Dried Semillon, South Burnett in Queensland.
Rounding out the total package of what a great Australian bistro should look like is service and this is delivered with finesse and great prowess by McGivern’s partner, Bailey Dewes. The pair has worked together for years opening several of their own successful venues and the experience and love of the product is evident in every aspect of the experience. Shop 2, the Drapery, 67 Logan Rd, Woolloongabba; phone (07) 3189 4406.
Staying in Woolloongabba and long-time French stalwart C’est Bon has had a major makeover. Co-owners Celine Damou and Peter Roelfes extended the restaurant to include a wine bar last year and now there’s a cellar and private dining space, as well as a covered garden dining area and rooftop terrace.

And the wine bar is set to take on a life of it’s own with its own moniker – Le Bon Bar – which will serve French and Australian classics for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The rooftop terrace is now a relaxed outdoor lounge and casual dining space where diners can enjoy the view as well as the clipped bar menu. 609/611 Stanley St, Woolloongabba; phone (07) 3891 2008.
Aria Brisbane, Matt Moran’s northern fine diner has closed after 10 years in a plum position on the Brisbane River in the heart of the CBD. Citing end of lease as the reason for the shock closure, the trend, that has become a march, away from formal and fine dining restaurants globally (and no more so than in the Sunshine State) has surely also played a part in the venues demise.
The Eagle Street Pier, which is also home to Sake Restaurant, Pony Dining, Cha Cha Char and Il Centro, is set for redevelopment by owner Dexus Group and will eventually boast two towers, and a large public space with lots of riverfront retail and dining. It hasn’t all been sunny days for Aria and it’s neighbours all of whom were heavily affected by the catastrophic floods that ravaged much of the city in 2011 but all managed to bounce back within months.
Racecourse Rd in the leafy suburb of Ascot is the area’s “eat street,” with cafes and restaurants dotted in between retail shops offering plenty in the way of breakfast, lunch and dinner, but late night snacks and nightcaps are a little thin on the ground. The Stables Craft Bar & Kitchen underwent an ownership change in 2018 and the new owners reworked the venue into a night-time spot that the suburb really needed. Mitchell Dunning, who recently opened Ballistic Beer Co’s West End Alehouse and Kitchen, has been recruited to oversee the creation of Unwined Bar & Kitchen, a bar with a heavy focus on wine and a casual menu of mainly shared plates. Cosy with a dark, broody interior, head chef Bisnu Poudel is using his Nepalese heritage to create a menu of spicy and moreish shareable snacks. House-made Momo, Nepalese dumplings with spicy dipping sauce, gingery karaage chicken, lentil dahl served with warm flatbread and a slow-cooked goat curry all come from Poudel’s repertoire, but there’s also share plates and cheese boards for wine-friendly grazing. 1/121 Racecourse Rd, Ascot; phone 0422 367 751.