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Essa Restaurant, Fortitude Valley, AU-QLD

Essa Restaurant

4.7
4.7
725 Reviews
$41 to $100
Wine Bar

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 8 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for fine wines
  • Innovative
ESSA provides a destination to escape the expected.

Just like the raw interiors in which we reside, our work is simple but considered.

The ethos in the kitchen embraces collaboration with local farmers, hunters and providores, promoting an environmentally conscious approach to the menu. Harvest driven dishes provide the creative parameters for our ever evolving dining experience.

ESSA is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5pm till late and Friday and Sunday lunch from 12pm.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $41 to $100
  • Cuisines
    Wine Bar, Modern Australian, Modern European
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Fri, Sun 12:00–16:00 Dinner Tue–Sat 17:00–23:00
  • Phone number
    (07) 3177 1011
  • Website
    http://www.essa.restaurant/
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress

Featured in

Experiences

  • Five Chefs, Five Plates

    A$66.00 per person

    Multiple dates available
    An experimental series taking over Wednesday evenings, providing the younger chefs, guest chefs and local producers with a platform to showcase fresh ideas and menu offerings. Every Wednesday night you can sample Five plates from Five chefs from $66pp. Dishes change weekly so no two weeks are the same. Please note on Wednesdays this is the only menu available and dietary requirements cannot be catered for.
    Five Chefs, Five Plates photo

  • Sunday School S5.5 Festive Edition

    A$98.00 per person

    15 Dec 2024 - 12 Jan 2025
    Get festive, it's Sunday School 5.5 @ $98pp! School is in session every Sunday but for four weeks it's got extra little treats for the silly season. Our usual family lunch, family favourites, family style. It's all share plates but FESTIVE edition, think Mooloolaba prawns, Moreton bay bug, Bangalow pork belly glazed ham and mango trifle laced with booze to finish a long Christmas lunch. Heaps of fun, but especially great with a large group of friends and yes, we can organise dietary requirements if you let us know when you book, leave a note in the comments!

  • $68 Friday Lunches at ESSA

    A$68.00 per person

    Multiple dates available
    Friday Lunch $68pp It’s Friday at Essa, time for an express or long lunch Every Friday join us for our $68pp lunch + add ons The Nixon Room is open from 3pm for cocktails to finish the day
    $68 Friday Lunches at ESSA photo

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 725 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.5Value

Noise • Energetic

Loved For

  • Brisbane

    Innovative

  • Brisbane

    Hot spot

  • Brisbane

    Great for fine wines

  • Brisbane

    Romantic

  • Brisbane

    Good for special occasions

  • Inner Suburbs

    Best Overall

  • Inner Suburbs

    Best Ambience

  • Inner Suburbs

    Best Value

  • Inner Suburbs

    Innovative

  • Inner Suburbs

    Hot spot

  • Inner Suburbs

    Great for fine wines

  • Inner Suburbs

    Romantic

  • Inner Suburbs

    Good for special occasions

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Essa Restaurant in Brisbane is a culinary gem known for its "amazing food" and "fantastic service." Guests rave about the "thoughtful and creative" menu, complemented by an impressive wine selection. The staff's professionalism and passion shine through, making it a "must-visit" for a "delicious" and "memorable" dining experience.

725 Reviews

  1. Thomas

    Brisbane

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    The atmosphere is nice and the service is good. The wine list is excellent, but a glass of wine costs between 21 and 30+ dollars, which I consider excessive. The dishes are presented well, but none truly stood out. The 'spreadable salami' seemed covered in chilli oil and honey and it was difficult to taste the salami under that. The prawns were probably the nicest dish we ordered, and the side salad was also good. The dish of the day was a Morton bug, cooked beautifully, but covered with a kind of pesto sauce, which again overpowered the bug. As a dining experience it did not match the prices.

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  2. Lisa

    Brisbane

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had the Sunday Christmas special. It was excellent. Lots of delicious food, great variety. We order two of the garlic bugs which were divine. Could not fit another thing in! Service was efficient and friendly. Had two delicious wines that were recommended. We will definitely be back. Such a lovely day.

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  3. David

    London

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Genuinely one of the great Brisbane food experiences. Sit at the bar, chat with the team. Food was incredible, choose the degustation with matching wines. Great decision. All round favourite.

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  4. Timothy

    Brisbane

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This is our 4th or 5th visit to Essa and it just gets better every time. Absolutely love this place and will go back again when next in Brisbane. Cannot recommend it too highly. If you can get in, go!

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  5. Maggie

    Brisbane

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 13 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Honestly one of the best dining experiences I’ve had in Brisbane. Definitely in my top 3 favourite restaurants now. Had the best time. Every dish was Devine and I loved the wine list and how they set it out. Staff were so friendly and lovely, super relaxed vibe while offering some of the best food and drinks I’ve had. 10/10

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  6. Brittany

    Brisbane

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 12 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food and the service were lovely. Staff had great wine knowledge and were very attentive. The staff were able to cater for an allergy with no problem which was amazing.

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  7. Catherine

    Brisbane

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 8 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Staff were amazing and the food was delicious. It was up there in regard to cost, but it was so good, (flavourful using top quality ingredients), it was really worth it. Expect to pay a bit more, but highly recommend.

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  8. Anthony

    VIP

    Brisbane

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 7 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The best meal I’ve had in Brisbane in years, service and the food were amazing

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  9. Jessie

    Brisbane

    4 reviews

    3.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 6 December 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 1
    I wanted to love it, everything about it. Service was delightful, sommelier who knew their stuff and some tasty food albeit a few dishes that were ok but missed a bit of texture or cohesion with the other components. The thing that has really stuck with us as a miss was the ambiance, granted we were dining on a Friday night so I'll accept a little responsibility. However if I'm paying $500 for two I don't think I was expecting so many groups dashing off to the bathroom together or playing videos at full volume of friends they filmed singing karaoke. The final miss was having a drink spilt on my partner from the adjoining table and nobody noticed to help clean it up or offer another napkin to dry off. In hindsight I think Essa is a really cool wine bar with elevated snacks, and when I'm looking for that vibe I know where I'm heading.

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  10. Julie

    Sunshine Coast

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 6 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent, great location A bit rushed , I feel a wonderful dining experience wishes number a high end restaurants is now being turned into ‘ feed them and get them out ‘ . We had the best table in the house & very much appreciated.

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FAQs

Essa Restaurant is rated 4.7 stars by 725 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 8 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Essa Restaurant

181 Robertson St, Fortitude Valley, AU-QLD 4006

Additional information

  • Area
    Fortitude Valley
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Fri, Sun 12:00–16:00 Dinner Tue–Sat 17:00–23:00
  • Price
    $41 to $100
  • Cuisines
    Wine Bar, Modern Australian, Modern European
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    None
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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