Dining writer WENDY JOHNSON had planned a visit to one French restaurant in Brisbane and stumbled across another. So she reviewed both…

This is a moitié-moitié review of two spots in Brisbane inspired by French cuisine. 

Both hold a place in the 2026 Gourmet Traveller Top 100 list of Australia’s best restaurants.

Montrachet, in Bowen Hills, is owned by Canberra chef Clement Chauvin from Les Bistronomes.

Montrachet is truly traditional – interior design, service, menu. Think red-leather bench seats, exposed brick walls, a marble-top bar, and crisp white tablecloths. Food is about French culinary excellence. 

Montrachet opened 20-odd years ago, but entered administration mid-2024. Clement, born and raised in France, arrived to save the day, backed by his extensive training at prestigious Michelin-starred kitchens.

The fine-dining food is excellent and beautifully plated. Montrachet’s extensive (and in many cases expensive) “wine program” has received awards in its own right.

The trio d’amuse bouche ($16) delighted and was a perfect start. Creamy and rich was the duck liver parfait, with pickled cherry. It couldn’t be faulted ($24). 

Highly recommended to share, and worth the 40-minute wait, was a kilo of Stockyard 200 days grain-fed Black Angus beef. Oven-prepared, it offered a bold, savoury, deeply beefy taste ($200). The red wine jus was sensational, and so were the duck-fat roasted potatoes with rosemary salt ($16) – truly decadent.

Desserts were heavenly, including a Cointreau-flamed classic Crème Brûlée ($21).

Advice: Avoid dining near the open-concept kitchen. Our experience was tainted by the racket and chaos of staff cleaning and packing up, oblivious to diners nearby. Not a great ending.

We stumbled across Clarence Restaurant while exploring funky Fish Lane, South Brisbane, and were thrilled. It’s a modern French brasserie with a friendly, energised, cohesive team who make diners feel welcome and well taken care of. 

Cooking is grounded in French technique and shaped by Queensland’s seasons. Sit at the bar and watch the co-ordinated, kitchen team create dishes or dine at a table and chat to the endearing floor team. Clarence is vibrant, “with it”, fun and offers nothing less than fabulous food. 

Led by chefs Ben McShane and Matt Kuhnemann, Clarence pairs food with a 100 per cent boutique Australian wine list.

We loved every bite, including the tiger prawn tartlet ($14). Made with devilled mayo and pickled celery, this little appetiser ticked all the boxes.

Clarence accurately describes itself as “produce-obsessed” and everything starts with the ingredients. Our tuna entrée was testament to that philosophy. It featured raspberry, dollops of pine nut cream and a sexy vermouth vinaigrette ($28).

Truly amazing, and top-ranking, was the caramelised onion tart with globe artichoke, peas, broad beans and hazelnuts ($46). It was pretty on the plate and exploded with vegetarian flavour. 

Clarence can be certain that even though it’s in another state, we’ll be back.

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