Verve Restaurant Bar Cider House (Brisbane CBD)

Verve has been one of my favorite [underground, literally] restaurants since landing in Brisbane. Their food is probably the most flavorful I've had in Brissy so far, and every item I've had has been great! On top of that, the service is usually quick and the food arrives promptly, and they can also accomodate quite a number of people. Even though this underground restaurant|bar is rather dark, I quite like the brick walls and low-key atmosphere.

My favorite dish-after trying several-is still the Pancetta Risotto. I was, and still am really impressed with the mix of herbs that come together to make one of the best risottos I've ever had. The herbs, pancetta, and cheese worked so well together, making each bite a "burst of flavor" - which was the only way I could describe it the first time I ordered it. I've since had the Sandcrab and Snapper Pancetta, Pork Belly Linguini, and the Pumpkin Gnocci, and I've also tried the Meat Balls and Linguini (which is possibly the best marinara I've tried), but the Pancetta Risotto is still the best! The Sandcrab and Snapper was pretty good, but neither looked as appetizing, nor was it as complex in flavor.  The Pork Belly Linguini isn't bad at all, but the sauce and even the pork belly wasn't as flavorful, and for me, a little too oily overall.

 I've heard their pizzas are also pretty good, but so far hasn't interested me over the other dishes.  Most of their dishes hover around $20, which isn't the cheapest thing around, but it's definitely is worth it for Brisbane!

Another plus, if you like cider and drinks, is their happy hour - and either way, they've got a wide variety of drinks (cider, wine, etc.) to choose from to go with your lunch or dinner.

Pumpkin and Potato Gnocchi, Spinach and Chicken

Beer Battered Fries

Meat Balls and Linguini

Pork Belly and Linguini

Price: 20 AUD pp | $$
Rating: 4/5

Verve Restaurant and Cider House