Bar & Grill restaurant Cook & Co has opened in the Mantra on Queen Hotel in Brisbane, featuring rustic home grown cooking, modern bistro décor with a relaxed atmosphere incorporating communal tables and private booths, and exposed wooden beams and brick work which create an urban industrial character.

Offering an eclectic menu showcasing locally sourced produce and an array of cooking techniques with a significant spotlight on the char grill, the restaurant offers the slow braised spiced beef brisket with coriander and cumin yoghurt; the Spanish seafood broth with chorizo and citrus served in a hearty saucepan; and the Corned & Char Grilled 7+ mbs Wagyu Silverside and the Southern style beef short ribs.

“There is a real market for traditional grill style food done well and the key is sourcing the best produce available and treating it with respect in deserves in the kitchen,” says restaurant manager Dallas Bickle. “Add a great wine list and craft beers, service that glides through a sequence and you have the recipe for Cook & Co. The dining experience here ranges from a simple meal over lunch, a three-course dinner, through to our “Planked Banquets” for groups of ten or more.  The flexibility caters perfectly to the local clientele as much as it does our hotel guests.”

Also open for breakfast, Cook & Co serves classics such as bubble & squeak, eggs served any way, smashed avocado on sour dough, and bruschetta with cherry tomatoes and anchovies. The ‘grab and go’ café fronting onto Ann Street is also available from Monday to Friday, catering to morning commuters and local office workers. www.mantra.com.au