The Chelsea Bistro @ The Barracks, Brisbane

The 'Barracks' at Milton is like a big roof that just about fits a cinema, couple of restaurants, a supermarket and a few shops here and there; not exactly big enough to be a shopping centre and not exactly a row of shop lots. However it totally serves my purpose for a meal and some grocery shopping. You got to love the 2 hour free parking too.


Having driven pass this complex quite a few times, we decided to pop by one day and take a look. With the Entertainment Book in hand, we decided to use the buy one free one deal (only for mains and to the value of AUD35) to lunch at the Chelsea Bistro.


The Wife felt in some ways the place reminded her of Paris while it does fit the profile of restaurants that I like to dine in; comfortable, casual, small, cozy and a slightly upmarket menu. In fact it is rather small and in the colder and wetter months to come, it might be very comfortable sitting outside.

With the buy one free one meal not eligible for the AUD32 2 course lunch + wine, we decided if the food was good enough, we would come back for the lunch.

The special of the day was the wagyu rump with fat chips and peas. Oh so English with the peas and yet distinctly Australian with the rump and chips. The steak confirms my love for the more marbled rib eye as even the fattier cut of wagyu cannot convert me to eat rump steak. The chips were awesome, all these months in Australia have somehow created the addiction of these heart clogging carbohydrates.

The more sensible beef cheeks with home made pasta was probably a wiser choice for a lunch although the rather big portions meant I still got few bites to try. The cheeks have evidently gone through many hours of cooking and melted in the mouth with a chew or two. The home made pasta was well cooked.

All in all, I thought the lunch was worth its money with the use of the voucher with the whole meal well under AUD50. Nevertheless if your budget is in the AUD30 for a main with another AUD10 for a drink, a wise option if you are in the Barracks. Otherwise, the AUD32 lunch special seems like a steal and is available on weekends too!

Address and contact details:

Verdict: 3.5 stars out of 5 stars. I will definitely come back for lunch if the quality is as good as the mains, otherwise one in the book for a casual meal with easy parking.