Prive 249

“Brisbane’s Best Kept Dining Secret!” says the Sofitel website promoting their fine dining restaurant Prive 249.  It’s maybe a little too well kept.  In all my years of dining out in Brisbane, I haven’t heard a single person mention that they’ve dined there.  Prive 249 only really came to my attention this year when it was awarded a Chef’s Hat at this year’s Good Food Guide awards.  More’s the pity because it is a restaurant that has fantastic service and wonderful French cuisine spearheaded by a head chef who is only in his early Thirties.

You’ll have to excuse the iPhone camera because we ended up dining here on short notice.  We did the six course degustation and chose our own accompanying wines.  My favourite course was the scallop which was amazingly succulent and flavoursome.  I don’t what their secret is but I couldn’t remember a dining experience where the presentation of each course was accompanied by such a delightful aroma that made it hard to concentrate on what the server was saying as he presented each dish.  The only dish that didn’t really work was the Berries Frozen in Thyme palette cleanser which looked like a petri dish of bacteria and was far too watery to taste of anything.

It’s worth mentioning that Prive 249 had some of the best service I can recall receiving in Brisbane.  Our server Gino was attentive, friendly, accommodating and knowledgeable.  Everything you want in a restaurant of this calibre but something that is depressingly rare in Australia.  The head chef Josh Okorn also came out at the end of the night and spent a few minutes chatting to us about the dishes, his previous experience and his plans for the future.  I thoroughly appreciated his time and friendliness.

Prive 249 is an easy recommendation.  It has everything you want in a night out of special occasion dining.  Hopefully they succeed in getting the word out.

Amuse Bouche

Scallop, Crab and Prawn with Cucumber and
Mirin Broth and Ponzu Gel

Lightly Smoked Mackerel and Green Cabbage Feuilleté with
Mousseline Potato and Horseradish Cloud

4-5 Score Wagyu Beef Fillet with Red Pepper Berry Sauce,
Pomme Purée and Petit Vegetables

Barramundi Veronique with Baby Yellow Squash,
Pearls and Dill

Berries Frozen In Thyme

Autumn Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Textures

Birthday Petit Fours!