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Essa Restaurant, Fortitude Valley, AU-QLD

Essa Restaurant

4.7
4.7
752 Reviews
$41 to $100
Wine Bar

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 18 times today
Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for fine wines
  • Innovative
ESSA provides a destination to escape the expected.

Just like the raw interiors in which we reside, our work is simple but considered.

The ethos in the kitchen embraces collaboration with local farmers, hunters and providores, promoting an environmentally conscious approach to the menu. Harvest driven dishes provide the creative parameters for our ever evolving dining experience.

ESSA is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5pm till late and Friday and Sunday lunch from 12pm.

Additional information

  • Location
    181 Robertson St, Fortitude Valley, AU-QLD 4006
  • Phone number
    (07) 3177 1011
  • Price
    $41 to $100
  • Cuisines
    Wine Bar, Modern Australian, Modern European
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Fri, Sun 12:00 pm–4:00 pm Dinner Tue–Sat 5:00 pm–11:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    None
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa

Featured in

Experiences

  • $66 Five Chefs, Five Plates

    A$66.00 per person

    Multiple dates available
    Wednesday Nights $66pp An experimental series taking over Wednesday evenings, providing the younger chefs, guest chefs and local producers with a platform to showcase fresh ideas and menu offerings. Every Wednesday night you can sample Five plates from Five chefs from $66pp. Dishes change weekly so no two weeks are the same. Please note on Wednesdays this is the only menu available and dietary requirements cannot be catered for. ALSO - WE ONLY TAKE YOUR CREDIT DETAILS TO HOLD THE BOOKING AND DO NOT CHARGE ANYTHING UNTIL YOU'RE IN VENUE, ON THE DAY OF THE BOOKING [even though it looks like we do, we don't!]
    $66 Five Chefs, Five Plates Photo

  • $68 Friday Lunches at ESSA

    A$68.00 per person

    Multiple dates available
    Friday Lunch $68pp It’s Friday at Essa, time for an express or long lunch Every Friday join us for our $68pp lunch + add ons The Nixon Room is open from 3pm for cocktails to finish the day ALSO - WE ONLY TAKE YOUR CREDIT DETAILS TO HOLD THE BOOKING AND DO NOT CHARGE ANYTHING UNTIL YOU'RE IN VENUE, ON THE DAY OF THE BOOKING [even though it looks like we do, we don't!]
    $68 Friday Lunches at ESSA Photo

  • Leave it to us SET MENU

    Multiple dates available
    A staple dining experience at ESSA. Enjoy a produce-focused set menu celebrating fresh, seasonal ingredients from long-standing suppliers and friends. Expect bold and creative flavours crafted subtly by the kitchen team. [If you're feeling extra fancy, add on the wine pairing!] $108pp! Contact the restaurant with any queries. *Please notify us of any dietary requirements or special requests in the notes section when confirming your reservation. ALSO - WE ONLY TAKE YOUR CREDIT DETAILS TO HOLD THE BOOKING AND DO NOT CHARGE ANYTHING UNTIL YOU'RE IN VENUE, ON THE DAY OF THE BOOKING [even though it looks like we do, we don't!]
    Leave it to us SET MENU Photo

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 752 people are saying

Essa Restaurant reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.6Value

Noise • Energetic

Loved For

  • Brisbane

    Innovative

  • Brisbane

    Hot spot

  • Brisbane

    Great for fine wines

  • Brisbane

    Romantic

  • Brisbane

    Good for special occasions

  • Inner Suburbs

    Innovative

  • Inner Suburbs

    Hot spot

  • Inner Suburbs

    Great for fine wines

  • Inner Suburbs

    Romantic

  • Inner Suburbs

    Good for special occasions

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Essa Restaurant in Brisbane offers a remarkable dining experience with "amazing food," "fantastic service," and an "exceptional set menu." Guests rave about the "creative and interesting food" paired with a "thoughtful wine selection." The "friendly and knowledgeable staff" and "intimate atmosphere" make Essa a must-visit culinary destination.

752 Reviews

  1. Jessica

    Brisbane3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our server was absolutely amazing with excellent knowledge and recommendations, as well as, personable and entertaining. The food was exquisite with a delightful complexity to flavours. A beautiful venue with a moody ambiance.

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  2. julius

    Brisbane1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 8, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Nduja and beignets, enough said. Great service from Chris and the tastiest of snacks!!!

    Is this helpful?

  3. OpenTable Diner

    Brisbane1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 2, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Favourite restaurant in Brisbane at the moment, food is always great, service is fun and knowledgeable and some really interesting wine on officer.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Maria

    Sunshine Coast4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Essa was fabulous! One of the best Brisbane culinary experiences we have had. Service -food- wines-ambience all amazing. Loved the set menu and how they thoughtfully swapped out the venison for a vegetarian option for my son and me. Loved, loved, loved it!

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  5. Freya

    Melbourne4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Stunning service! We felt so looked after. The food was honestly the most impressive dishes I have ever seen and tasted. $66pp for a fantastic sharing menu is entirely worth every penny! Will definitely be coming back.

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  6. DonelleL

    Brisbane4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 14, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Fabulous experience at Essa yet again! Adrien & Maggie were purely delightful and we really enjoyed their impeccable level of service! Adrien is such an amazing Sommelier and his knowledge of wine is next level! Set menu was not what we had anticipated (we weren’t advised of it when we booked months ago), however it was divine and incredible value. Wow, just, what a fabulous evening and we will be back for sure!

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  7. Chloe

    Brisbane1 review

    5.0

    Dined on February 14, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Beautiful valentines day night Food was all delicious and perfectly timed

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  8. Bec

    Brisbane2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 14, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Perfection! Service and food were absolutely stunning!

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  9. Philip

    Gold Coast3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 12, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food, well presented with attentive service. A different and interesting wine list of quality. Superb ambiance.

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  10. Iain

    Brisbane4 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on February 8, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    We enjoyed our meal (set menu plus some extras) and the intimate venue and good service, with en excellent choice of wines. The set menu was very tasty but occasionally felt a little disjointed with the selection of dishes (venison, tomatoes, bread course).

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Essa Restaurant is rated 4.7 stars by 752 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 18 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Essa Restaurant

181 Robertson St, Fortitude Valley, AU-QLD 4006

Additional information

  • Phone number
    (07) 3177 1011
  • Price
    $41 to $100
  • Cuisines
    Wine Bar, Modern Australian, Modern European
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Fri, Sun 12:00 pm–4:00 pm Dinner Tue–Sat 5:00 pm–11:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    None
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa

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