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Essa Restaurant, Fortitude Valley, AU-QLD

Essa Restaurant

4.7
4.7
711 Reviews
$41 to $100
Wine Bar

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 17 times today
Experiences are available.
  • 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, Saturday and Sunday lunch from 12pm.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • 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
  • Phone number
    (07) 3177 1011
  • Website
    http://www.essa.restaurant/
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress

Featured in

Experiences

  • Five Chefs, Five Plates

    A$66.00 per person

    Multiple dates available
    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.
    Five Chefs, Five Plates Photo

  • Sunday School at Essa

    A$88.00 per person

    Multiple dates available
    Things are a bit different here on Sundays. We let our hair down, turn up the music and serve a big family style lunch from 12pm. It's all share plates and the menus changes often but, so you know what to expect we post the menu on instagram every week. Oh yeah and there's a bit of booze too! Heaps of fun, but especially great with a large group of friends and yes, we can organise dietary requirements if you let us know when you book, leave a note in the comments In session every Sunday, kick ons in The Nixon Room from 2pm.
    Sunday School at Essa 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 4pm for cocktails to finish the day
    $68 Friday Lunches at ESSA Photo

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 711 people are saying

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
  • 4.5Value

Noise • Energetic

Loved For

  • Brisbane

    Best Overall

  • Brisbane

    Best Ambiance

  • Brisbane

    Innovative

  • Brisbane

    Great for fine wines

  • Brisbane

    Romantic

  • Brisbane

    Good for special occasions

  • Inner Suburbs

    Best Overall

  • Inner Suburbs

    Best Food

  • Inner Suburbs

    Best Service

  • Inner Suburbs

    Best Ambiance

  • Inner Suburbs

    Best Value

  • Inner Suburbs

    Innovative

  • 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 consistently delivers an "outstanding dining experience" with a creative and "innovative menu." Guests rave about the "amazing food," exceptional service, and "fantastic atmosphere." The sommelier's wine recommendations are "top-notch," enhancing the overall experience. Despite occasional service delays, patrons are eager to revisit for the "memorable and delicious" offerings.

711 Reviews

  1. Edwina

    New York City

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always an amazing delicious experience. I love this place!

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  2. Sarah

    Canberra

    6 reviews

    4.0

    6 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Very good value, excellent food, we will be back.

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  3. Racquel

    Brisbane

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Lovely atmosphere and once seated the staff were very attentive. Will return.

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  4. Chris

    London

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The set menu was brilliant, service was spot on and the vibe was perfect.

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  5. Luke

    Brisbane

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    10/10, there's a reason we returned for our anniversary.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Majo

    Mexico City

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 13, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    La comida en Essa fue exquisita, sin embargo el servicio fue lento y deficiente. Tardaron aproximadamente una hora en traernos un platillo aun cuando lo pedimos en repetidas ocasiones. El ambiente es increíble, la música a buen volumen para platicar pero no se si volvería. No me gusta esperar tanto tiempo y más en un servicio de menú de tiempos.

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  7. Caroline

    Gold Coast

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on November 9, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our dinner at Essa was exceptional the food was divine and service was superb - we will definitely be back!

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  8. Shane

    Las Vegas

    2 reviews

    1.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 6, 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    I really struggle to find a good thing to pin point after heading here for dinner on the 5 plates 5 chefs night. Initially when we got there, there was a kind of weird smell and the whole vibe of the place felt really strange and weird among the staff. And then there was the food, I mean, one of the courses was bread and butter and I'd probably say it was the better of the 5. The Zucchini with eggplant base was enjoyable. The main course was essentially a slab of chicken on a plate of oil that reminded me of spam and another course was a chicken skin with squid on it. The concept is really cool, but it was not pulled off very well and we couldn't shake the weird vibe that we got or the weird smell.

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  9. Tracey

    Sunshine Coast

    26 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    26 reviews

    Dined on November 1, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was amazing and overall table service was ok. What I do object to is waiting 30 minutes to be served a drink.

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  10. Holly

    Queensland

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on October 29, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    WOW is all I can say.... Could not fault the meal or the wine pairing, it was a truly remarkable experience, and one we will be back for again! Superb quality ingredients, masterfully created dishes, spectactular wine pairing, service was impeccable, we could not rate it more, well done team Essa!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Essa Restaurant is rated 4.7 stars by 711 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 17 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Essa Restaurant

181 Robertson St, Fortitude Valley, AU-QLD 4006

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Fortitude Valley
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Fri, Sun 12:00 pm–4:00 pm Dinner Tue–Sat 5:00 pm–11:00 pm
  • Price
    $41 to $100
  • Cuisines
    Wine Bar, Modern Australian, Modern European
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    None
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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