Brisbane’s best cheap eats

Riverfront Esquire isn’t the first place you’d think to hunt for bargains, but Esq, its sibling on the same site, offers unbeatable value, with entrées starting at $8 and desserts from $12.

Feel like a ramen reviver? Spoon into ambrosial pork stock with no MSG at Taro’s Ramen & Cafe (363 Adelaide St, Brisbane, 07 3832 6358). Swampdog (186 Vulture St, South Brisbane, 07 3255 3715) offers sustainable local fish for untarnished dining pleasure.

Looking for dumplings instead? Gyoza Bar Ann (Shop 26, Emporium, 1000 Ann St, Fortitude Valley, 07 3172 3020) serves juicy potstickers in neat surrounds.

Mrs Luu’s (25 Railway Tce, Milton, 07 3369 5760) is the best stop for banh mi, and Café O-Mai (15 Cracknell Rd, Annerley, 07 3255 9778) also has pho.

The fittingly named Sardine Tin (Shop 3a, Arbour on Grey, Little Stanley St, South Bank, 07 3846 1146) and its nearby sibling Piaf (Shop 5, 182 Grey St, South Brisbane, 07 3846 5026) are also consistently good value.

The Gourmet Traveller Team

Gourmet Traveller is Australia’s trusted authority on food, travel and luxury lifestyle, bringing the latest news and trends to life through quality journalism, enticing recipes and evocative photography. For more than 55 years, it has been inspiring and informing Australians with the best in cooking, dining, travelling and shopping. Our critics bring the expertise of years of critical eating, drinking and writing to the table. Plus, as the country’s leading title in the luxury sector, Gourmet Traveller works closely with Australia’s leaders in the travel and hospitality industries to give our readers exclusive access. The Gourmet Traveller legacy is one of trust, prestige and relevance.