Review! Lady Lamington

The Bare Essentials

Lady Lamington

Cnr. Malt & Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley

Best for: Shared drinks & good coffee

Take # 1

So I said I'd be back after being to a new bar, and Lady Lamington in one of the newest in Brisbane. Two friends and I found ourselves in The Valley on a weeknight, so decided to pop in and have a look.

Upon entry one thing was bleedingly obvious to me: the bar was stocked by a certain alcohol distribution company. The brand representation was everywhere! Other than that, the decor was cute & quirky. I liked the small touches, such as a window in the ceiling that goes behind the bar. Look for it when you head there, and the big table in the centre that can seat more than one group of people. There were a few small groups of people chatting quietly while a really great selection of music was playing.

The bar has a pretty predictable yet quality wine list, but we were in the mood for something special. It didn't really feel like a margarita night, so I skipped my usual tradition in order to have one of the house specials: A cocktail jug to share. We decided on a Pimms Cup (Pimms No. 1, strawberries, mint, cucumber & ginger ale). I'm a huge fan of Pimms No. 1 and so I was excited. 

The drink didn't let me down, but with that traditional combo of flavours, I didn't expect anything less. It was passable, but nothing that stood out, or made me want another one.

I was however, let down by the service. The bartenders, both quite young and lacking in confidence seemed more interested in talking to each other and some friends over the bar than serving us. Their body language and overall approach made me feel like they a) didn't care about me; and b) didn't care about the venue. Not a great start by any stretch of the imagination.


When we went to leave, we noticed that they were also open for breakfast and lunch. Something inside me really wanted this place to be good, so I decided it couldn't be purely judged on one visit. Myself and my friend Brigid decided to return for breakfast in a few days time.




Take # 2


We arrived and found the whole place to be bright, inviting and the service warm and friendly. We sat at the big table I mentioned earlier and I was delighted to see Baileys and Coco Pops on the menu (the boozy part of me was excited, but my rational side thought eggs would be better). Coffee was obviously the first order of business and they were delicious. Antique teaspoons added a nice touch. The music selection was again amazing. We were off to a good start.

I decided to have a boiled egg & soldiers with a side of house beans and mushrooms. They came out in good time and I was pretty excited about tucking in.

So you can see above everything looks good. Unfortunately my egg was undercooked. When I cracked it, liquid egg white ran down the sides and onto the plate. After the waitress (who was really lovely and apologetic) took my plate back to the kitchen I turned to my beans. They were really bad. They tasted like nothing but parsley. The mushrooms on the other hand were quite nice and I could tell were cooked in olive oil instead of butter. Unusual, but really tasty all the same.


My second egg arrived and was only slightly more cooked than the first. I decided that sending it back again would be too time consuming, so I ate my soldiers, relish and mushrooms and left the rest.


Brigid ordered french toast with grilled nectarines, yoghurt and maple syrup. When they arrived all I could smell was the burnt sugar where the nectarines had been on the grill. I has serious brenvy (breakfast envy)

Looks delicious right? Well... things aren't always as they seem. The nectarines weren't ripe and the whole dish extremely sweet. So sweet that Brigid left about 3/4 on the plate and we had to go so she could find some real food somewhere!


We left disappointed and hungry.


Due to the change in liquor licensing laws in Queensland, small bars like this one are opening up all over the place. I think it's great, as long as you put enough thought into every facet of your business. The people of Brisbane can be quite fickle and  there's not much room for bad service or bad food when 20 other little bars with the same clientele focus pop up at the same time.


Lady Lamington has a lot of potential. The location and decor ideas are pretty good. The overuse of branding is a bit tacky, but could be easily overlooked if the bar service was up to scratch. I was really hoping that even if you may not be able to drink there, you could at least enjoy it during the day, but sadly if you want more than coffee, I'd look elsewhere.


As for the night time thing, maybe we were just there on a bad night. I really hope for their sake that these are just teething problems and they can get it together. I do think you should go and try it out for yourself. When you do, drop me a line and tell me what you thought. Or maybe you've already been.. do you agree or disagree with me? I really like hearing the way other people experience things and I think that everyone deserves a chance. Just don't get your hopes up.

-xx-

Review! Laneway Bar

Hi there,

I apologise for my clear lack of attention over the past few weeks. I've been moving house, securing a new job and helping a good friend out. The good news is: I do have a new job, and a place to call home and my friend is going to be OK. All things considered, life is pretty swell. 

Sorting out these matters has given me the time to go out for a drink and finally review a bar! Something I've been wanting to do for ages.

The Bare essentials:

Laneway Bar

181 Mary Street, Brisbane City

Best for: Cocktails & good conversation

I have to make a confession: it's really hard for me to go anywhere in Brisbane for a drink and not know someone on the other side of the bar, and Laneway is no exception. The three main men there get a lot of respect from me. Aidan White, Kal Moore and Perryn (Pez) Collier are extremely talented bartenders in their own right, and I know all of them well enough to stop and have a conversation. 

I tell you this because I know you're thinking "OK here she goes, plugging her mate's bar". But quite to the contrary. I had high expectations when I walked down Spencer Lane (the easiest way to access the bar) with my lovely friend Fauve.

We walked up the stairs and were greeted warmly. Table service is standard, and so we sat and perused the wine list. Both Fauve and I were fresh from the daily grind, clad in work clothes and ready for something refreshing. Our barkeep suggested a Weka Cider. He told us a little about it and it was delicious. From New Zealand, a mixture of pears and apples made for the best knock off bevy I've had in a while. 

We ordered some food, also delicious and prompt. We were well tended to by the bartender and wait staff without being annoyed by constant checking. As the clock moved further away from 5pm the place started to fill up. For a Wednesday night, I was quite impressed.

This didn't appear to slow the guys behind the bar down though. I ordered a margarita (you may recall, it's the drink I order at a bar I haven't been to before) and Fauve got a glass of wine. They both arrived at the table before we got too thirsty and I must say, that margarita was delicious. Perfectly balanced, no sugar and a half salt rim (so you can taste it with and without salt). I give it.... 5/5 limes

There aren't too many places in the city centre worth checking out for a drink, but this is surely one of them. Overall, Laneway is a quaint watering hole with easy-going yet professional staff. The decor is pretty basic, but I don't think they really need anything to take away from the simplicity of the drinking experience that is good service and tasty drinks. I said before that I had high expectations, and in this case they were met easily. Well done Laneway. I'll be back!

I've decided that at each bar, I'm going to let you get to know a bartender as I did in my first post. I've said before, I do know these guys, so it was easy to get Pez to answer a couple of questions about his drinking style. When you go there, look for the guy with the beard!

Pez 101

Favourite Spirit: Apertifs but not Amaros (you can ask him what they are in more detail, but basically drinks you have before eating)

What I drink…

When it’s hot: Aperol & Prosecco or a Calimacho (red wine and coke)

When it’s cold: Whisky

To wind down: A glass of red, especially Italian wines like a Barolo

To party: Rum & ginger beer (I like the sugar hit!)

In a new bar: Gin & tonic. There are so many ways to serve it (glass, garnish etc.) that I like to see each bartender's take on it

Favourite pick up line: "Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?!" CLASSIC!

Although Laneway isn't a "new bar", it was on my must-try list. There are plenty of places popping up all over town right now, so look out for more boozy adventures in new bars soon!

-xx-