Bar Alto

We’ve always been big fans of Bar Alto! It’s our ‘go to’ place for dining when we see a show at the Brisbane Powerhouse.
Excellent service and the place to go before or after a show at the Brisbane Powerhouse.
The dishes are rich and unique, and the service is always pleasant, prompt and excellent.
Highly recommended Brisbane dining at an awesome venue!

Housed in the magnificent Powerhouse complex Bar Alto was abuzz with people for Sunday lunch. The staff had us seated quickly and were very attentive. We shared the quail and sea scallops for starters, they were delicious and beautifully presented. We both had the roasted lamb with figs and water crest. It was ok, should have order some extra veg wth it. Washed it down with a very nice SA rose. I had a desert of tiny donuts which was not impressive. Overall the ambiance was excellent, the service terrific and we felt very satisfied. Would certainly recommend to friends and revisit.

If you haven’t sampled the fabulous Food at this Restaurant, then you haven’t dined with some of the finest food available in this country.
Big Call? Try it out, and I am sure you’ll agree and write a similiar endorsement
Magnificient Food Mr Chief Chef, Simon and Team. Congratulations and ‘keep the Great Work up’

What is not to love about this fabulous space, the food, the wine, the staff. After many many afternoon strolls that ended up here. I love being a local at New Farm! I have to say that this is my favourite New Farm location.
Whether we are after just a casual drink after our walk, or a coffee in the morning (definately with their amazing Macarons) then occasionally a more substantial feed, this place nails it. The bar food is delicous and generous in portion size — they do great Pizza’s. The Menu changes seasonally and regionally, love the Italian theme too.
The staff behind the bar are always friendly and helpful and make great coffees. Not to mention the awesome restaurant section staff, very friendly and happy to set up plates for sharing. Such a great maître d, he’s a gem. Add the benefits of the live music, comedy, art on the walls or just sitting in the outside area … it really is winner. Thanks Bar Alto — you rock.

Randomly decided to stop in for a coffee here, opted for Bar Alto cuz they had indoor seating and it was a bit chilly outside. I had a coffee and a brownie, they were both ok… my coffee wasn’t really hot, barely warm and the brownie was… a brownie. It was really rich, but nothing amazing.
Decent enough spot to grab a coffee, casual couch seating which is comfy.

Went to a wine dinner, great food, set menu, nice little canapes to start, followed by risotto, with porcini and gorgonzola, what can I say, yum, Wagyu with baby root veggies good, but needed work on meat, also portion was small but flavour very good, panna cotta for dessert all matched with wines from Vietti in northern Italy.

Beautiful food! A group of us went for a birthday dinner and were impressed with pretty much everything here! The atmosphere and setting was great with views looking over the river. I ordered the duck ravioli which came in a beautiful mushroom sauce which was just Devine. Friends also ordered the mussel gnocchi and the parpadelle with goat ragu. All delicious and all decent serving sizes. Dessert was also great. Service was friendly and attentive. All round great evening!

I heart Parpadelle and anything on it, but the Braised Goat Ragout was UH-​MA-​ZING with it! Couldn’t have made a better choice… Try it, try it!

I would HIGHLY recommend the goat ragu and the zucchini fritters. My go-​to dish :)

The powerhouse is an awesome location, and the service, and atmosphere are great. But my meal at Bar Alto, the «Venetian style crespelle filled with ricotta, pumpkin, burnt sage butter» was a little more burned than I would have liked, and surprisingly, the flavours were a bit bland.
With high hopes, I followed up with the apple and ricotta tart — which was also a bit burned. And though artistically presented, the cold caramel sauce and the cold tart were not so great. Honestly, there are more impressive desserts at Pie face for $ 6.
Perhaps some of the other dishes on the menu are better?

My intent of visiting the Powerhouse was to watch the live jazz performance, and instead I got impressed with the fact that this place is located in what used to be a power station. I think it still has that industrial heavy duty feel, but with modern bits and pieces stuffed into it (such as working toilets, a bar and a restaurant…).
So after watching the show with an adequate amount of «hydration», we decided that the consumption of food was in order.
The dining experience here at Bar Alto is just amazing, mainly due to the excellent views of the river. I found it all to be very comfortable but slightly fancy atmosphere and the staff are all friendly and ready to serve. The food is good too — I had the barramundi served with some water crest and fried crushed potato. The fish was done perfectly. My only gripe was that the serving size was fairly «lean» and so while it was nice, it wasn’t quite fulfilling enough for me.
But overall, I like this place. Its a good combination of a great views, semi casual atmosphere, and good food and drinks.

I’m a big fan of anywhere that combines a view with food, drinks, and a show! Alto is such a perfect place to relax and have dinner or a drink before or after seeing something at the Powerhouse. The atmosphere is very urban and cool what with all the graffiti and raw brick walls, and the deck outside overlooking the river is fantastic.
Alto is one of those places that manages to achieve in the restaurant stakes as well as the bar stakes. If you just want a nice pre-​show cocktail, they’ll whip you up something quickly and professionally and you can rely on it being a quality tipple. If all that music/​comedy/​drama has made you starving, you’ll find a great dinner or lunch here too.
The place is always bustling, but not unpleasantly so. The staff manage to maneuver the chaos with ease, and provide friendly, efficient service despite the often three-​deep queue at the bar. If you sit down at a table you’ll be treated to attentive table service and the food always comes quicker than I expect it to. The zucchini fritters are an excellent entrée to nibble on while you wait for your main.
The Powerhouse is one of Brisbane’s gems, and Bar Alto contributes a lot of shine!

Location, location, location! Oh, and food and wine. All very important for a good night out in my opinion.
Bar Alto has the best of everything. Right on the Brisbane River, in the Powerhouse, I love the atmosphere on a busy Saturday night. Everyone is there for a good time with their mates.
Last time I went was with my boyfriend and another couple. We go there early, had a few drinks on the deck outside, then progressed into the restaurant section. I am a big fan of Italian food and the menu had me spoilt for choice. I opted for ravioli verdi. Hand made pasta, rich fillings and a delicate sauce, 10 out of 10.

We live in Brisbane. We have an amazing river. Most of us like to drink. So why is it so hard to find nice places to drink on the river?
Thanks to Bar Alto it’s not as hard as it used to be. Its location in the Powerhouse means Bar Alto is smack on the river bank, and the breezes are delicious. There are large communal tables plus smaller, more intimate arrangments. Getting a seat can be a challenge but I treat it as a good excuse to turn up early and get a few more vino’s in.
Bar snacks are good, the calamari comes with tempura zucchini slices which are my favourite. My only boo is that because it’s government owned you can’t book tables.

Bar Alto is serene. Situated in the Brisbane Powerhouse, Bar Alto can be found around the back, right on the river. Whether you go there for a quick drink or bite to eat before or after an event at the Powerhouse, or just go to sit on the river on a lazy sunday afternoon, this place is perfect. Albiet a little pricey, they have a nice selection of fine wine and beers and tastey food to accompany them if you please.
The best thing about this bar is the location. It picks up a pleasant breeze from the river. You can gaze across at the city cat making its way to and fro, or daydream about which of the large mansions perched across the way you would want to live in. My mind easily gets lost in my imagination here. The bar is just that little bit fancy while still staying casual and relaxed. Definitely worth a visit or two.