BearBrass

Southbank offers an interesting blend of eateries: I picked this because it looked unpretentious and welcoming to the ordinary punter. I was not disappointed. Honest if unremarkable food, a lovely location next to the Southbank boardwalk, great views of the Southbank footbridge. Service was efficient, the strong flat white was strong (not always the case elsewhere) and the prices fair. Four stars not because of great food, but because of meeting expectations.

Two stars for the quality of the food. Waaaay too much salt. The salt crystals were going «crunch» as we ate. So thirsty now!

Bear Brass scraped the four star entirely due to their amazing staff — seriously they were all so friendly, chatty, engaging and helpful — not just to is I was watching them help other around us — this team is customer focused!
The drinks & lunch menu offered plenty of choice, we had both the meat platter and the vego platter some dishes popped more than others, the chicken meatballs and wings were our favourites, the scallop was very good too, as was the grilled haloumi.
Best of all at the moment they are decked out and have specials for Pimms in the ‘Spring garden’ to celebrate race season — which creates a nice atmosphere.

Visited BearBrass the first time in awhile last night and was very pleasantly surprised. Although quite a chilly night, outside heaters did the trick. Had my old fav calamari which was delicious and my new fav $ 10 espresso martinis yum! Every Friday now they do them from 5pm til 7pm. Perhaps my new Friday after work haunt…

I stopped in for a late breakfast on my last day in Melbourne. There was no one near the front of the restaurant and there was no indicator of whether I should wait to be seated or just pick a seat. I found a waitress and she told me to just pick a seat.
I was able to quickly order a coffee/​latte, which, along with a glass bottle of water, came shortly after. For breakfast, I decided on the Eggs Atlantic — kind of like Eggs Benedict, but with smoked salmon and avocado. This, too, came pretty quickly. It looked good for about a second, and while in the process of trying to take a picture, fell apart. The hollandaise started sliding off of the eggs and the eggs started sliding off of the salmon. While I know this doesn’t affect the taste, I would like to have everything stay in place while I eat it. This wasn’t anything spectacular and the salmon lacked any real smoked flavor. I also got a big hit of lemon juice from the hollandaise.
After finishing my breakfast and latte, I was once again stumped on whether I walk up to pay or wait for a check. I sat around for a while hoping to get a waitress’ attention or to observe what other diners were doing. I did see one person walk up to pay, but it seemed like it was more of a «we’re tired of waiting and we want to pay and get out of here» thing. Taking a cue from them, I did the same thing. I’m still not sure what the proper thing to do was…
I love that the restaurant is opened up to the outside and is right on the river, making it a perfect spot for people watching. My server was really friendly (even after I had to bug her for my check). It’s also really close to the Eureka Sky Deck if you’re planning on heading over there.

Good service but tasteless food. Ordered pumpkin soup and fish of the day. Both disappointing .
Not great for dinner menus.

I popped by here with some girlfriends before the ballet on Thursday (no it’s not a common occurrence. but I’ll leave that for another review) so we were on a time schedule of 45 min and notified the waitress as soon as we got there.
I had the pork belly and couldn’t finish it, though the top was crisp it was flavourless and there was so much gelatinous fat underneath it put me off.
Our cocktails took so long to arrive we didn’t have time to finish them. If the lychee martini wasn’t so amazing they would have only received one star from me.

Service was marginal at best. Food was tasty. Location is great. Outdoor patio is a nice spot for a cold beer on a hot day and watching the crowd walk by. There are better places around.

I came here for breakfast on a lovely Sunday morning.
The service was attentive, but was brought down by the time it took to get an order on a plate.
I also found the eggs I was served to be overlooked, and the avocado unmashed and lacking any seasoning.
Probably caught the cook on a bad day, so will probably go there again just to be sure.

On a typical weekday you can find Bear Brass is packed to the brim with pastel shirted accountants waiting for their takeaway latte. I guess that means their coffee is good. or reasonably priced? I wouldn’t know, I don’t drink coffee.
Not a super exciting breakfast menu, but not bad. I had the basic breakfast: it was basic and I liked it.
I noticed the menu said they are open for a late breakfast on Saturdays (til 3:00pm I think). Good to note if you also live in the cbd. I can never seem to find a late breakfast when I want one.

Mystery and intrigue surrounds this place, featuring a prominent location
within the über daggy and dated south-​gate area.‘
I’ve been wanting to come here for some time now, as fellow work colleagues choose this as a frequent go-​to spot, and talk about it a lot. To be fair, there’s not much by the way of competition. It’s the type of venue that’s busy all day long. To start, I’ve necked a pint of Heineken, in record time, which even by my standards is fast. The menu is a plenty with snacking dishes, or in their terms «something smaller»
So one is never really at a loss for a quick pick me up snack, etc. Whether this be from the wide range of pizza, lamb kofta’s, fries, bread and dips, grilled Saganaki, or Chorizo, chat potatoes, or even some olives. Olives are always good. Bear Brass is also open for breakfast. In terms of venue, it serves it’s purpose well, but it doesn’t need to be swish, swank and über stylish.
an adequate selection of beers and cider on tap, and by the bottle, as well as wine.
I can only hope that here at bear brass they’re making the most of their La Mazzarocco espresso machine– as I’ve not yet tried the coffee here. Bear brass is
a great way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon, or perhaps a work break, and it is, indeed a popular venue. You may find yourself, when outside, however, fighting for room or a free space; the outside dining section is prime territory.
Ah Finally my food arrives. I suppose it’s been a long while since I was a customer proper, (aside from ordering drinks that is) I’m so used to being in work mode that the reverse side of the coin is odd. I’m impressed by this dish; the sauce is rich and deep and flavoursome. Better than some by miles. The Kofta element itself (meatball) is let down by being too herby and tannic. It doesn’t need to be seasoned when it’s combined with a sauce that excels. The flat bread is great. Cocktail jugs are on special after 3pm on Sundays, with 9 – 10 choices to choose from, all are amazing. I Think it’s $ 16? Anyways, Bear brass, you’ve hit the spot.

My wife and I had breakfast right after BearBrass opened at 8am. I had the Eggs Benedict on Turkish which was excellent. The staff are friendly and the prices reasonable (given the location!). Definitely recommended. Looks like they have a nice bar venue serving small and full meals at night as well.

You know the kind of person that just doesn’t have a memorable face. They may be quite good looking, you may even have had a good chat with them at a party or something, only to not recognize them the next time you meet. Well I think Bear Brass is a bit like one of these people.
Bear Brass has an outdoor seated area facing the river, with heating for winter and shade cloth for summer. It also has a gas fireplace, marble bar and a water feature. But still something about this bar will leave you wondering if this was the place you vomited in the toilets last weekend or was it the club down the way? This is because, while being a swanky place that serves up cocktails and mount zero olives, Bear Brass is really one of those classic modern dining bars that offers a flashy mix of everything that sounds good, but is really just an expensive exploration into mediocrity.
Regardless, Bear Brass is a decent venue. And like the unmemorable person, you may realise that they are both good looking and slightly funny — but you still won’t recognize them the next time you meet.

Describing itself as a ‘modern restaurant and bar’, Bear Brass is one of those generic riverside bars that you can find anywhere in the world. Ergo, it’s a decent enough place for a bevy or a meal — Bear Brass serves breakfast, lunch and dinner — but is hardly one of Melbourne’s more memorable establishments.
I found myself at Bear Brass on St. Patrick’s Day where the overspill of patrons from nearby P.J. O’Brien’s ensured that Bear Brass was full to bursting for most of the night.
After a recent makeover Bear Brass is interestingly designed: all exposed wooden beams, glistening steel benchtops and aged-​just-​so concrete pillars with more than a hint of Darling Harbour’s unfailingly flashy bars aesthetics wise.
Service is punctual, drinks predictably expensive for such a prime Melbourne location, and the crowd can probably best be described as city boys and girls. Not really my kind of place but if you fancy a drink somewhere modern and professional on the river, Bear Brass is as good as any.

My work enjoyed their annual christmas dinner here a couple of years ago. With an open bar and a three course meal, our party had a great night, although the space was a little small for our group of around 40 girls.
Otherwise this is a great bar for enjoying a glass of wine with a view. The outdoor table tops and benches are a perfect place for passing the time, people watching, and catching up with friends. The bar is busiest on Friday evenings when city workers stop in for Friday night drinks, so get there early to to grab a great spot on the patio. They make great cocktails, and have a diverse wine and beer selection too.
Try a cucumber mohito crush — its my favourite for something refreshing

Bear Brass is a great spot to enjoy a sparkling wine on a sunny day, with its close proximity to the Yarra River being a major drawcard.
BB attracts plenty of corporate types, as the Herald Sun newspaper is situated literally in the building above, so you will probably be able to overhear some disgruntled journalists decrying the state of the industry if you eavesdrop closely enough.
The food here is good and if you work in the city it is definitely as good as any spot to get your night started with a few drinks and a cheeky pizza.
And its close proximity to the magical (see review) Ponyfish Island makes it the perfect place to eat before kicking on to soak up the sunset at PFI.

BearBrass is my to go place for a lemon tart and cider fix. Add some beautiful views of the Yarra River and a little sunshine and that’s what I call an amazing day.
I have a tendency to lose track of time here, it’s just so easy to keep ordering a drink and watch the sun go down. Plus the service can get a little slow as the crowds start coming in, but that’s usually not a big problem.
The staff are always happy to recommend a dish, or drink, if you can’t make up your mind. I should mention they have a pretty good menu with lots of choices. I often like getting a few small tasting plates, making sure to leave some room for dessert. Of course, I highly recommend the lemon tart, and it seems to be the only dessert that runs out often, unfortunately.