Luxe

Ph: (07) 3854 0671; 39 James St, FORTITUDE VALLEY 4006

Modern Australian, $$, ** for Food
Open Mon-Fri 11am-late Sat-Sun 8am-midnight; Licensed, BYO; AE MC V EFT, Seats inside 70
Chef James Sofious (27-12-07) Owner Tanya Maclennan & Michael Bott (27-12-07)

Mietta's Review
Luxe is sharp and edgey. It is priced a dollar or two more than its neighbours but it offers much more. However, it is a bit undefined in its purpose - is it a restaurant or is it a bar. The music is well chosen, the food is good and the service tries hard but it is really set up as a bar where such care would pass unoticed. However, under new chef, Trent Robinson, the food has taken a major step up which has helped bring it all together. In 06 mains averaged $28.

Other published opinions

Courier Mail food and wine guide Queensland 2008 Score: 13/20 "One size fits all at Luxe - cafe, breakfast stop, tapas bar, restaurant, cocktail cruise-up - for which thanks go to the clever design. Arcading a cinema entrance and adding to a crowded bistro strip, Luxe has an open tropical feel: lots of glass and high roof, cascading natural light, casual seating and a fluoro-lit bar"

Courier Mail food and wine guide Queensland 2008 "Low-maintenance lounging that offers a more mature alternative to the nearby Valley club scene"

Courier Mail food and wine guide Queensland 2008 Score: 13/20 "One size fits all at Luxe - cafe, breakfast stop, tapas bar, restaurant, cocktail cruise-up - for which thanks go to the clever design. Arcading a cinema entrance and adding to a crowded bistro strip, Luxe has an open tropical feel: lots of glass and high roof, cascading natural light, casual seating and a fluoro-lit bar"

Courier Mail Lizzie Loel, 19-6-2007 Score: Food: 13 Wine: 16 Service: 15 Ambience: 13 "Luxe needs some love. It feels tired and there's an empty air about the place. I'm sure this vanishes at night when it morphs into a busy bar, but by day, like my wrinkles and the creeping greyness of my hair, it is much more noticeable. And unlike me perhaps, a mini makeover would fix all that - get rid of the worn-looking furnishings, give the wooden bars out front a coat of lacquer and get some new menu covers.

Brisbane News Dining Out Guide 2007 "Fresh from a stint managing a backpackers' hostel in WA, new owners Mike and Tania Bott bring a dose of down-to-earth attitude to the James Street strip, with their recently revamped indoor-outdoor eatery"

Gourmet Traveller 2007 Australian Restaurant Guide "Never has a venue been so well conceived for people-watching. With footpath seating, indoor dining with glass walls and a casual, convivial atmosphere, Luxe is perfect for idly watching the passing parade. The menu is a reflection of this - a quick snack, a refill prior to the movies or something more substantial from chef Jason Smith's approachable yet diverse template."

Courier-Mail Goodlife Restaurant Guide 2006 "With glass walls that open out on the passing parade on James St and tables and chairs that spill out onto the footpath, Luxe is the perfect spot for a coffee, a drink and a snack or a fullscale meal."

Gourmet Traveller 2006 Australian Restaurant Guide "It's always been a great spot to meet, have a drink and grab a bite, but owner Caitlin Gallagher has taken her little fishbowl of a bar up a notch, recruiting hot young chef Trent Robson."

Brisbane News Eating Out Guide 2006 "A laid-back atmosphere, with colourful banquettes as well as outdoor tables, and Trent Robson's upmarket cuisine make this a great spot to please your palate"

Courier-Mail Good Life Lizzy Loel 8/2/05 "Even though the food is now ambitious and of an incredibly high standard, the place has lost none of its approachable, laid-back ambience and successfully combines great dining with a mature but lively bar."

Courier-Mail Goodlife Restaurant Guide 05 "Inside is simple but strikingly furnished with burnt orange, ostrich-print banquettes and a polished concrete floor. A bird watchers' bar was installed for you to gaze out at the passing parade while grazing on some great tapas-style tastes"

Gourmet Traveller Australian Restaurant Guide 2005 Best bars "The chic fishbowl of Luxe (39 James St, Fortitude Valley, 07 3854 0671) attracts a goodlooking crowd"

SMH Good Food Guide & Age GFG 2005 "OK, so it's a bit swisher and more upmarket than your usual cafe, and it's tucked in next to the cinema so the crowds can swell, especially on weekends. "

Gourmet Travelller Restaurant Guide 2004, Good vegetarian options,'fluid wine list and tempting tapas, snacks and more substantial dishes...The wine list is a major feature of this popular bar and meeting place...elegant food'

Brisbane Times, Bar, Alicia Pyke, 4/10/02

Brisbane News, 2002 Eating Out Guide