Wooden Horse Restaurant & Bar

Wooden Horse Restaurant and Bar is one of Brisbane's dining hotspots, located in Clayfield in an exquisitely converted old general store alongside the railway station.

With its rustic wooden floorboards, leadlight and frosted windows, French doors, VJ walls and lashings of old world charm, Wooden Horse would have to be one of Brisbane’s most ambient restaurants yet the attraction doesn’t stop there.

More than just a pretty space, Wooden Horse Restaurant and Bar is a serious foodie destination, thanks to the considerable talents of brothers Morgan and Dane, co-owners and chefs. Between them they have compiled a concise carefully curated menu that brings together the best of Mediterranean flavours with top local and seasonal produce.

For entrée choose from delectable Spanish and Italian-inspired dishes such as Spicy Chorizo and Kinkawooka Mussels in beer broth with basil, shallots, garlic, tomato and torn bread, Croquetas de Jamon, Coffin Bay Oysters (shucked to order) with pomegranate and nebbiolo verjus or a Wooden Meat Board unlike any other of Cured Pig Cheek, Spanish spreadable salami, wild mushroom and sherry sausage, Manchego cheese, wild olives, a delectable range of (mostly house) pickled veges and house-baked grissini.

Mains, which vary according to season, include options such as the melt-in-the-mouth house signature Pig with Apple (honey glazed pork belly with cider poached apple, charred witlof and veal jus, Pan Seared Mulloway with tiger prawn tortelini, smoked leek, shaved pig cheek and saffron or House Wild Mushroom Ravioli in a sherry based broth so delicious it's drinkable with manchego crisp, pickled shimeji and herbed truffle marscapone.

To accompany there are sides like Market Greens with lemon, shallot oil and smoked almond, Heirloom Tomato Salad with sherry onion, olives, sumac and oregano, tomato, basil or Rosemary Salted French Fries with confit garlic mayo.

The pizzas here are a real and rare treat, being made in the traditional Naples fashion, with the handmade dough fermented for at least 24 hours before cooking in the brick pizza oven, the result being the lightest of crispy crusts. Toppings range from the lighter Margherita or Peperoni up to the Spanish-inspired Matador (tiger prawns, chorizo, garlic, sherry onion and tomato or the meat-lovers house special - The Drunken Pig ( bacon, pork belly, pepperoni, mozzarella and dill pickle with Bourbon BBQ sauce).

Lastly the small selection of divine desserts includes Spanish style Los Creme Catalana with fresh white peach and hazelnut biscotti, Banana Parfait with dark chocolate soli, rosemary honey, banana chips and candied macadamia and the highly recommended Drunken Sailor - a virtual work of art incorporating Sailor Jerry laced rum cake with coconut cream sorbet and lemon snow under a ginger tree. Or finish the meal with a Wooden Cheese Board, featuring a weekle selection of Australian cheeses with house lavosh and accompaniments.

Wooden Horse is fully licenced, with a curated boutique wine, beer and cocktail list that is a match in quality with the food.

Pull up a stool at the cosy wooden bar before dining and enjoy one of the house cocktails that pay homage to chef Dane’s all time fav band The Beatles – Twist’n’Shout (bourbon, maple, vanilla, cinnamon and egg white), Strawberry Fields Forever (sparkling wine, strawberries and Chambord) or Here Comes the Sun (tequila, orange, ginger, passionfruit, lime and cucumber) or partake in a fortifying spirit.

With 2 rotating beers on tap, there’s also Lager (Peroni Leggera, Coopers Light, Doss Blochos Pale Lager and Beenleigh Duke) and Wheat Beer in the fridge along with Cider and Specialty numbers like 4 Pines Irish Stout, Licks Ginger Beer and Batlow Cloudy Apple Cider. Wine (white, red, rose, sparkling or dessert) is available by the glass or the bottle, with boutique drops from NZ, southern Australia, Argentina, Italy and France on offer.

For something non-alcoholic there’s a choice of Mocktails (strawberry basil fizz, fruit crush or mojito), soft drinks including pink lemonade, lemon or soda lime bitters and Sunkist orange, milkshakes and juices, while coffee and a range of black or herbal teas are also on offer.

In a nutshell - As well as an outstanding dinner destination ideal for any occasion, Wooden Horse makes a great spot for lunch from Friday to Sunday. Ideal for dates, special occasions, a night without cooking, families and small groups of friends.

Need to know - Wooden Horse Restaurant and Bar is family friendly too, with kids menus coming inside storybooks (adult menus come inside classic hard covers), high chairs available and with just about the best little foodie options on any Brisbane menu. Children can tuck into Carbonara with chicken and bacon, Pulled Lamb with Fries and Steamed Greens or Tomato and Parmesan Angel Hair Pasta with Napoli sauce, followed by ice-cream with a choice of topping. Note that Kids Menus are only available until 7.30pm.

Nice to Know – Pizzas are available for Takeaway. Gluten Free pizza is also available for an extra $3.

The menu may have changed since our visit.