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Essa Restaurant, Fortitude Valley, AU-QLD

Essa Restaurant

4.7 (791)
$41 to $100
Wine Bar
181 Robertson St, Fortitude Valley, AU-QLD 4006

Make a reservation

2 people
8:30 PM
Booked 11 times today
Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for fine wines
  • Innovative
ESSA provides a destination to escape the expected.

Just like the raw interiors in which we reside, our work is simple but considered.

The ethos in the kitchen embraces collaboration with local farmers, hunters and providores, promoting an environmentally conscious approach to the menu. Harvest driven dishes provide the creative parameters for our ever evolving dining experience.

ESSA is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5pm till late and Friday and Sunday lunch from 12pm.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $41 to $100
  • Cuisines
    Wine Bar, Modern Australian, Modern European
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Fri, Sun 12:00 pm–4:00 pm Dinner Tue–Sat 5:00 pm–11:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (07) 3177 1011
  • Website
    http://www.essa.restaurant/
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress

Featured in

Experiences

  • Five Chefs, Five Plates

    Multiple dates available
    Wednesday Nights An experimental series taking over Wednesday evenings, providing the younger chefs, guest chefs and local producers with a platform to showcase fresh ideas and menu offerings. The dishes change weekly so no two weeks are the same! Please note on Wednesdays this is the only menu available and dietary requirements cannot be catered for. ALSO - WE ONLY TAKE YOUR CREDIT DETAILS TO HOLD THE BOOKING AND DO NOT CHARGE ANYTHING UNTIL YOU'RE IN VENUE, ON THE DAY OF THE BOOKING [even though it looks like we do, we don't!]
    Five Chefs, Five Plates Photo

  • $68 Friday Lunches at ESSA

    A$68.00 per person

    Multiple dates available
    Friday Lunch $68pp It’s Friday at Essa, time for an express or long lunch Every Friday join us for our $68pp lunch + add ons The Nixon Room is open from 3pm for cocktails to finish the day ALSO - WE ONLY TAKE YOUR CREDIT DETAILS TO HOLD THE BOOKING AND DO NOT CHARGE ANYTHING UNTIL YOU'RE IN VENUE, ON THE DAY OF THE BOOKING [even though it looks like we do, we don't!]
    $68 Friday Lunches at ESSA Photo

  • Leave it to us SET MENU

    Multiple dates available
    A staple dining experience at ESSA. Enjoy a produce-focused set menu celebrating fresh, seasonal ingredients from long-standing suppliers and friends. Expect bold and creative flavours, crafted intently using the wood fire. $116pp, matching wine pairing available $98pp. [Prices are subject to change depending on contents of menu!] Contact the restaurant with any queries. *Please notify us of any dietary requirements or special requests in the notes section when confirming your reservation. ALSO - WE ONLY TAKE YOUR CREDIT DETAILS TO HOLD THE BOOKING AND DO NOT CHARGE ANYTHING UNTIL YOU'RE IN VENUE, ON THE DAY OF THE BOOKING [even though it looks like we do, we don't!]
    Leave it to us SET MENU Photo

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Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 791 people are saying

Essa Restaurant reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.5Value

Noise • Energetic

Loved For

  • Brisbane

    Innovative

  • Brisbane

    Great for fine wines

  • Brisbane

    Romantic

  • Inner Suburbs

    Best Food

  • Inner Suburbs

    Best Value

  • Inner Suburbs

    Innovative

  • Inner Suburbs

    Great for creative cocktails

  • Inner Suburbs

    Great for fine wines

  • Inner Suburbs

    Romantic

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Essa Restaurant in Brisbane consistently delights diners with its creative and delicious menu, "amazing food," and "incredible service." The ambiance is intimate yet vibrant, perfect for special occasions or casual nights out. With highlights like "five chefs five plates" and "chicken and wine Saturdays," Essa offers a memorable dining experience.
791 Reviews

  1. Andrew

    Brisbane1 review

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Best ever as usual. Cannot recommend Essa enough especially on Sundays.

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  2. Adam

    Brisbane1 review

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Sunday lunch at Essa is something special. We have now been 4 times with different groups and we have always been impressed. Adrien, who took care of us, did a great job.

    Is this helpful?

  3. John

    Brisbane51 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    We really enjoyed our Sunday School lunch. Good fun, with generous serves of tasty food. Wine by the glass complemented our meal.

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  4. Radoslaw

    Sydney10 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Very knowledgeable, friendly and professional service was a highlight of our visit there. The food was good but very rich and rather pricey compared to other restaurants of a similar level that we have visited.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Nina

    Brisbane1 review

    4.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Best dining in Brisbane so far for me. We loved everything. So creative and flavourful. Would come back for the food!

    Is this helpful?

  6. David

    Sunshine Coast1 review

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Lovely food and very attentive staff who really know their food.

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  7. Wendy

    Queensland1 review

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Consistent quality and invention in food parings keep us coming back to this excellent restaurant

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  8. Greg

    Brisbane3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on July 5, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always so good but the fried chicken and free wine saturdays are just such an amazing vibe. You will NEVER eat better fried chicken. And the stuffed wing with shaved truffle….. don’t even get me started.

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  9. Alexandra

    Brisbane1 review

    5.0

    Dined on June 28, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Chris our waiter was amazing, he made the whole experience just that little bit better. Nothing to fault we loved it all!

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  10. Sara

    Brisbane1 review

    4.0

    Dined on June 26, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    The food and service were excellent, but the set menu took far too long to be served. We were a table of two having the 4-course menu, and it ended up taking about 3 hours in total. There were long waits between each course, which made the overall experience less enjoyable. We almost didn’t stay for dessert due to the delay.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Essa Restaurant is rated 4.7 stars by 791 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. Australia
  3. Brisbane
  4. Inner Suburbs
  5. Fortitude Valley

Make a reservation

2 people
8:30 PM
Booked 11 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Essa Restaurant

181 Robertson St, Fortitude Valley, AU-QLD 4006

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Fortitude Valley
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Fri, Sun 12:00 pm–4:00 pm Dinner Tue–Sat 5:00 pm–11:00 pm
  • Price
    $41 to $100
  • Cuisines
    Wine Bar, Modern Australian, Modern European
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    None
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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