Get the first look inside Evra – Newstead’s striking farm-to-table restaurant
A long-awaited addition to Newstead’s Longland Street dining strip is set to open this week, with Evra Restaurant throwing open the doors on Wednesday May 21. Celebrating the bounty of earth and sea, Evra’s farm-to-table menu is filled to the brim with produce from some of the state’s best farmers and suppliers (plus Evra’s own rooftop garden). Take a look inside …
In an age where the use of quality produce is a key metric by which a restaurant is appraised, many eateries place provenance and locality at the forefront of their menus. This is undoubtedly a good thing, as these days just about every notable nosh spot wears a list of vetted suppliers as a badge of honour, proudly championing local farmers and suppliers. But few restaurants can claim the same geographical scope as Newstead’s produce-driven arrival Evra, which officially opens on Wednesday May 21.
Late last year, the Evra team introduced itself to Brisbane diners with its coastal- and rural-inspired grocer and deli. This marketplace, which has become incredibly popular thanks to its array of pay-by-weight hot and cold foods, nourishing longevity smoothies and array of premium pantry fillers, set the tone that its restaurant sibling is now following. Evra Marketplace’s selection of seasonal produce – the majority of which is free from chemicals, pesticides and preservatives – is sourced from some of the state’s best suppliers. What’s more, a choice array of vegetables and herbs are sourced from its own rooftop farm, which means Evra can genuinely claim that its radius spans from the heart of Newstead to the furthest reaches of Queensland.
Evra’s restaurant component occupies a high-ceilinged corner of Cavcorp’s Long Island Brisbane on Longland Street, just next to Baker D. Chirico. The venue can be loosely broken up into three spaces. Upon entry, guests are greeted by Evra’s bar area – a casual meeting point that’s open for walk-ins, enclosed by a lengthy stone-topped bar on one side and a rippled glass partition on the other. The rest of the restaurant’s interior floor plan is divided into two main dining spaces (one inside and a semi-alfresco greenhouse-inspired area) and the kitchen, a nexus of activity that beams light out into the room.
While the leather banquettes, white tablecloths, mood lighting and bridge of attentive waitstaff might give an upscale air, Evra is described as more of a local neighbourhood restaurant – an approachable and humble dining destination that can cater to drinks and snacks as well as blow-out celebration dinners.
Over the past few months, the Evra team (headed by executive chef Kelvin Andrews) has combed the state from top to bottom, stitching together a network of trusted farmers and sought-after producers to provide the foundational mortar for the restaurant’s ever-evolving seasonal menu. The resulting cadre of provisioners includes the likes of Friesian beef from CopperTree, Urban Valley mushrooms, chicken from Wombeyan Caves and wild-caught fish from BlueReef.
While Evra’s share-style menu has its footing in modern Australian cooking, the offering boasts some discernible Italian- and Vietnamese-inspired touches and is crafted using classic French techniques. The menu begins with appetisers, starting with parker rolls baked by Baker D. Chirico next door, crispy fried chicken with rooftop herbs and nuoc cham dressing, a farm plate of rooftop garden vegetables and white hummus, and crudo of the sea featuring yellowfin tuna, salmon, ‘Paspaley’ pearl meat, coral trout with creme fraiche and Yarra Valley caviar.
and Maraschino cherry.
From there, it’s on to the entrees. Evra’s South Australian marron risotto, hand-rolled cannelloni stuffed with seasonal sweet farm corn and sage puree, and the CopperTree Farms steak tartare are early stand-outs, but special mention must be made of the cou farci, or Aylesbury duck ‘sausage’. This French-inspired delicacy uses the skin of duck and chicken necks as the sausage casing, which is then hung over fire to impart a smoky flavour before it is slowly roasted until succulent.
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Evra’s selection of mains features a number of steaks (including a sirloin, petite fillet and chateaubriand from CopperTree Farms, plus a Blackmore wagyu sirloin), Wombeyan Caves Bresse chicken, Talgai pasture-raised lamb cutlets, Urban Valley Mushroom tart, BlueReef coral trout fillet served on Southern squid cacciatore, and pan-roasted Murray cod with sauce au poivre blanc. Anchoring all of this are two Evra signatures – a Wombeyan Caves Aylsebury duck with fermented plum and organic soy sauce, and a mud-crab lasagne boasting decadent mud-crab fondue and zucchini flower.
On the beverage front, Evra’s globe-trotting wine list is a sturdy tome divided into a number of categories. You’ll find a page dedicated to champagnes by the bottle, light, crisp and aromatic whites on another, as well as perfumed and elegant pinots, and vibrant and savoury reds. The restaurant’s cocktail menu features a tight selection of signatures, with highlights including the Day Spa (gin, honeyed lemon, cucumber and thyme), the Higher BPM (reposado tequila, Cointreau, espresso and chocolate bitters) and the Americano Perfecto (Campari, vermouth rosso, birra and grapefruit).
Evra Restaurant officially opens to the public on Wednesday May 21 – you can find menu info and booking details in The Directory.