Uncornered and unleashed – Clarence reopens on Fish Lane with comfort-focused bistronomy
Clarence has packed up its Woolloongabba digs and moved into a slick new space on Fish Lane – and it’s looking (and tasting) better than ever. Chefs Ben McShane and Matt Kuhnemann have kept the produce-driven soul intact but added a comfort-centric menu featuring everything from coral trout meuniere to a killer cheeseburger. With a warm, bistro-style fit-out and a more visible spot in one of Brisbane’s busiest dining precincts, Clarence 2.0 is ready for its next chapter.
When Ben McShane and Matt Kuhnemann started packing down their Woolloongabba restaurant in anticipation of relocating to Fish Lane, there wasn’t much time to be sentimental.
The chefs have had a lot on their plate, between nailing the last few services, selling and disposing of old equipment, and overseeing the build on Clarence 2.0. Given the pair has been planning this transition for some time, any misty-eyed romanticism for what was has likely long been replaced by anticipation for what’s next.
“It was sad leaving it – it looks quite different once you take everything out and pull it back to a bare restaurant,” Matt admits.
“We’ve been at that site for almost four years and a lot’s happened there – there’s a lot of memories,” adds Ben. “But we’ve been working on this for the best part of a year, so it’s not a shock thing for us.”
On Wednesday August 13, Ben and Matt lifted the cloche on Clarence’s new 60-seat space at 51 Fish – a new dining and retail nexus situated at the base of the Croft & Cremorne apartment development near Merivale Street.
Since opening at the beginning of 2022, Clarence has been regarded as one of Brisbane’s best places to dine – a chef’s restaurant, where a constantly shifting supply of of-the-moment produce is transformed into top-notch nosh thanks to Ben and Matt’s freewheeling creative approach. Though highly praised, the quiet nature of its Woolloongabba pocket meant it was hard for the restaurant to build momentum.
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Ben and Matt’s decision to move the restaurant to Fish Lane – a buzzing strip rivalled only by James Street in terms of profile – was spurred by a desire to bring their style of cooking to a broader audience. While certainly a smart move from a business standpoint, some long-time fans might worry that this shift runs the risk of messing with the things they loved about the restaurant in the first place. What happens to Clarence when it leaves Clarence Corner?
Well, when it comes to Clarence’s food – specifically the produce-driven approach that underpins the restaurant’s menus – Ben and Matt assure us that nothing has changed.
“The biggest thing that we do is in regards to what we get and where we get it from – nobody’s really getting anything like that,” says Ben, who name drops Neighbourhood Farm, Tommerup’s Dairy and Sunnybank Fish Market as key suppliers. “The quality of produce is, I think, the thing that makes us stand out. So that is staying the same.”
The biggest shake up is in regards to menu structure, which Ben and Matt say is to better cater to the broader demographic of Fish Lane. Reminiscent of the humble and dependable Parisian bistros and brasseries that Clarence draws inspiration from, guests can find what they’re looking for – be it pre-show drinks and snacks, a lavish celebratory meal or even a light bite after work.
“We’ve tried to make the menu a little bit more focused on comfort food – a little less about what we want to be cooking and more what people want to be eating,” explains Ben. “We’re doing it how we want to do it – we just better understand what people in Brisbane want when they go out and doing it in a way that makes sense to us.”
“We’re still passionate about suppliers and using the right things,” adds Matt. “But we are doing things in a way that’s approachable for a much larger demographic.”
The a la carte menu is divided into sections, starting with cold and raw seafood plates like bonito with Celtic mustard and bergamot ponzu, and Hervey Bay scallops with tiger milk, capers and radish. These morsels lead into appetisers like saucisson sec from Saison Small Goods, smoked and glazed house-made ham with green-bean chutney, and tropical rock lobster ‘Nashville style’ with pickles and white bread.
Portions get bigger with entrees including pig-head schnitzel and potato gnocchi with caviar and dashi cream, while mains include wild-caught barramundi with dill-pickle butter, wild-shot venison rack with blueberry, beetroot and white lasagne, and dry-aged duck with witlof and cumquat yuzu kosho. The offering is crowned by a pair of shareable large-format plates like half coral trout meuniere and an O’Connor koji-aged grass-fed sirloin with Bordelaise sauce and duck-fat potatoes.
Clarence’s menu has also expanded to feature lunch sets, happy hour and late-night snacks (including a Clarence cheeseburger), and a three-course roast lunch on Sundays.
Zoe Mahoney (who worked with Ben and Matt at Two Lights in London) is overseeing the wine list, which champions small-batch, organic and biodynamic producers and is backed by a clutch of classic cocktails.
“There’s still that all-Australian list, but it’s just about having delicious stuff that people want to be drinking every day,” says Ben. “There’s no real fuss or pretentiousness about it – there are some funky wines that are a little bit left-field, but still entirely accessible.”
And then there’s the space. Alkot Studio – the team behind ēmmē and Pilloni’s fetching designs – has worked with Ben and Matt on the restaurant’s look. Without the heritage character of Clarence Corner to work with, the team has sought to give the new site an aesthetic that channels the same look and feel via upholstered green banquette seats, dark woods, mirrored surfaces and bold artworks from Ben’s brother Asher McShane. Seating is divided amongst traditional tables and stools at the bar, once again underscoring Clarence’s newfound versatility and approachability.
“Here we had to create an identity off a bit of a blank canvas, so we’re trying to add that character in ways that felt like it still belonged to us,” Ben explains. “We’ve gone with a warmer, more inviting colour palette and textured fabrics. It doesn’t feel like it’s a fancy restaurant – it still feels a little bit homely, which is what we liked about Woolloongabba.”
Boasting a prime corner position – and with Fanda Group’s own produce-led concept Marlowe taking shape over the road – Clarence is perfectly positioned to capitalise on Fish Lane’s next wave of growth. Walking past, it already feels like a well-worn part of the neighbourhood – one open to all comers.
“It feels connected more to the area,” says Matt, referring to the high street-facing windows that look out onto Fish Lane. “It’s open. People can look in. It just seems more of an inviting building.”
Clarence is officially open to the public. Head to The Directory for booking details and opening hours.