Brisbane has a secret, and it's French.
Step into @lacacheavin and something shifts. It doesn't feel like Brisbane anymore. It feels like the kind of local you would stumble into somewhere in Europe, settle into for two hours, and leave feeling like a regular. Familiar, unhurried, and comfortable.
We started with the tartare de boeuf and the soufflé au Kirsch. The tartare was excellent. Clean, well-seasoned, the fried capers were a good addition. But the soufflé was the one. Light, properly fluffy, with that Kirsch velouté cutting through just enough. Sasenka loves cheese, and this delivered.
For mains, the confit duck was very nice. The Madeira sauce, the Paris mash, the prunes. Everything sitting together the way it should. The Stanbroke eye fillet was cooked perfectly. And the sautéed mushrooms on the side were exactly that: simple, garlicky, perfect.
Service was warm and friendly. You feel looked after without making you feel you are constantly being watched.
Nothing here is trying to reinvent anything. It's just good French cooking. Sometimes that's exactly what you need.