25 May 2009
Margaret Kennedy
Conrad Treasury Hotel, George Street & Stevens Lane, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
+61 7 3306 8647.
The Lab’s secret lies in its being many things at once, and so it draws a broad crowd that includes the single diner, the work friends wanting something more civilised than a ho-hum sandwich, the food lover who can’t abide ho-hum anything, the light lunchers pressed for time but seeking respite, and those who know the value of a dollar. It delivers good food of some interest, always well-geared to the modern tastes of this latitude. The waiters are efficient, courteous and professional. Ambience, too, plays a part: it’s a room of gracious proportions in a Victorian sandstone building. Vast, arched, mahogany-ribbed windows look down on the bustle outside without disturbing the calm order within. A splendid timber bar, the star turn, evokes a vanished past. But in all other ways The Lab is up-to-the-minute.
Open: breakfast & dinner daily, lunch Mon-Fri. Licensed. Mains $25-$39.
Source: Qantas The Australian Way June 2009