Brasserie on the River - Best Brunch in Town

So it was time to meet our mate's new girlfriend - and what better way than over Brunch at one of Brisbane's nicest Hotels?

While Bill and Bec are no longer an item, the Brasserie on the River
has firmly placed itself on our favourites list for Brunch so we're grateful to their short-term union for that fact alone!

For me, while I love the traditional things in life - when it comes to a good quality Brunch - there has to be variety. Variety is the spice of life, and variety is also the mark of a damn fine Brunch.

Let me explain - there should be at least 3 types of eggs; preferably poached, scrambled and fried - but I'll also accept boiled. There should be a nice selection of sides - tomatoes, bacon, sausages, hash browns (must be crunchy or don't bother), home made baked beans etc. The bread basket should have different styles of bread - and I don't mean the same bread shaped differently - I mean sourdough, rye, bagels, Vienna loaf.. you know, different bread!

But most of all, there should also be a selection of sweets... real French pastries, croissants, waffles, pancakes and ice cream.

Now - the Brasserie had all of these things and more. And I sampled most (read: all of it, and went back for seconds...) of it. But what won me over completely... was the Museli station. Thats right - they had a whole bench for museli. Fresh and toasted, fruit and non-fruit and best of all... Bircher. But I'm not finished... NO! They also had at least 10 different kinds of fruit, fresh and dried, poached and stewed all sitting happily next to the nuts... WOW! Who ever thought of a museli bar - the Stamford, that's who. And that's why they're #1 on my Brunch list.

The Verdict: WOW. It was everything I expected and more, so much more. I can't wait to go back - at $50 a person, it's not cheap and it would be wasted on a hangover - so plan in advance.

My Recommendation: The coffee here is good too, but order the minute you walk through the door because they aren't quick, but it's worth waiting for. Start with the savoury (bacon and eggs), move on to the sweet (pancakes and waffles), end on something healthy so you feel positive about the day (fruit and museli) and then, because you never really finish a buffet when you should - order another coffee and much on some French pastries while you admire the view. Don't forget your Sunnies, it's pretty glassy out there.

Contact: Stamford Plaza - Brasserie on the River