The Apo

There are many wonderful things about Paris. Chateaubriands the size of Tasmania, small dogs, smaller elevators, Russian tourist tracksuits, Haussmann's avenues and gruyere crepes that might be the last thing you eat before cardiac arrest.

My favourite thing, however, is the beer cafes. Specifically, beer cafes at closing time when revellers may transfer their unfinished booze into a plastic cup before sauntering off to make love and read Tintin. You paid for the beer, you should finish it at leisure. We'll keep the glass, monsieur, merci.

It's unlikely the Brisbane public will ever be given that level of trust and respect by The Powers That Be, especially now we have lockout laws in place. The closest we have to French civility is The Apo, which now lets you bring any leftover dinner wine into Laruche next door.

Granted, it's not the same as rolling down Boulevard Voltaire with a pint of La Chouffe under your arm (Laruche and The Apo are owned by the same brothers Moubarak behind Hatch & Co., The Defiant Duck and Gerard's Bistro), but in a city where you can't order an off-menu cocktail after midnight, taking an unfinished bottle from one venue to the next is a refreshing opportunity.

Welcome to The Apo 2.0, which has more in common with Paris than mobile plonk.

Brisbane Times 2017 Good Food Guide Citi Chef of the Year Ben Williamson (Gerard's Bistro) was appointed executive chef at Ann Street's former apothecaries hall in July when known nasturtium forager Braden White left due to "creative differences" with the Moubarak boys.

Williamson and head chef Steve Harry (Gerard's Bar and Charcuterie) have settled into their new digs with food that brings colour and life to a dining room that could easily feel unwelcoming with its cold, slabby surfaces and polished concrete. Good-humored service from a floor team lead by Jimmy Murray warms the joint too.

The Apo is not an extension of the Gerard's brand under a different name, although the kitchens are cut from the same coal-grilled cloth.

For the most part, Gerard's Bistro serves modern Australian food influenced by Maghreb and the Middle East. The Apo, meanwhile, uses a French foundation to showcase flavours associated with Lebanon and Turkey, but it's not a strict formula.  

Bar snacks open the batting in cracking form. Smoked beef tartare ($5) is laced with aniseed, juniper and creamy egg yolk. Sandwiched between potato crisps, it's an oily bit of gear that James Street's cold-pressed juice crew would be horrified by. We order another three. Croquettes scattered with lemon thyme ($5 each) spill forth with molten bechamel and washed-rind cheese. They're wonderfully, unapologetically rich and we're thankful for pickled discs of Jerusalem artichoke providing sharpness on the side. Two each is enough, one is probably more sensible.

Oysters ($5 each) have a very different peak point and I foresee chilly afternoons spent knocking back steamed Coffin Bay pacifics with a Newstead porter ($10). They're a terrific bite of salt, sour, spice and fat, served warm on rocks with grilled sujuk sausage, lemon-soured yoghurt and dehydrated plankton for a beachy punch.

Coal-grilled whiting ($24) is a perfectly set bit of protein, bright flesh separating with the snap of a finger to find happiness in burnt butter, barberries, raisins and mint. Pair it with a side of brussels sprouts, pine nut cream, chervil and Manjimup truffle ($18) for a steady-as-she-goes midweek lunch. Perhaps add a cheeky martini to the bill too. Pez Collier is still here as head bartender and, my word, the bloke can mix a drink.

If there's a better steak in Brisbane under $30, I would love to know about it. (Not you, Les Bubbles.) Williamson uses Black Onyx angus from the legends at Rangers Valley for his steak frites ($29) and coal-grills a different cut most nights including cube roll (excellent), flank (very great), and hanger (haven't eaten, but would bet a fortnight's pay it's a ripper).

Black Onyx is noble and mighty flavoured beef with a Goldilocks level of marbling to make things buttery without sliding into the foie-gras-textured territory of high-end wagyu. There's a puck of green chilli and coriander butter to enhance proceedings and provide a sexy dipping sauce for proper chips, properly fried and golden.

With global demand for steak continuing to grow, beef quality like this, at this price point, is going to be out of the question in three years' time, maybe less. Enjoy it while you can, folks.

There's a compact, modestly priced wine list featuring hand-crafted drops, many available by the half bottle. I believe I speak on behalf of all solo diners here, that more half bottle offerings everywhere would be wonderful. Gold star and smiley-face stamp for you, Apo.  

A 2015 Gewurztraminer ($14/$34/$65) from Te Whare Ra, my favourite husband-and-wife-run vineyard in Marlborough, is fleshy and fresh with notes of lychee and allspice. It suits those turbocharged cheese croquettes, just as nicely as it does a chewy, sticky quince tarte tatin ($14) singing with clove, vanilla and cinnamon.

The Apo is a beaut place to devote a couple of hours to now, but I'm very much looking forward to hotter nights and longer days. A couple of balcony wines and outdoor snacks before moving on to Laruche with the same bottle of riesling sounds like just the ticket. It's cheaper than a return economy flight to Charles de Gaulle, too.

Go-to dish: Black Onyx steak with green chilli and coriander butter and pommes frites ($29).

Pro tip: The bar rocks snacks until 1am on weekends if you need sustenance before a session at The Beat.

If you like this, try: Gerard's Bistro, Fortitude Valley; E'cco Bistro, Brisbane