It's long been a famous Brisbane destination for all the wrong reasons but Brisbane foodpreneur Damian Griffiths has set out to change all that.
Capitalising on the notorious past of Bubbles Bathhouse, which was at the centre of the Fitzgerald inquiry, the building now houses Brisbane's first Parisian steakhouse Les Bubbles and Bubbles Bath-House.
It's said that upstairs was the casino that didn't exist and downstairs was a massage parlour where losers could 'wash away' their sorrows.
The focus is on the popular French dish, steak frites and that's basically it apart from vegetarian and pescatarian options which change according to the specials. So you better like steak served medium rare, although they will cook it to your specification.
Although I wasn't able to find out too much about the origin of the grass-fed, free range steak apart from Queensland, it certainly was tender and flavoursome. The choice comes in the sauces which are Cafe de Paris, Bernaise or green peppercorn and cognac.
Each steak is served with a soft leaf salad and bottomless frites. The salad comes before the steak and is just leaves and a couple of thin slices of radish, all lightly dressed.
The steak and frites are well cooked and exactly what you would expect. It's a filling meal. So filling we sadly didn't have room to sample the desserts.
The restaurant has a good atmosphere with photo-covered walls, red banquet seating and an open kitchen where you can watch the chef at work.
Wander down a single flight of stairs from the restaurant to Bubbles Bath-House where you'll find a 15 person spa bath and a bar about the same size.
Ed+bK rating: 3.5/5 stars - well priced steak and chips with a twist.
Bottom line: Steak frites $29.90, desserts around $15.
Best tip: Complimentary parking is available for customers in the Chinatown Secure Carpark with ticket validation.
Disclaimer: Ed+bK paid for her meal.
Kerry Heaney