ESQ., Eagle Street, CBD

Is it just me or do these three stars on Brisbane's culinary scene look surprisingly alike?

With their cute, boyish good looks they could easily be brothers but instead Ben Devlin, Ryan Squires and Cameron Murchison are the brains behind Esquire.

Find Esquire and ESQ. off Eagle Street - look for this sign and entry.

How good does it get? ESQ.'s lunch bar overlooking the river.

They've has just set out to challenge the business lunch notion with launch of ESQ. Casual Dining + Bar at Esquire restaurant, Eagle Street. Aimed at the city’s corporates, ESQ is set to challenge the traditional notion of a business lunch offering lunch guests a wide range of styled tasting plates of high-quality local produce, on the casual side of the restaurant.

Head Chef and co-owner Ryan Squires said the ESQ. Casual Dining + Bar was created as a point-of-difference to other restaurants and would push the boundaries with many different and exciting dishes available, all within the hour.

“Why does the notion of a lunch have to be centered around one big main course? I think Brisbane corporates are looking for something different and we want to give it to them.

And it need not be delivered at a high cost or over many hours.

“The ESQ. Casual Dining + Bar would be one of the best value lunches in town with a pre-fixed three dishes costing $35 and four or five individually picked dishes costing anywhere from $40 to $60.

Harnessing the enviable quality of talent in the kitchen, Squires plans to unleash an inspiring menu with a strong seafood focus, centered around a charcoal barbeque.

“We like to use Australian charcoal to highlight the quality of the produce that we source from local fishermen, serving them grilled with seasoning and condiments. The charcoal we use has a high carbon content which burns evenly and cleanly, allowing the ingredient to stand on its own and reveal its true characteristics,” he said.

Squires menu highlights include Moreton Bay sand squid, ocean prawns in garlic emulsion and rainbow trout – all cooked using charcoal. Other favourites include the wagyu beef thinly sliced and served raw with fried onion, tomato and aged balsamic, the charcoal glazed pork ribs and skate with burnt butter, lemon and chicory.

Ryan said the ESQ. Casual Dining + Bar was the perfect compliment to more formal dining degustation side of Esquire.

“We believe Esquire is accessible and welcoming to Brisbane locals and visitors and we are really happy to have two clear offerings for lunch, one which will cater for those people who have the time to sit and enjoy a beautiful seven-course degustation or those that still want the same quality but don’t have the time,” he said.

So if you've always wanted to try Esquire but never made it there, now you have another reason to but it at the top of your list.

Here's what we ate -