Queens Arms Hotel

Vibe QA Hotel is a bright, airy and cheerful place, where people come to have a good time. There are multiple dining areas with different configurations so you’ll be spoiled for choice. We sat in the middle of the venue, which I believe is called the “Laneway”, probably on account of its long, thin shape. The large solid round table and high bar stools were comfy, although there’s nowhere to hang coats and jackets. The main dining area, called the “Botanical” also looked inviting with modern, stylish décor, lots of greenery, wooden furniture, and chic, low hanging lamps. Despite it being a Sunday night, there was a good crowd and the place was buzzing with energy and activity. But it is a bit of a loud venue, due to the combination of wooden tables, steel and plastic chairs and stone floors. A few large TV sets on the wall also added to the cacophony, but if you don’t mind a bit of noise, the ambience is casual, laid back and relaxed. You can take your time, and no-one will hurry you out the door as soon as your meal is finished. Food Being just my wife and I, we stuck to a fairly simple ordering protocol of two drinks, an entrée of herb and garlic bread ($8), and two mains; the brisket sandwich off the specials menu ($21), and the Moroccan lamb shanks ($21). The garlic and herb bread was a generous serve, with three pieces of chunky toasted bread soaked in garlic and herb butter. I could say that it was the perfect way to start the meal, but unfortunately, all the dishes came out at once. My wife’s Moroccan lamb shanks were melt-in-your mouth tender and accompanied by creamy mash, a dollop of lime flavoured yoghurt and sprinkled with fresh coriander leaves. The toasted brisket sandwich on white bread had a delicious filling of meat, mushrooms and gravy and was served with a portion of crispy chips. We both enjoyed our meals. Service When we arrived, we were greeted by a friendly maître d’, who confirmed our booking and let us sit wherever we wanted. The drill is that you order at the food counter, which is in a little nook tucked away behind the bar. You’ll get a number to plonk on your table in the usual way, so there’s no app ordering yet. The lady who handled our order was professional and efficient, and the food was delivered to the table quickly. Toilets Toilets are a little tricky to find, at the back, with no signage from within the venue. There are ample male, female and disabled toilets, well provisioned with soap and hand towels, although by around 7.30pm they were starting to look a little worse for wear and a mid evening clean up wouldn’t have gone astray. I also noticed one toilet seat broken. Parking You’ll find the QA on the corner of James and Arthur Streets in New Farm. There is a car park behind the hotel but we didn’t bother using it, as I think it requires payment. Instead we drove down Arthur Street, where there is unrestricted free parking on weekends and in the evenings. We easily found a spot, just across the road from the hotel. Cost We paid $63 for a schooner of Great Northern lager, a cold drink, garlic bread and two mains. Given the high quality of the food, efficient service and pleasant venue, that was a fair price to pay. But two years ago, this would have cost 50, which just goes to show the extent to which the Morrison govt has completely destroyed the purchasing power of our little Aussie peso by their reckless spending and loose monetary policy. Summary We had a pleasant evening and everything ran smoothly, from booking to ordering and paying, with no hiccups along the way. The venue is fun and lively, if a bit noisy. Food is high quality and served in decent portions. Service is super efficient and fast and prices are reasonable. Add to that, ample, clean toilets and easy street parking nearby, and you have all the ingredients for an enjoyable, stress-free night out with family or friends.

This is a large venue with multiple bars. The front bar is very much an old school pub, while the Botanical bar is a modern bar with lots of greenery and is also the main dining room area. We sat near the huge television and watched the final of the Australian Open and having such a large TV really made for great viewing. The meals are very generous and delicious and the staff were all quite friendly.

Don't come here for lunch during work, especially with a large group. Today we had several missed meals and were met with rolling eyes when we checked in on them. Two hours later we finally managed to get some food (that weren't even the meals we ordered). We had to get them to go. Took them back to the office to eat cold. Looked like they were slapped in the take away boxes with little care.