At Sixes And Sevens - Public House Review

I managed to drag Mr P. away the other day to have lunch with a friend.  And believe me, that is not an easy task, as hubby is a workaholic to the max.  I had in mind this place - At Sixes and Sevens which is in increasingly trendy Fortitude Valley.  Once known for its prostitutes and the Coke factory, the Valley now harbours expensive boutiques, fancy restaurants and some cosy bars.


      

the side view of this historical building

This is a gorgeous 1878 cottage, now made into a bar and kitchen with a courtyard and several comfy spaces to relax in.  I felt at home straightaway upon entering.  The bartender greeted us, told us to take any table and said that as it was early and not yet busy, we could just give a holler and he would come take our order, even though it is usually counter service only.

espresso martini $18

Yep a perfect way to start an early lunch.  I had this one!  Very delicious though surprisingly not that alcoholic in effect.  I felt just fine after drinking it.  Perhaps there was more espresso than the vodka, kahlua and cognac.

ginger beer $3.50

Well folks, you can guess what Mr P. had, can't you?  He loves his ginger beer.  Our mate Mr L. stuck to plain water.  (He watches his diet due to health issues.)

local Tiger chilli prawns $18.50 

I'm a big fan of prawns but this was not my fave dish.  There were 5 sweet and spicy prawns, but sadly I could mostly taste fish sauce, with a bit of zippy chilli heat.  The prawns themselves were large and firm but tender.  But even as we left, I still had the fishy taste in my mouth.  Let's just say that I would have preferred way less fish sauce, and less sweetness.  I wondered about the cos lettuce too.  It seemed out of place with an Asian style dish.       

fish tacos $14

I love a fish taco made on a soft tortilla.  I liked these, but I didn't love them. It was a bit difficult to actually find the fish amongst the coleslaw.  I had had fish tacos at another eating place recently which contained large pieces of battered fish - very delicious; these I am sorry to say paled in comparison.  They weren't bad, just not as tasty as I had expected.  Look, I liked the coleslaw and I love me some jalapeños, but I would have loved to see a bit more fish.  Oh, and I had to add a bit of salt, which is something I just never normally do. 

haloumi burger $20

and here's the view without Mr P.'s finger 

Mr P. loves halloumi, so this was an obvious choice for him.  He said the actual burger bun was not too sweet (a common problem these days); the filling was generous; he loved the grilled zucchini and the contrast of the creamy avocado sauce.  There were lots of fries which were...yes, fries.  I snuck a few for taste-testing purposes naturally. 

chicken schnitzel $26.50

Mr L. chose chicken (breast) schnitzel.  This was a very generous serving of panko crumbed chicken, accompanied by a bit of salad.  He declined the fries which normally come with this dish.  He enjoyed his lunch, which he said was spicy, with tender meat, and the batter not too thick.  He certainly scoffed it down very happily.  

fish and chips $20+?

I did the food blogger thing and asked the 2 lovely ladies next to me if I could take a photo of their lunches.  They graciously said yes.  I think this was one of the specials of the day; maybe $20+?  

Asian BBQ pork salad $20 

The other lovely lady had the pork salad.  She said it was a bit hard to find the pork!  So that's all I know about this one.


Mr L. being of somewhat conservative taste was disgruntled due to the fact that the cottage had been modernised, but I found it charming.  And I am just so happy that one of the very few old buildings in Brisbane still remains standing, and useful.  

Pickings' Verdict: a thumbs up, though the food could be tweaked a bit.  Then again, it is bar food, as the menu tells you, and tasty enough to soak up the drinks. 

inside the bar area

The kitchen is open from 11am to 10pm every day, and the Public House is open till midnight.  


67 James St., Fortitude Valley 
Ph: 07 3358 6067