Neo-Nordic Cuisine Is Back at Venner, a New Restaurant in the Former Gum Bistro Site

Remember when New Nordic cuisine was all the rage in the early 2010s? It began with the launch of the New Nordic Food Manifesto in 2004, followed by the global success of Scandinavian restaurants like Noma, Relae and Fäviken. Before long, the philosophy was spreading to restaurants around the world.

Brisbane felt it, too. Many of the city’s best restaurants at the time – Esquire, Gauge, GOMA Restaurant and Urbane, for example – drew inspiration from the movement. But it took us until 2020 to fully embrace it with Elska, Wilston’s ambitious 12-seat fine diner. When Elska closed in 2023, it left a noticeable gap for fans of New Nordic cooking – one now being filled by Venner, which opens in West End today.

Behind the project are two Elska alumni, George Curtis and James Horsfall, who opened CBD wine bar Milquetoast together in 2024. For Venner, they’ve teamed up with Jack Stuart of Blume. Aptly, “venner” means friends in Danish.

“Neo-Nordic food is all about how great the produce is and how to preserve it at its peak,” Curtis says. “That’s essentially what Jack is doing at Blume, so it made sense to come together and build something around that philosophy.”

If you’re imagining Swedish meatballs and smoked herring, think again. Curtis is careful to avoid using the term Scandinavian cuisine. “The focus is on technique and philosophy, rather than the cuisine itself,” Curtis says. “So there are subtler elements like fermentation, preservation, and serving game and fish in clever ways.”

Former Milquetoast head chef Jack Burgess leads the kitchen, working closely with Stuart. There’s a $105 set menu, or you can order à la carte. Snacks might include a buckwheat cracker topped with Spanish mackerel and cucumber, or kangaroo pastrami draped over cultured cream with fried onions. From there, expect dishes like squid and calamari noodles in ham consommé, or yellowfin tuna with a sour green tomato and seaweed dressing.

For mains, there’s grilled Murray cod with bisque and charred greens, and a barbeque deer loin with cavolo nero and warrigal green sauce. Desserts include buttermilk custard with honeycomb and a fig leaf and ginger granita, though the must-order is the madeleines. Baked à la minute, they’re dusted with cardamom sugar and served warm with chamomile cream.

“Madeleines are French but are a typical thing to find at Scandinavian bistros and fine-dining restaurants,” Curtis says.

The fit-out was a family affair, with design by Curtis’ partner (and Broadsheet columnist) Becca Wang. Light pink VJ walls and timber set a restrained tone, offset by artwork from Horsfall’s wife and handmade ceramics from Stuart’s stepfather.

The footprint of the former Gum Bistro remains, though the interior has undergone significant structural changes. Most notably, the kitchen has been expanded, and a new bar anchors the back of the space, where you might find bar manager Aidan Perkins with a large selection of aquavit (a caraway-flavoured Scandinavian spirit similar to gin).

Don’t miss his unique take on a Whisky Sour that swaps whisky for Australian-made aquavit and incorporates salted honey. It arrives with a side of pickled ginger to reset the palate between sips.

As for wine, Horsfall’s list is concise – around 60 bottles – but thoughtfully curated, with a focus on organic and biodynamic producers. Highlights on the opening list include an amphora chardonnay from New Zealand’s Neudorf, a Fanny Sabre aligoté from Burgundy, and a schiava from Nals Margreid in the Italian alps.

Venner

237 Boundary Street, West End

No phone

Hours:

Wed & Thu 4pm–10pm

Fri & Sat 4pm–11pm

Sun 11am–2pm

restaurantvenner.com.au

@restaurantvenner