The Wintergarden Taste Edit: Matt Shea on Rothwell’s Bar & Grill

If there is one thing that defines a landmark dining room, it is an atmosphere that feels both timeless and entirely of the moment. Tucked away on Edward Street, Rothwell’s has perfected the art of the “big city restaurant”—a place defined by its old-world glamour, rich textures, and a philosophy that prioritises flawless execution over trend-chasing.

In this instalment of the Wintergarden Taste Edit, food writer Matt Shea sits down with chef and co-owner Ben Russell to pull back the curtain on this Edward Street icon. From the inspiration behind their signature beef Wellington to the subtle orchestration of lighting, music, and service that makes Rothwell’s feel like a world-class grill room, this is a look at what happens when a restaurant takes its craft seriously, but never itself.

Rothwell’s almost hides in plain sight on Edward Street, its narrow heritage-listed digs squeezed tight by the surrounding commercial buildings.

Occupying the ground floor and basement level, Rothwell’s is named after a drapery and tailoring firm that purchased the building in 1909. And that feels appropriate when you consider the precision and intentionality that’s gone into the place.

It’s in the fit-out by Brisbane-based design firm Marc & Co, which is inspired by restaurants such as The Wolseley in London and Musso & Frank Grill in Los Angeles, and defined by the sea-green leather booths, expansive marble countertops and a pair of enormous chandeliers.

It’s in the authentic hospitality, which is lowkey, egalitarian and efficient.

And it’s in the food, chef and co-owner Ben Russell (formerly Aria Brisbane) presenting a lengthy menu that’s anchored in classical French cooking, but favours execution over trickery. You might order a king salmon gravlax with tomato, egg and chives; potato gnocchi with blue cheese sauce, walnuts and celery leaf; and a sea perch, prawn and scallop pie with saffron potato and kombu.

The star of the show, though, is a signature beef Wellington for two – made with grain-fed beef from the Riverina in NSW, the restaurant shifts anywhere between 80 and 100 of them a week.

Co-owner Dan Clark has won international awards for his wine list at sister venue 1889 Enoteca, and the Rothwell’s cellar is similarly ambitious, with more than 2000 bins on hand. There’s also a cocktail list of classics that boasts a contender for the best martini in town.

We sat down with Russell to get under the hood of this grand dame of Edward Street dining.

When you were setting out to write a menu for this restaurant, this amazing dining room, what were you trying to achieve?

Ben Russell: I was coming off 30 years working almost exclusively in either two and three chef hat venues or Michelin star restaurants in Europe. I was in a space where I just really wanted to create something that was more the type of restaurant that I like to go to.

And with this space, we really just sort of thought that there was room in the Brisbane CBD for what we kept referring to as a “big city restaurant”.

With that in mind, we were trying to write a menu that was based in French cooking but a little bit more approachable. It’s about finding a balance between taking what you do seriously but not yourself.

Tell us about the restaurants that inspired you, but also the experience you’re trying to give guests.

BR: We looked at places like The Wolseley and The Savoy Grill in London. We talked a lot about the attitude of the restaurant – a place that has a certain something, that’s just cool.

And we developed the brand from there, talking about Rothwell’s as the third person in the room. It’s the smell when you walk in, it’s the playlist, it’s the lighting. It all coalesces into this very specific experience.

What makes a dish a Rothwell’s dish?

BR: Doing a venue with Dan, there was always going to be a very big emphasis on the beverage program. The menu had to be wine friendly.

So it was about classic flavour combinations, but also a real focus on execution over innovation. There are no surprises here but there’s a level of sophistication and finesse to everything.

What sticks with people when they leave the restaurant, do you think?

BR: It’s a package. There’s a big beverage program, and a big menu, so there’s something on there that’s going to hit the spot. Our job in the hospitality industry is to have people feeling better when they leave than when they arrived, so that’s what we’re trying to do. It’s simple but that’s what restaurants are for me.