When I first looked at Rico’s menu there was one element that stood out for me from anything else: the mixed oyster plate. I had to visit this place. Located next to the Brisbane River on Eagle Street Pier, it’s the perfect place to enjoy beautiful views of the Story Bridge while you enjoy one of the best Latin + Australian fusion menus in town.

As soon as you step through the door you know you are in for a treat. They got us to our table and we ordered the Pan de la Casa with Tomate molido – restaurant’s bread with crushed tomato spread. Simple and delicious.

My partner ordered a traditional Margarita and I ordered a Flor de Mora (Belvedere Pure Vodka, elderflower, lemon, and blackberries). Mine was beautifully decorated with edible flowers. All flavours were subtle, nothing too sweet which was great. The margarita is not the typical one you order at a beach bar. This one doesn’t have the crushed ice taking over most of your glass. They shake the drink with the ice very well and then drain it just before serving it. The drink is cold, refreshing, and has the right balance of ingredients. As a plus, this margarita has a hint of agave syrup that creates a very pleasant aftertaste and you end up tempted to keep them coming!

Now, let’s talk about the mixed oyster platter. We asked for two of each type which I think is the way to go if you want to share this dish with someone. As soon as the plate arrived we knew we were in for something special. The plate is beautifully decorated with black stones that create a visual contrast against the stunning oyster arrangement. All of them were fantastic, but I am going to highlight my three favourites: the Natural, Mignonette, and Frambuesa. We started with the natural oysters: served with a hint of salt and few drops of lemon – a simplicity that always delivers. The oysters Mignonette were the next ones, served with eschalots, sherry vinegar, and olive oil. This one activates several regions of your palate, such an interesting mix. We closed the oyster experience with the Frambuesa oysters. These were topped with raspberry wine vinegar pearls (molecular gastronomy detected!) which had a beautiful balance of acidity and a hint of sweetness from the raspberry. As complex as it sounds, the favours were subtle so you will not get distracted away from the main star of this dish: the oysters. But you go try them all and pick your favourites. This dish is not going to disappoint you.

Another dish we got to try was the seafood paella. Now, I need to tell you this: my partner is a bit of a foodie and cooks his own paella, so he can be hard to impress with this dish. He was quite pleased when he found a thin layer of socarrat (crispy crust that forms in the bottom when it is cooked properly) in our dish. We know lemons can be a controversial topic in paellas, so we ate the first half of it without squeezing them to fully appreciate the main flavours. In the last servings, we added a few drops and it worked well with the seafood combo. How can the same dish become such a complex experience by just adding one extra ingredient? Please tell the chef we’ll be coming back for more very soon.