Leonards Bar & Bistro – and its sibling laneway bar, Dawn – is in the two-storey Mary Street premises previously occupied by game-changing Brisbane restaurant Urbane and neighbouring bistro The Euro.

Leonards – inspired by the bistros of New York and Paris – is all old-world burgundy and banquette seating, exposed brick walls and subway tiling. Scottish ex-pat chef Jimmy Richardson looks after the menu. Richardson has spent most of his time in Australia cooking in Sydney, but came to Leonards after a stint as head chef at the acclaimed Gerard's Bistro. Richardson's menu is an absolute cracker, and applies contemporary Euro-inflected flavours to some first-class local produce.

That materialises on the plate in dishes such barbequed Mooloolaba swordfish with roasted shallots and butter sauce; a six-to-seven score Black Opal rump cap with buckwheat and peppercorn jus; and roasted Elgin Valley free-range chicken with pine mushrooms and black garlic. There are also some soul-warming dishes to share such as whole coral trout with umami butter, and Sovereign lamb shoulder with Thai eggplant and walnut.

For drinks, there's a cracking cocktail program and a lengthy wine list that mixes old- and new-world drops.