Imagine one of the most beautiful and lovely cafes with a fairly bland menu. The cafe is not bad. The inside is boring so you really want to sit outside. There are several spots to seat out in the sculptor garden and water mall. This is what makes this place special, the lovely little space to sit and relax. You are in a garden surrounded by walls with an amazing water feature going through it.

If you are visiting the art gallery you can just go and sit in the garden and relax.

Food is pretty basic though, with a fairly generic set of options. But you can't beat the setting.

The cultural precinct in South Brisbane has several cafes, each with their own pros and cons, and advantages and disadvantages. The Library Cafe on the ground flour under the State Library of Queensland is one worth checking out.

1. The food
Good, fresh, with a reasonable variety and mostly healthy. Basically good cafe food.

2. The seating
Varies. Inside feels crowded and outside is a little exposed to the conditions. The atmosphere is relaxed, but it is not comfortable enough to really relax.

3. The vibe
Just a chill place. Lots of people sit there with computers and a coffee using the WiFi.

4. The verdict
If you want something casual, healthy and good, then the Library Cafe is worth considering.

There are a range of cafes among the galleries, library and the museum in the cultural precinct at South Brisbane. The Collectors Cafe is is the biggest and the most popular with families.

I normally go here for muffins or snacks, which you can order from the front counter or inside. Today I was there with a friend who wanted a meal. She ordered something that cost about $12 (for pasta) plus a cup of coffee. They were not ready at the same time and the pasta was visibly badly cooked. It wasn't just bad, it looked bad and should never have been served.

Still there are lots of seats, and things like muffins and pies are generally okay and cheap. They have the sort of food and atmosphere that is good for kids, so why not.

One of those little hole in the wall Japanese noodle places that are popping up now all over Brisbane. Cheap, but still wonderful service and great flavours.

The cafe, along with the plates are just beautifully decorated. The price is cheap but the experience isn't. Also lots of nice iced drinks for summer as well.

If you don't like the Japanese food, they also have other Asian flavours as well.

Approximate cost: $11

A great summer option is to pick up some Taiwan style iced tea. These teas tend to have lots of milk, a little bit of tea and lots of choices in flavour.

It is really cheap, delicious and great on a hot day. My favourite are the mixed fruits with shaved ice rather than the teas, though my friend drags me here for the tea.

I love Stone's Corner. Lady Marmalade Cafe is one of the few places that combine reasonable prices with an innovative breakfast menu. The big breakfast is just crazy, with all your favourites and some other unexpected delights.

The savoury mince on sourdough toast is great. Something few places offer any more. Just such a lovely chilled place for breakfast, lunch and coffee.

With such a diverse menu, you don't know if you should be having a burger, pasta or some Asian food. Being run by Chinese I would probably recommend the Asian dishes on the menu.

We can in here for coffee, tea and a light snack. The open grilled sandwiches are okay. My friend has been coming here for the coffee and to relax for some time, which says a lot.

I only really go here for the gnocchi options, but basically you have a great Italian restaurant that does both your basic classic Italian dishes (I guess you need that for the unimaginative Brissy crowd) and much better innovative and special dishes.

Some of the sauces are incredibly rich (and fattening) so it is a matter of a little of what you fancy does you good.

They also have a number of great warm desserts. Which makes this an ideal spot for winter.

A good hotel bar provides a relaxing atmosphere to hang out with clients, colleagues or the people you are travelling with. Cuvee is not that sort of lobby bar. Instead welcome to nightclub lighting and a big tree of purple lights.

You just can't really feel comfortable here. The service is quietly attentive, but there is always a feeling of reluctance in the service.

Sofitel above Central Station in Brisbane just has this feeling of having tried to hard along with being designed by someone who knows bars and clubs, not hotels. The result is that I never really feel like I want to walk in here. I have often used hotels in other cities as a place to meet people because you can relax in the bar or just in the lobby, maybe order a drink or two and feel comfortable. This is not sofitel.

But on the other hand, if you are young cool and trendy and are looking for a quieter bar in the city on a Friday night, then consider the Cuvee lounge as your overpriced option.

This cafe serves boring Italian food and okay burgers. The staff were okay but didn't quite manage to muster being courteous to me (they were wonderful to my friend who eats there regularly but treated me like they didn't want my custom, one of the strangest customer service experiences I have ever had).