Pancake Manor

Pancake Manor has been feeding Brisbane since 1979 from one of the more unusual dining rooms in the city: a former church. The building was constructed in 1904 as St Luke's Church of England, designed in the Romanesque style by architect John Smith Murdoch. It served as a mission headquarters until the 1950s and as the meeting place of the Anglican synod until 1977, and two years later it was converted into a restaurant. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register in October 1992 under the name Pancake Manor, St Luke's Anglican Church, so the building itself is part of the reason to visit.

The menu is built around pancakes served your way, alongside waffles, crepes, burgers and other casual dishes. Children have their own menu, the Funny Face range, which makes it a straightforward choice for families, and the building's 1904 origins as St Luke's church make the setting unlike that of any ordinary pancake house. The restaurant is fully licensed. The restaurant has traded from the same building since 1979, and its own website describes the location as steeped in history. Every year it holds a pancake eating competition, and the building appears on local heritage and ghost trails.

Its biggest practical advantage is the hours. Pancake Manor opens 24 hours a day, seven days a week, closing only on Christmas Day. That makes it useful for travellers arriving on early flights, night owls leaving a show or a bar, and families with jet-lagged children who want breakfast at an odd hour.

The restaurant sits at the budget end of Brisbane's dining scene and is a long-standing local institution rather than a fine-dining destination. It suits families, students, groups of friends and anyone curious to eat beneath the arches of a century-old church. Bookings can be made through the website, which is worth doing for larger groups, and functions can also be arranged. Gift vouchers are available.

Charlotte Street is in the middle of the CBD, so the restaurant is easy to combine with sightseeing in the city centre, such as the Museum of Brisbane at City Hall or the City Botanic Gardens, both also in the CBD.