The round-up: max your snacks with the best bar food and charcuterie in Brisbane City
We’ve all been there – you’re sitting at the bar and your tum gets a tingle, but not quite enough to warrant a full-on feast. What do? Awkwardly hack a burger in half to split with your mate? Haphazardly try to divvy up mains? Ignore the rumbles and drink on? No sir, what you need is hands-on and bite size. The buck stops here! Rather than get halfway through a meal that doesn’t match your appetite, we’ve rounded up the best city spots for the fine art of simultaneous snackin’ and drinkin’. From bar food to charcuterie, the grub gang’s all here.
The Croft House Town Kitchen & Bar: As a new kid on the block, The Croft House has certainly upped the stakes in Brisbane City bar food. The signature dish on offer is a charcuterie whopper called the Butcher’s Board – featuring cured and smoked meats, farmhouse terrine, Italian bread, pickles and chutney, it’s a sampler’s dream. Vegetarians can snack on the Farmers Board alternative, with succulent marinated garden vegetables to spare.
Mr Edward’s Alehouse & Kitchen: If you’re the type of person that suffers from paralysing indecision when faced with bountiful choice, look away. This Mr. Edward dude has created a whole heckin’ dedicated charcuterie menu for punters to pick and choose – from Prosciutto Di Parma to Presa de Cerdo, it’s meat paradise. Add pickled vegies, beer bread, Arbequina olives and homemade chutney? Done deal.
Grape Therapy: If wine and cheese is what this doctor prescribes then we are more than fine with going to Grape Therapy every day. Usually the words soft and stinky aren’t so well received (nor hard and blue) but in this case, it’s swell. Sip on some of the tastiest and most interesting wines from the cellar, all paired with your meaty and cheesy selections. You’ll be cured of whatever ails you in no time, and will probably be making up a fake problem to come to Therapy again.
The Laneway: The first rule of The Laneway is that you should most definitely talk about The Laneway, because once you’ve found this secret spot you’ll want to tell your friends. The bar food here is damn snazzy and delectable to boot. Fancy adding chicken parfait to your charcuterie? No problem. If you’re down to dip, don’t forget to ask the wait staff for the daily tapas specials.
The Gresham Bar: While The Gresham has always been a top spot for wetting your whistle, they also serve up crackin’ bar snacks for an absolute steal. The bar keeps its food offering clean and simple and in this case, less is definitely more. Drinking on an empty tum can be a total bummer, so why not pair your single malt with a generous ploughman’s board or selection of cheesy fare?
Brew Cafe & Wine Bar: When Brew’s not busy serving up some of Brisbane’s favourite coffee, it does double duty as a killer wine bar. Legendary among locals, it’s the perfect spot to slink down the laneway and leave the city behind. The small but mighty bar offerings include a ripper share board with all of the trimmings, and you can add a jug of beer or bottle of bottle of house wine for just $15. Party on, pals.
Ryan’s on the Park: Ryan’s was made for mates, as is proven by the mammoth selection of share options on the menu. Tempura, mezze, antipasto, seafood – if you can think of a genre, the kitchen crew has likely found a way to snackify it. The charcuterie to be found here is a far cry from just meat’n’cheese – think port gel, vegetables grilled to perfection and tasty cornichons to kick it up a notch.
Moo Moo Wine Bar & Grill: Moo Moo will have you munching until the cows come home (had to go there) – as well as expertly prepared charcuterie, there’s melt in your mouth pork belly croquettes and even Nduja arancini up for grabs. Make it a Moo Moo Grazing Platter by adding crispy chicken wings and it’s shaping up to be a very tasty snack game.
Communal Bar & Eat House: Don’t you just love a name that tells you what you’re in for? Communal is all about the shared experience, with the starters boasting items like tiger prawn sliders and classic Buffalo wings. The real hero, however, is the communal board – featuring a whole wood fired chicken, mashed potato, field mushrooms, broccolini, truss cherry tomatoes and house gravy, be prepared to get your hands dirty.
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