The Star Brisbane, Brisbane City: The first stage of Queen’s Wharf was unveiled on Thursday August 29, with The Star Brisbane lifting the lid on its luxury hotel, Sky Deck and a number of its anticipated drinking and dining destinations, including Sokyo, Fat Noodle, Cherry and Cicada Blu. But there’s more to come! Over the next few weeks and months, a bunch of restaurants will open along The Star Brisbane’s river-facing dining hub, The Terrace. Calling The Terrace home will be Cucina Regina, Azteca, a luxe Latin American-inspired restaurant from the Potentia Solutions Leisure group, Ghanem Group’s Indochine-inspired restaurant and bar Lúc Lắc, chic steakhouse Black Hide Steak & Seafood by Gambaro, and a Tassis Group two-header in the form of Dark Shepherd and Pompette. Also opening soon will be the final two venues up on Sky Deck – all-day eatery Babblers and Euro-inspired dining destination Aloria. Be sure to check in on The Weekend Edition as we check out each venue as they open!

Baker D. Chirico, Newstead: Baked-goods lovers have been waiting for more word on the launch of Baker D. Chirico’s Newstead bakery. As one of Melbourne’s most highly regarded bakeries, Baker D. Chirico specialises in loaves and pastries made using traditional bread-making techniques, natural fermentations and biodynamic stone-milled wholegrain flour. The team announced its expansion to Brisbane in late 2020, but with the pandemic still upending plans throughout 2021, 2022 and 2023, some delays were inevitable. That said, things are looking very hopeful for the bakery’s opening this year. The space at the base of Long Island on Longland Street is complete and the bakery is giving us a delicious preview with a bread and pastry pop-up. Each day of opening, the Baker D. Chirico pop-up (accessed via a laneway just off Longland Street) will serve a rotating selection of treats, including its casalinga (white sourdough) as well as one or two other specialty breads. You’ll also find sweets like croissants, pain au chocolate and bombolone, as well as a selection of savoury options – think ham and gruyere croissants and lunch paninis. The pop-up will run for a limited time with various hours – keep an eye on Baker D. Chirico’s Instagram page for opening hours and updates.

August, West End: A heritage-listed church might be an unconventional spot to open a restaurant, but Brad Cooper is known for having an unconventional approach to cooking. Alongside his partner Matilda Riek, the young chef (who previously caused waves as head chef of Bar Francine) is gearing up to open European-inspired restaurant August inside the old Hill End Methodist Church in West End this November. The duo are hard at work on the fit-out, which will maximise the building’s ecclesiastical character (including its exposed rafters, polished timber floorboards and leadlight lancet windows) to create a refined, but approachable, atmosphere. Brad will be putting his unique spin on a menu of Euro-tinged fare, including the likes of oysters alla Marco with scallop mousseline and champagne, ox tongue and green tomato fritters with sauce bois boudran, double lamb saddle chop with bagnetta sauce, and a semi-savoury blue-cheese cheesecake with Pedro Ximenez jelly and black sesame. Matilda will be overseeing August’s beverage program, which will feature spritzes, pastis, and a mix of Italian, French and Australian wines. August is set to open in November – get the full scoop here.

Barry Parade Public House, Fortitude Valley: A pair of talented tipple slingers are teaming up to open an approachable neighbourhood bar on the outskirts of Fortitude Valley. Next month, hospitality veterans Daniel Gregory and Brennen Eaton, and barrister Lachlan Henry will open Barry Parade Public House in a quiet pocket slightly removed from the bustle of the entertainment precinct. Taking over the character-filled space previously come to Sedo Coffee, the team will be transforming the site into a 60-seat haunt serving inventive cocktails, a crowd-pleasing selection of wines and a culinary offering featuring bar snacks and Creole-inspired dishes. A range of vintage spirits will also anchor the back bar, giving drinks enthusiasts a chance to sip rare whiskies and rums. Barry Parade Public House is targeting a late-September opening – read more about the newcomer here.

Dumbo, Hamilton: Portside Wharf’s evolution continues at a fast clip, with news breaking recently that the Happy Fat Group – the team behind Ruby, My Dear and COPPA – would be bringing an offshoot of its heralded burger concept Red Hook to the riverside precinct in September. Dumbo – named after the iconic Brooklyn neighbourhood, Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass – will channel the same New York-based inspirations as Red Hook, offering a menu of American-inspired street food alongside a drinks menu featuring natural wines, playful cocktails, and international and domestic craft beers. Dumbo’s food offering will feature many of Red Hook’s core favourites, but the range will also be bolstered by a selection of eats tailored to the eatery’s waterfront surroundings. Dumbo will join The Ballpark and Portside Social as part of the next stage of Portside Wharf’s ongoing $20-million redevelopment program.

Rays by Range, Coorparoo: Following the massive success of its Paddington-based neighbourhood bar Patio, the Range Brewing team is opening a new sunny suds spot over in Camp Hill. Rays by Range will open next month on the corner of Martha Street and Newman Avenue in the space previously home to Ze Pickle. The team will soon convert the site into an inviting locale with its own visual identity, contouring the existing industrial elements with warm touches and seating for approximately 90 guests. Punters familiar with Patio’s offering will find a lot to like at Rays, which will boast a similar beverage menu anchored by ten taps of Range beers, two taps dispensing LATTA Vino, an additional wine list and a clutch of cocktails. On the food front, expect Range’s beloved pizza selection as well as some share-style eats. Rays by Range is targeting a late-September opening date – read more about the plans here and check the bar’s social-media pages to follow along with the build progress.

Sarni, Ascot: Racecourse Road’s resurgence is set to continue into the latter half of 2024, with the team behind Hamilton’s Middle Eastern-inspired wine bar and bistro, Ach, gearing up to open Sarni in September. Described as a New York diner meets European deli, Sarni will be opening as a sandwich joint during the day and a bar serving wines and small plates at night. Taking over the site previously home to Frigg Cafe, Sarni is currently undergoing a DIY fit-out process, which will see different kinds of Australian hardwood – think red gum and Tasmanian oak – utilised across the space. Sarni’s daytime menu will feature a selection of deli-style sandwiches filled with house-smoked, cured and chargrilled meats, locally sourced produce, and sliced-to-order cheese from the likes of Fino Foods and Section28 Artisan Cheeses. Once Sarni’s liquor licence is approved, the venue will offer a concise wine list weighing in at around 20 bottles, with the overall selection expected to rotate frequently. There will also be a couple of taps pouring batched cocktails and craft beers, with the possibility of the Sarni dispensing a brew of its own making down the line. Keen for more info? Click here to read more about Sarni.

Bunker Barre, West End: The Thomas Dixon Centre, home of the Queensland Ballet, was the recent recipient of a $100-million makeover that transformed the cultural precinct into a full-blown arts and entertainment hub. In addition to improving the world-class facilities, the revitalisation also added two rooftop event spaces, the Champagne Terrace and the Kite Terrace – plus room for some more exciting food-centric additions. Overseeing the Thomas Dixon Centre’s hospitality offering is restaurateur Simon Barakat, who will be adding two dining concepts to the precinct this year. The first is Bunker Barre, a high-end Conrad Gargett-designed 80–100-seater restaurant located down in the World War II-era bunkers that occupy the centre’s basement level. Here, the heritage brickwork will be accented by a dark colour palette and brass touches. Booth seating will be set within the bunker’s alcoves, while a private-dining space is also expected to feature. The offering will reportedly showcase refined, share-style Mediterranean-inspired cuisine with a focus on seafood and protein, joined by a wine list boasting plenty of a range of top-shelf vino. In addition to Bunker Barre, Simon will also open an all-day bistro closer to the building’s main entrance on Drake Street. Positioned more as an approachable, everyday kind of concept, the bistro will hawk healthy and classic breakfasts, as well as lunch and dinner dishes as the day progresses. Both venues are expected to open in 2024.

Evra, Newstead: Newstead continues to gun for the title of Brisbane’s epicurean epicentre, with more and more bars and eateries slotting into vacant spaces around the suburb. Los Angeles-inspired marketplace, wine boutique and restaurant Evra has had a plum site on Longland Street staked out for some time, but now we’re finally getting to learn more about what the multifaceted locale has in store. Offering everything from convenient and nutritious grab-and-go morsels to luxurious lunches and dinners, Evra will cater to most needs across its two distinct halves. The casual marketplace will serve busy locals a range of lifestyle essentials, including fresh, nutritionally dense, easy-to-grab meals, bottled tonics, smoothies, huge salads and coffees. Plus, there will also be a bespoke wine merchant for last-minute vino pickups. Evra’s 120-seat dine-in portion will see head chef Neven Vanderzee put his Michelin-starred experience to the test with breakfast, lunch and dinner menus showcasing coastal and country produce sourced from local growers and producers. These dishes will be complemented by a beverage program curated by head sommelier and venue manager Florian Valieres, featuring classic cocktails as well as a sturdy wine list that is already earning acclaim. Evra is expected to open in the coming months.

The Wright House, Woolloongabba: The Talisman Group has made a mission out of establishing its own dining precinct in the foundations of South City Square. Later this year the hospitality group will add The Wright House, a whopping 300-seat brewpub, to its thriving portfolio, which also includes Sasso Italiano, Casa Chow, South City Wine, Purple Palm and Los Felix. This hybrid bar and eatery will mesh mid-century American architecture and Australian pub culture, taking design cues from iconic American architect and designer Frank Lloyd Wright. A homely aesthetic of stone, tile and timber will be applied to the spacious interior, itself boasting a hovering cantilevered mezzanine accessed by a floating glass and wood staircase, an open kitchen centred around a 2.5-m Spanish style parrilla with a woodfire hearth, and six custom rose-gold bright tanks above the bar. Executive chef Gabriele Di Landri will craft a menu of pub-style fare melding Australian and American flavours, using the woodfire grill to cook everything from beef burgers to veal schnitzels. The bright tanks will be used to dispense beer crafted by the crew at Aether Brewing, including an American-style ale made exclusively for The Wright House. These beers will be available alongside classic cocktails, a broad array of spirits and a wine list of quaffable Australian vino. That’s not all the Talisman Group has planned for the venue – up on the mezzanine level guests will find The Office, a 30-seat private dining room and old-school American-style steakhouse that is shaping up to be the perfect spot for Mad Men fans to live out their Don Draper fantasies (as long as those fantasies include oysters and steaks at midday). Expect black-leather booths, dark mahogany furnishings, filing cabinets built into the joinery, vintage lamps and shelves displaying decanters, globes and books. The parilla will also be utilised for The Office’s menu of steakhouse fare, with an assortment of salivation-worthy steaks available alongside American-inspired steakhouse sides. The Office will boast a dedicated Manhattan bar and a wine list showcasing big and bold American vino (think shiraz and cabernet, to match the steaks). The Wright House and The Office is slated to open in late 2024.

Stilts and Mulga Bill’s, Brisbane City: This year is set to be a big one for denizens of the inner city. Not only will the forthcoming Kangaroo Point Green Bridge vastly improve access to The City’s waterfront, the crossing’s completion will also herald the arrival of two brand-new eateries from Michael Tassis of Opa Bar & Mezze and Yamas Greek + Drink fame. Tassis Group will open over-water restaurant Stilts and an all-day bicycle-themed cafe Mulga Bill’s on the green bridge, infusing both concepts with tributes to history and place. Stilts – a name that pays homage to the traditional Queenslander home, perched high on stilts  – will sit more than ten metres above the Brisbane River in a 300-sqm space boasting an estimated capacity of 130 guests. Equipped with a bar and a private-dining area, the restaurant will offer near-unbeatable views along The City’s waterfront stretch and across the Brisbane River to the Story Bridge and Kangaroo Point cliffs. In the kitchen, a woodfire grill will cook an array of morsels, with protein and seafood – think steak, lobster and mud crab – expected to be key components of the menu. A more casual cafe-style concept compared to its sibling venue Stilts, Mulga Bill’s will serve woodfired pizzas, tapas, steak and seafood to dine-in patrons, grab-and-go pastries and coffee to commuters, plus takeaway picnic boxes perfect for grazing amongst the nearby parkland and public spaces. More details on Stilts and Mulga Bill’s will be revealed closer to the Green Bridge’s completion.

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