The brains behind beloved Toowong Italian restaurant Barolos have been busy to start 2020, taking over the space once home to Covet Bar & Restaurant and transforming it into brand-new eatery and bar Hooch & Co. The 60-seater is quietly earning some buzz thanks to its canny infusion of Asian flavours across brunch and lunch bites, not to mention its grounded and warm neighbourhood appeal. more
The true indicator of a city on the rise is the health of its late-night dining scene. Ling Ling's – Fortitude Valley's new neon-lit Hong Kong-inspired party spot – is giving the entertainment precinct a much-need boost in these stakes, with a menu featuring a tantalising array of pan-Asian eats (dumplings, anyone?), colourful cocktails and the kind of social atmosphere that warrants regular visits. more
Brisbane is fast becoming an oenophile's paradise, with a strong wine-bar scene growing year on year. If you're searching for natural and biodynamic newcomers, tried and true old-world wines, or are simply looking to expand your rolodex of juice for your home cellar, then look no further than the following list of Brisbane's best wine bars. more
Anyone that has travelled through Thailand, Malaysia and India can attest to the gastronomic wonders that abound in each country. Curries, stir-fries, breads – it's no wonder why such culinary delights have become so popular in Australia. Though each country has its own unique set of go-to ingredients and distinct flavour profiles, there is a shared DNA that runs through much south-Asian cuisine. Stone & Copper in The Valley is a new bar and eatery that looks to highlight this crossover by plating up a mix of Asian cuisine, showcasing a range of distinct but complimentary dishes made using authentic techniques and recipes. more
Since the arrival of the Fortitude Music Hall last year, The Valley has become the epicentre of live music in Brisbane. Yesterday, the Brunswick Street Mall scored an impressive music-oriented bar and eatery in the form of The Sound Garden. Stretching over two levels, this gargantuan bistro is not only a spacious spot for punters to drink and dine before or after a gig, but it's also a handy spot to catch up-and-coming artists. more
If you've never savoured the saucy goodness at South Brisbane ribs, burgers and wings hotspot Big Roddy's Rippin' Rib Shack, then there's a few things you should know. First, it's okay to get messy – in fact, it's encouraged. Second, a healthy appreciation of The Simpsons is recommended, but not mandatory. Third, last week the barbecue crew expanded north of the river, opening a new location in Fortitude Valley. If you've been meaning to try Big Roddy's locally sourced, tender, melt-in-your-mouth ribs, then now you've got a great excuse to indulge. Remember to don a bib! more
Suzie Wong. It's a name that been on the lips of Brisbane's party scene for almost a month. Who is she? Where did she come from? What's her deal? These are just a few of the questions we've asked ourselves ever since it was revealed that Suzie Wong was making her home in the heart of Fortitude Valley's entertainment precinct. Suzie Wong's Good Time Bar is her domain – a Hawaiian-inspired boozer that's less a tiki-themed tipple joint and more of a grungy surf shack serving up cocktails, live music and, well, good times! It's open now – come inside and say aloha ... more
There's been a shake-up on the corner of McLachlan Street and California Lane – pink-hued dessert joint The Stand has transformed into a pint-sized tapas and cocktail bar. Poco – Spanish for 'little' – packs a lot of goodness into its compact corner space, from mouth-watering cheese platters to cocktail jugs and beyond! more
Caxton Street hasn't been the same since beloved mainstay Lefty's Old Time Music Hall closed in November 2019. There's light at the end of the tunnel for fans of the rockabilly-themed bar, with news that the venue will reopen next month under new management. Here's what we know ... more
When you think of your beloved local watering hole, what is it that it so great? It's one thing to have a comprehensive list of libations, but there's usually some kind of je ne sais quoi that has you coming back. We'd hazard a guess it's the spirit of the place that makes it memorable – a welcoming feeling and level of easy comfort akin to relaxing in your own home. That's the sort of appeal Milton Common looks to cultivate for locals. The former home of Aether Brewing has evolved into a multi-faceted meeting place, where all corners of the community can gather and enjoy the simple things – good booze, good food and good company. more
Usually describing something as niche is to remark on its specialised and specific appeal – for example, choosing only to eat Hawaiian-style pizzas would indicate you have niche tastes, while the films of John Waters boast a niche audience. Neesh Bar & Restaurant – East Brisbane's new go-to for brunch, lunch and evening snacks – is playfully flipping the word on its head, serving up an inclusive menu of fare imbued with a dash of creativity. more
Put your presuppositions in the bin – plant-based food is not just salad and steamed vegetables. Vegan cuisine is becoming increasingly prominent due to the rise of dietary requirements and a conscientious focus of what we put in our bodies. For those of you who can’t stomach the thought of canning the cutlets and trashing the T-bones in favour of salad, please relax – we aren’t here to sway you to veganism. What we will say is that dining as a vegan can be hard in our predominantly meat-eating society, but also very rewarding – even if you love bacon and eggs. We’ve chosen to point out Brisbane’s best vegan spots well worth sampling. more
When Holey Moley Golf Club first broke onto the scene in 2016, it changed the game and redefined what was possible in the realm of hospitality-meets-entertainment concepts. More than three years on and Holey Moley bars are sprouting up everywhere, with more than 15 locations in Australian alone. Brisbane scored a second indoor putt-putt bar late last year when Holey Moley landed at the Wintergarden, giving the inner-city scene a lively hang that blends games of skill with a menu of decadent eats. more
In a blow for Fortitude Valley's bar scene, local linchpin The Bowery has announced its forthcoming closure. The storied boozer will wrap up proceedings at the end of January, but the announcement boasts a silver lining in the form of a new life for the space. more
Bar hopping in The City is all about discovery, finding hidden gems tucked away around corners and perched above street level. Brisbane CBD's newest hideaway Trove is the kind of sophisticated boozer one hopes to stumble across on a night out – a place where you can sip easy and snack comfortably, with the kind of incognito appeal you'll want to keep as your own little secret. more
We know you don't need to be reminded, but we've got a long weekend coming up. It's a great opportunity to catch up with friends or family, but the trick is knowing where to go. The Australia Day public holiday falls on Monday this year, so to ensure you don't get caught off guard when your local closes for the day, we've compiled a list of spots that will be operating on Monday January 27. more
When 4 Pines piped its very first batch of beer more than a decade ago, no one could have fathomed just how big the brand would become. When the Australian craft-beer boom started to make waves across the country, 4 Pines was perfectly poised to ride its crest to success. Ten years on and 4 Pines beers can be found in bars, bottle shops and home fridges far and wide, but these days the brew crew is spreading the good word a different way. A collection of 4 Pines bars have popped up along the east coast, giving froth-mad punters the chance to sip the full range of beer, some small-batch exclusives and elevated pub-style fare. Brisbane is the latest city to cop a bar of its own, and it's just a short stroll from Central Station ... more
Dylan and Katrina Pires are well acquainted with the ups and downs of running a food-truck business. The owners of beloved fried chicken-wing wagon King of the Wings have cruised the streets of Brisbane for more than six years, slinging batches of cluckin’ good bites far and wide (as far as New York, even, where they won second place at Wingfest 2016). As successful as they’ve been, they know that the livelihood of food truck vendors is largely dependent on the weather. The amount of events that have been rained out or cancelled due to fears of inclement conditions are countless, often leaving truck operators in the lurch and seeking a last-minute opportunity to sell on their stock. In a move inspired by equal parts evolution and preservation, Dylan and Katrina started pondering potential all-weather alternatives, landing on the idea of an enclosed hub where food truck… more
After the blockbuster year Brisbane's food scene experienced in 2018, you'd be forgiven for thinking that 2019 would be hard-pressed to to follow suit. Now that we sit on the precipice of a new decade, we've got the perfect vantage point to look back on the year that as. From our point of view, 2019 has not only matched 2018's gargantuan effort, but has even surpassed it! This year Brisbane was the beneficiary of several new restaurants, bars, cafes, breweries and live-music venues – with homegrown heroes and international names establishing must-try venues all over town. From Howard Smith Wharves consolidating its position as Brisbane's go-to dining precinct to the emergence of Fortitude Valley's Ada Lane as a hospitality juggernaut in its own right, 2019 has proven to be a landmark year in Brisbane's history. To celebrate this milestone stretch, we've cast our eye back over 2019 and… more
Since the earliest days of the Fish Lane boom, Hello Please has been humbly hawking some of Brisbane's finest Vietnamese-inspired street food. The little shipping container kitchen that could, Hello Please has stood the test of time despite being conceived as a temporary fixture from its conception. As Fish Lane starts to fill in its remaining nooks and crannies, Hello Please has evolved – securing a permanent spot further down the laneway. Officially open to the public as of Tuesday December 10, Hello Please 2.0 has given its team more elbow room to experiment and deliver a complete expression of their stand-out booze and food selection. more