Bars Brisbane | The Weekend Edition

Weekend sundowners sorted – Spuntini Bar pops up at Howard Smith Wharves

16 Apr 2021

Oh, to be cosied up at one of the many bars that dot Italy's Amalfi Coast, spritz in hand, a plate of snacks at our elbow and a picturesque view spreading out in front of us. Forgive the wistful daydreaming – the travel bug has bitten us, hard. The imaginative crew at Howard Smith Wharves is looking to soothe our wanderlust woes, with brand-new pop-up concept Spuntini Bar acting as a healing balm for anyone chafing at the thought of no Italian sojourn in 2021. more

Food & Drink

Pavement Whispers: Ghanem Group shares details of its forthcoming Mediterranean-inspired rooftop bar Iris

15 Apr 2021

If you haven't yet been inside Fortitude Valley's newest luxury accommodation spot Hotel X, there's a good chance you've glimpsed its multi-hued illuminated facade from afar. Well, come month's end you'll have another great reason to visit when leading hospitality crew Ghanem Group unveils Iris – its forthcoming culinary oasis perched on the building's rooftop. The group's second dining destination at Hotel X will traverse the tastes of the Mediterranean coast, pairing a vibrant summery essence with some near-unbeatable views. Here's what you can expect ... more

Food & Drink

Old world meets new at Brisbane City’s Leonard’s Bar & Bistro and Dawn on Spencer

01 Apr 2021

Last week Brisbane City's dining scene welcomed a newcomer to its midst, one that has put its own singular stamp on one of The City's most hallowed restaurant spaces. New York and Paris-inspired bistro Leonard's and laneway bar Dawn on Spencer have officially launched in the old Urbane and The Euro space on Mary Street, showcasing a multifaceted drinking and dining offering curated by a group that's earned its bread and butter by raising the standard of hospitality across the nation. more

Food & Drink

The round-up: what’s open in Brisbane this Easter long weekend

01 Apr 2021

Well, it was touch-and-go for a few days there, but it seems like Easter is going ahead for 2021! While it's perfectly acceptable to stay in and devour chocolate for four days straight, we know many of you are itching to enjoy some real food and drink. Thankfully you don’t need to go on hunt to find places open over the 2021 Easter long weekend – you just need to know where to look. We’ve compiled a lengthy list of places that will be trading from Good Friday to Easter Monday, from coffee spots to restaurants and everything in between. more

Food & Drink

Fearless beer – Working Title Brew Co. gets ready to unveil its debut range

25 Mar 2021

Ever since the craft-beer movement started showing what was possible beyond the big-name brewing framework, the industry has witnessed an outsized explosion of experimentation. With the spectrum of beer varieties as diverse as it has ever been, many brewers are revelling in the opportunity to get imaginative with its ingredient combinations. Working Title Brew Co. is a new entrant to the scene, a gypsy brewing operation that has big dreams and bigger ideas. Next month the two-man operation will unveil its debut range of brews, made and released in conjunction with some of Brisbane's best bars. Here's what froth fiends can expect ... more

Food & Drink

Introducing Eleven Bridges – South Brisbane’s new gin bar and craft distillery

18 Mar 2021

Brisbane's got an abundance of bridges, 15 to be exact. The city also has a growing number of small-batch distilleries – the newest of which is drawing inspiration from some of Brisbane's historical overpasses. Eleven Bridges in South Brisbane is a newly open bar, eatery and craft distillery that should be a go-to destination for lovers of all things gin. Take a gander inside ahead of the official launch of Eleven Bridges' debut range next week ... more

Food & Drink

Take a trip to Tel Aviv at ZA ZA TA’s cocktail bar sibling Kazba

18 Mar 2021

A good bar will help you forget about the world for a while, but a great one can transport you to another part of it. Kazba is a brand-new cocktail and snack spot that looks to shuttle sippers to Israel, where drink making is less a vocation and more of an alchemical art form. Here, spices, spirits and specialised ingredients are mixed to create tempting decoctions, each given life with a bit of theatricality. What results is a transportive (and thirst quenching) experience not readily found in Brisbane. Kazba opens this Friday March 19 – here's what you can expect ... more

Food & Drink

Pavement Whispers: Albion’s Craft’d Grounds reveals details of its forthcoming dining and lifestyle precinct

18 Mar 2021

If we told you there was a venue in Brisbane that housed a craft-beer brewery, specialty espresso bar, street food and farmers market, patisserie, wine and cocktail bar, and live-music facilities, you'd probably say that such a unicorn-like venue didn't exist. You'd be technically right, but not for long! Today, Wednesday March 17, the team behind Craft'd Grounds is revealing the first details of its forthcoming 2600-sqm all-in-one hospitality hub. Here's what we know ... more

The Locals Next week:

Food & Drink

Pavement Whispers: BrewDog reveals plans to open a craft-beer hotel here in Brisbane

18 Mar 2021

We love a lavish hotel experience. Room service, poolside cabanas, housekeeping – in all honesty, the hotel might be one of the best parts of any vacay or staycay experience. In good news for anyone who has ever wished to stay in a hotel room with its own beer tap, BrewDog has announced today its multi-phase plan to build upon its Murarrie beer campus, including the construction of Australia's first-ever craft-beer hotel. Here's what we know ... more

Food & Drink

Sip sundowners at Sanctuary Cove’s dreamy new cocktail and wine bar Destino

11 Mar 2021

After weeks of excited whispers, Sanctuary Cove's The Marine Village has welcomed Destino – a dreamy new cocktail and wine bar that doubles as a homewares haven. If rustic beach-chic styling and crafted cocktails float your boat, you're going to swoon over this pretty northern newcomer. more

Food & Drink

Stones Corner scores a slice of New York City with the arrival of Brooklyn Depot

11 Mar 2021

Stacked burgers, loaded hot dogs, photograph-worthy cocktails – if we were to summarise the best bits of Brooklyn Depot, we'd probably start with these three. With more time we'd also mention the barbecued morsels, decadent milkshakes and hip New York-inspired vibes. And, if we could go on longer, we'd also discuss the loaded fries, mozzarella sticks and mouth-watering desserts. Oh, and it'd also be good to mention that Brooklyn Depot has also opened in Stones Corner, with all the aforementioned highlights available seven days a week. There's almost too much to touch on, but, seeing as you've twisted our arm, we'll happily divulge all the details – read on to learn more ... more

Food & Drink

Now pouring – Queensland mixer crew Long Rays unveils its innovative tonic and soda fountain

11 Mar 2021

Nothing grinds our gears more than ordering a gin and tonic and seeing the bartender reach for the bottle of bottom-shelf tonic. We think good gin deserves to be paired with an equally good tonic, and the crew behind Brisbane-born Long Rays agrees. The burgeoning brand is quickly establishing itself at the forefront of the mixer game and today marks its first foray into the realm of bar apparatus. Long Rays has installed a specialty tap system at one of Brisbane's best bars, not only helping spread its product to the masses, but also help do its part in combatting excess landfill. more

Food & Drink

Slipstream Brewing Co. lifts the lid on its Yeerongpilly brewpub extension

25 Feb 2021

Brisbane's craft breweries have carved out a unique niche in Brisbane's drinking and dining landscape, with many evolving into the go-to local for folks wetting their whistle on a weekend. Slipstream Brewing Co. in Yeerongpilly has established itself as one of these neighbourhood watering holes, luring in families and friendship groups with its range of sip-worthy sessionable beers. After more than four years of operation, Slipstream brewing has reached a threshold – it has become too popular to stay small, but too intrinsic to the community to pack up and depart for larger pastures. The Slipstream team has found a happy medium – taking over a neighbouring mechanic's warehouse, the crew has expanded its Yeerongpilly footprint, opening a spacious brewpub and beer garden with its own kitchen (and a larger bar, of course). The new-look Slipstream debuted last week – take a look inside… more

Food & Drink

Get a glimpse at the flirtatious fare at Foritude Valley newcomer Bisou Bisou

18 Feb 2021

On Monday February 22, Fortitude Valley's newest accomodation arrival Hotel X will open its doors to guests. On the same day, the award-winning group behind restaurants such as Donna Chang, The Boom Boom Room Izakaya and Blackbird Bar & Grill will lift the cloche on its brand-new Parisian-inspired restaurant and lobby bar Bisou Bisou. We've been given an advance look at the restaurant's mouth-watering menu, which blends the indulgent flavours of French cuisine with some quintessentially Queensland touches. Take a look inside ... more

Food & Drink

Tex-Mex meets low ’n’ slow barbecue at Barbecue Mafia’s taco concept South Austin

28 Jan 2021

Austin's food scene is a veritable melting pot of cuisines, though most residents will likely concede that barbecue and Tex-Mex stand out from the pack as the two most quintessentially Texan choices. Although distinct in their styles and offering, some savvy operators have melded low ’n’ slow Texas barbecue and Tex-Mex together to create a remarkable culinary fusion. It's this union that forms the inspirational crux of South Austin – the brand-new taco concept from the smoked-meat monarchs behind Barbecue Mafia. South Austin is the team's love letter to The Lone Star State, with a menu that places tender morsels atop soft tortillas to create a salivation-inducing tandem largely unseen in Brisbane. South Austin officially opens today, Thursday January 28 – here's what to expect ... more

Food & Drink

The round-up: what’s open on the January 26 public holiday

25 Jan 2021

We’re just going to put it right out there – there are many things we want to celebrate about Australia (especially after such a difficult start to 2020), but January 26 doesn’t represent an inclusive day for everyone. The Weekend Edition team fully supports changing the date of Australia Day to a day that every Australian can enjoy, bringing us together in a celebration of the mateship, unity and multiculturalism that make our country great. We hope that this change will take place in the not too distant future, but until then we kindly ask that you remember to take a moment this weekend to acknowledge the significance of this date for Indigenous Australians, the Traditional Owners of the land. Several eateries will be operating on the public holiday – here's a handy list to help you plan your day ahead of time. If you care to use your public holiday to get a better… more

Range Brewing | Brisbane's best craft-beer breweries — Bars

Food & Drink

The round-up: Brisbane’s best craft-beer brewery crawls to embark on

21 Jan 2021

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably noticed a surge in craft-beer breweries opening around Brisbane. Over the past three to four years, Brisbane has seen a huge influx of froth-soaked newcomers, with loads of independent brewers opening tipple temples to great acclaim. There’s never been a better time to be a beer fan in Brisbane, so if you’re keen to tick a few names off this summer, we’ve assembled a list of Brisbane's best craft-beer brewery crawls to give you a sample of the plethora of Brisbane's top-notch breweries. more

Food & Drink

First look – the La Costa and Cielo crew open Fortitude Valley wine bar La Valle

21 Jan 2021

December 2020's blockbuster double-header arrival of La Costa Bar and Cielo Rooftop Bar finished a tough year on a resounding high note. A collaborative effort of Eterna and Salt Meats Cheese head honchos Stefano di Blasi and Edoardo Perlo, and Stefano Catino, Vince Lombardo and Andrea Gualdi of lauded Sydney bar Maybe Sammy, the transformation of Foresters Hall was touted from the outset as a multi-stage overhaul. Today, Friday January 15, marks the completion of the group's next phase. La Valle is La Costa and Cielo's wine bar and bottle-shop sibling – a corking and colourful homage to Italian apertivo bars boasting an impeccable selection of wines, pre-made cocktails and bar snacks. more

Food & Drink

Looking forward – our most anticipated restaurant, bar and cafe openings for 2021

14 Jan 2021

Look, we know it's not going to be particularly hard for this year to be better than 2020, but 2021 is already shaping up to be a benchmark year for Brisbane's food and drink scene. Over the past few months, we've heard whispers of several noteworthy arrivals that will ensure 2021 is a year to remember. From world-renowned croissanteries to new concepts from established local powerhouses, here are some of the restaurant, bar and cafe openings to get excited about this year. more

Food & Drink

Chomp into some crispy goodness at West End’s FryDays Bar & Kitchen

14 Jan 2021

Apologies to any of you that have sworn off deep-fried foods as part of your New Year's resolutions – this next feature might be testing for your resolve. In mid December, West End's dining scene grew by one with the arrival of FryDays Bar & Kitchen. Occupying a street-front bar space on Boundary Street, this casual eatery and drinking spot is bringing together two of our favourite things – fried chicken and beer. That's not all, though – the FryDays menu bridges eastern and western hemispheres for a varied and malleable offering that's all about evoking that Friday feeling every day of the week. more