Bars Brisbane | The Weekend Edition

Don your sombrero – Tex-Mex eatery El Camino Cantina opens in Chermside

17 Oct 2019

Less than a year on from the unveiling of El Camino Cantina's first vibrant location in Bowen Hills, Rockpool Dining Group is taking the concept north. Today – Friday October 11 – marks the official opening of El Camino Cantina at Westfield Chermside's outdoor dining hub. Boasting the brand's signature neon-lit ambience, rock'n'roll attitude and menu of Tex-Mex delights, El Camino Cantina Chermside will be the spot to go for those seeking a never-ending fiesta. more

Food & Drink

Rico Bar & Dining brings Spanish and South American vibes to Eagle Street Pier

10 Oct 2019

Aria's surprise closure earlier this year left a sizeable hole in Eagle Street Pier's dining array, but come Friday the precinct will officially welcome a new operator – one giving the storied tenancy a South American-inspired shake-up. Rico Bar & Dining is the name of the new eatery and nightspot, gamely stepping into the Aria-shaped void and reinvigorating the far end of the pier with a cross-section of culinary delights. more

Food & Drink

Steins, snacks and sports – Winghaüs by Bavarian opens its inner-city digs

03 Oct 2019

Footy season is reaching its frenzied zenith, which means that sports fans all over Brisbane are seeking out the best spot to catch the final fixtures. Good news for fans of Richmond and Greater Western Sydney – a new sports bar has arrived in town, just in time for kick off at the AFL grand final. Winghaüs by Bavarian is the brand-new concept from Rockpool Dining Group, an American-inspired boozer with some distinct Bavarian influences. If your dream weekend involves heaped serves of saucy chicken wings, stacked burgers and your choice of 40 beer taps, then make tracks for Winghaüs by Bavarian when it opens tomorrow, Saturday September 28. more

Food & Drink

Old dog, new tricks – The Normanby Hotel reopens to the public

26 Sep 2019

Everyone has a story about a night out at The Normanby Hotel. Few pubs in Brisbane's hospitality landscape can boast as much shared history as the heritage-listed building perched near the Normanby five-ways, but even long-standing icons need some TLC. Following its sale and some significant refurbishments earlier this year, The Normanby Hotel reopened to the public last week with a new look and feel. While substantial, these changes mark less of an identity shift and more a return to the hotel's roots. Gone are the raucous carpark Sunday sessions – the modern-day Normanby pays homage to its clubhouse beginnings, while simultaneously overhauling the amenities and offering to cater for contemporary tastes. more

Food & Drink

Where you’ll be drinking this weekend: the winners of the Australian Bar Awards 2019

26 Sep 2019

There was once a time when we had to hop on a plane to Sydney or Melbourne to wet our whistles at the best bars in Australia. Those days are long gone, dear friends. According to the results of the 19th annual Bartender Magazine Australian Bar Awards, Brisbane is killing it on the libations front. And we're happy to reap all the benefits. more

Food & Drink

Old meets new at Brisbane City’s subterranean saloon Miss Demeanour

19 Sep 2019

The Rowes Arcade building on Edward Street boasts a strong hospitality lineage stretching back to the early 1900s. From the landmark 380-seater Rowe's Cafe (named after hospitality icon Minna Rowe), all the way through to the days of Rosie's Nightclub and Sonny's House of Blues, the heritage-listed building has housed its fare share of daytime and late-night destinations. The latest in this long line of hotspots – Miss Demeanour – is dipping into this heritage, paying homage to what's come before while still firmly looking toward the future with an all-day (and night) offering that boasts a welcoming and cheeky appeal. more

Food & Drink

Salsa in the suburbs – Comuna Cantina sashays into Everton Plaza

19 Sep 2019

Mouth-watering food, sip-worthy cocktails, lively music and engaging company – is there a better recipe for a good time? According to the team Comuna Cantina, that's just about the pinnacle of happiness. The South American-inspired bar and eatery is all about positive vibes and living life to the fullest – the kind of attitude and energy that is infectious in the best way. Comuna Cantina is bringing its brand of buzzing hospitality to Brisbane's northern suburbs, opening a brand-new location at Everton Plaza tomorrow, Thursday September 19. With a menu of eye-popping Latin American street eats, colourful cocktails and a spacious venue to match, good times will be inevitable. more

Food & Drink

The Matriarch brings a dash of romance and luxe Euro elegance to Newstead

19 Sep 2019

Imagine this – you're sitting in the heart of a lavishly appointed French court, sipping top-shelf champagne in the shade of an olive tree, with snacks at your elbow and your every want and need taken care of by attentive wait staff. Usually you'd need to hop on a plane and spend a chunky sum to enjoy an experience like this, but a new venue in Newstead might just be the next best option. The Matriarch is a stately warehouse hub of European-inspired hospitality, catering to brunch lovers, bubbly sippers, high-tea hunters and tapas enthusiasts. more

Food & Drink

Picture-perfect pop-up bar Fredericks opens at West Village

19 Sep 2019

As West Village inches closer to the start of its next stage of construction, the flourishing hub is giving locals a taste of what to expect from the precinct in 2020 and beyond. A crew of Brisbane hospitality superstars has teamed up with a pair of notable film designers to create Fredericks, a colourful pop-up bar specialising in choice bites, crafted cocktails and on-point summery vibes. more

Netherworld | Brisbane's ten best bars — Bars

Food & Drink

The round-up: Brisbane’s ten best bars as voted by you

12 Sep 2019

Brisbane’s bar culture is booming, meaning we are never short of spots to get a cheeky knock-off cocktail or blow the froth off a few cold ones on a weekend. We’re not just lucky in the quantity stakes, we’ve also been blessed with a quality collection of watering holes. This year’s EAT/drink Awards asked readers to tell us which bars they thought deserved the honour of being named Brisbane’s best, and we’ve got to hand it to you – you’ve all got great taste. Although the title of Brisbane’s best bar was hotly contested, we’ve managed to narrow it down to a top ten list – with a little help from you all, of course. more

Food & Drink

Caneca Espresso & Bar heats up New Farm’s all-day dining scene

05 Sep 2019

The recent closure of sun-soaked cafe The Brunswick Project left New Farm's brunch scene reeling, but no sooner had the doors closed than hoarding appeared promising a brand-new concept to fill the coffee and poached egg-shaped void. Caneca Espresso & Bar is the name of this South American-inspired newcomer – a multi-faceted eatery that is delivering breakfast and lunch during the day, and tapas, wines and cocktails in the evening. more

Food & Drink

King of the Wings announces culinary collective StrEAT Easy Diner & Bar

25 Aug 2019

Calling all food truck fanatics – we've got some news you'll want to sit down for. Brisbane's preeminent chicken-wing outfit King of the Wings has just announced it is spearheading a new bricks-and-mortar street-eat collective coming to Deception Bay in mid-to-late October. StrEAT Easy Diner & Bar is bringing together a bunch of the city's best under one roof, giving locals the chance to savour a variety of fare alongside a bar pouring gallons of craft beer. more

Food & Drink

Palm Springs meets Acapulco at Fortitude Valley’s Ivory Tusk

22 Aug 2019

One of Fortitude Valley's popular mainstays is exchanging its rustic craft-beer bar aesthetic in favour of a colour-packed, Cali-Mex-inspired vibe. That's right – Woolly Mammoth Alehouse has undergone a shake-up, trimming away the shaggy fur and debuting with a fresh new cut as Ivory Tusk. The boozer is officially relaunching today, Thursday August 22, debuting its range of Mexican eats, a plethora of tap cocktails and lively atmosphere. more

Food & Drink

Sips, snacks and scenery – party with a heightened perspective at Altitude at Foresters

08 Aug 2019

Just under a month ago Foresters Restaurant and Bar made a big splash at the northern end of Brunswick Street. The revitalisation of its heritage-listed home marked a new age for the entertainment precinct's fringe, but the restaurant was only one half of the story. Perched six levels above terra firma, Altitude at Foresters is a swish rooftop cocktail-bar addition that is pairing incredible vistas across Fortitude Valley with luxe bottle-service vibes and modern Australian bar bites. more

Bars

Food & Drink

Steins at the ready – The Bavarian opens its brand-new beer hall at The Barracks

08 Aug 2019

From Brisbane City and Chermside to Broadbeach, Maroochydoore and Toowoomba, The Bavarian brand has become synonymous with cheerful, casual and comprehensive hospitality. Potentially the most beloved concept in Rockpool Dining Group's thriving portfolio, The Bavarian has blossomed from a quirky one-off Bavarian-themed beer bar into a juggernaut of steins, schnitzels and sausages. Petrie Terrace is the latest suburb to snag a beer hall of its own, with The Bavarian opening at The Barracks today, Friday August 2. more

Food & Drink

Pre-flight feeds get elevated at new eatery and bar The Lord Lamington

25 Jul 2019

You've triple checked you've packed the essentials, you've delivered your luggage to the bag drop and you've made it through the security stop – now you've got nothing but time to kill before your flight. Typically now would be the time to nab a simple cheese toastie and a grab-and-go coffee before heading to the gate, but last week Brisbane Airport welcomed a new eatery that could very well be the go-to destination for pre-flight relaxation. The Lord Lamington is looking to break the stereotypes surrounding airport dining with its brand-new restaurant, cafe and bar hybrid located in the heart of Brisbane Airport's domestic terminal. Offering a menu of eats made from the best produce Queensland has to offer, The Lord Lamington is already making an incredible impression on travellers visiting from out of town and locals alike. more

Food & Drink

Say hello to Fortitude Valley’s newest public house Hotel Carrington

18 Jul 2019

It's no easy task taking not one, but three heritage-listed tenancies in the heart of The Valley and turning them into a cohesive hospo hub with mass appeal. That said, if anyone has the savvy saloon know-how and public-house nous to pull it off, it's the crew behind The Montague Hotel in West End. Peter Stark and his tavern-trained team have just opened Hotel Carrington – the anticipated pub situated on the corner of Wickham and Gipps Street. This isn't your regular pub – Hotel Carrington's spruced-up interior is home to two beer gardens, a sports bar, on-site bottle shop and a kitchen pumping out a greatest hits of Mod Oz eats. more

Food & Drink

Frothin’ the suburbs – The Woods touches down in Mitchelton

11 Jul 2019

When The Mill on Constance team announced the closure of its beloved Fortitude Valley boozer in June, craft-beer lovers across town mourned. The taps had only been dry for mere weeks before word started to spread in beery circles of a new oasis from The Mill crew, this time taking shape in Brisbane’s northwestern suburbs. Last weekend grief turned to full-blown gaiety as The Woods officially arrived on Mitchelton’s Blackwood Street strip, showing off an amalgam of a well-curated selection of the country’s finest brews, a cosily casual atmosphere and an approachable all-day menu of morsels. more

Food & Drink

From the cellar to the rooftop – Le Bon Bar reinvigorates a French icon

11 Jul 2019

Since first opening its doors in 2008, C’est Bon has remained one of the most beloved members of Brisbane’s French-food scene. As with any venue that attains longevity, C’est Bon has grown and evolved through several iterations. From original owner Michel Bonnet’s traditional fare to C’est Bon’s current direction under the stewardship of Celine Damour and head chef Peter Roelfes, the venue has remained a Woolloongabba favourite, and some newly completed renovations are looking to maintain the trend. Last week saw the unveiling of Le Bon Bar, C’est Bon’s chic sibling that is bringing with it new menus, a private cellar and dining space, an impressive garden terrace, and rooftop lounge boasting phenomenal views. more

Food & Drink

Foresters Restaurant and Bar brings modern gastropub fare to Fortitude Valley

04 Jul 2019

The St Pauls Terrace-end of Brunswick Street has long been the forgotten half of Fortitude Valley's entertainment precinct – a strip lingering in the shadow cast by the action-packed hub of Brunswick Street Mall. Recent years have seen a shift in interest back towards the nexus of Brunswick and Alfred Street, and the hospitality arm of GURNER's luxury development FV is set to mark the start of a new era. Spearheading this paradigm shift is the opening of Foresters Restaurant and Bar – the anchor tenant of FV's food and beverage precinct that is opening today, Thursday July 4. Housed within a stunning heritage-listed structure, Foresters is set to deliver a fresh take on modern Australian cuisine, a stellar selection of drinks and a forthcoming rooftop bar that will solidify the north end of The Valley as the place to be. more