Casual Dining
Not just noodles – Taro's Ramen launches a nighttime izakaya offering
Food & Drink

Not just noodles – Taro’s Ramen launches a nighttime izakaya offering

One of Brisbane's top-flight ramen joints has evolved. Taro Akimoto of Taro's Ramen has introduced a brand new izakaya-style menu at his inner-city location on Queen Street, serving up authentic and creative takes on izakaya staples like curry-dusted karaage, homemade chicken jerky with shichimi mayo, crispy yaki onigiri and wagyu garlic steaks alongside his famed bowls of steaming ramen. more

Casual Dining
Please and thank you – Fish Lane's Hello Please has launched a cracking brunch offering
Food & Drink

Please and thank you – Fish Lane’s Hello Please has launched a cracking brunch offering

Typically, when folks think of Hello Please, thoughts first turn to plates of tender chargrilled pork ribs, crispy sweet-corn fritters crowned with spanner crab and a dusting of togarashi, and steamy serves of Bay lobster dumplings bathing in fermented chilli butter. Soon, though, there's a good chance fans of the Fish Lane stand-out will be raving about its ricotta hotcakes, potato rosti and scrambled eggs on toast with a side of thick-cut bacon from Rayner's Meats. Hello Please is now opening earlier on Fridays and Saturdays, serving a menu of crowd-pleasing chow alongside silky specialty coffee and brunch cocktails. more

Casual Dining
It's tequila time – Gold Coast icon Mexicali has opened a striking new rooftop bar and taqueria in Bulimba
Food & Drink

It’s tequila time – Gold Coast icon Mexicali has opened a striking new rooftop bar and taqueria in Bulimba

If you took a survey of Brisbane foodies and asked them which Gold Coast restaurant or bar they'd most love to see expand to Brisbane, there's a high chance Mexicali Bar Y Taqueria would rank at the top. The widely beloved coastal Mexican-inspired hot spot has long been a buzzing nexus for Nobby Beach noshers, and now the taco-tossing outfit has come to north. Last week Mexicali celebrated the opening of its new Bulimba location – a colourful rooftop bar and eatery serving bang-on Baja-style fish tacos, exquisite elotes and a range of mighty fine margs. Take a look inside ... more

Casual Dining
South Brisbane's new British-style gastropub The Rose & Crown is now serving cask beer and Sunday roasts
Food & Drink

South Brisbane’s new British-style gastropub The Rose & Crown is now serving cask beer and Sunday roasts

Brisbane’s pub scene is evolving to start 2024, with a number of independent operators looking to inject a bit of energy into The City’s schooner-sloshing sphere. A seasoned publican has just tapped the kegs at The Rose & Crown in South Brisbane, a two-level British-inspired gastropub that’s serving traditional cask beers (alongside pints of the best Guinness you’ll taste outside of Ireland), as well as a taste of London via pub staples like beer-battered fish and chips, Scotch eggs and, of course, a classic Sunday roast. more

Casual Dining
Kor Dak, a skewer-slinging market favourite, has opened its street-food eatery in West End
Food & Drink

Kor Dak, a skewer-slinging market favourite, has opened its street-food eatery in West End

From barbecue to fried chicken, Korean food has long been a popular fixture in Brisbane's culinary melting pot. Now it seems Korean street-food is about to have a moment. Kor Dak – a cult-favourite market stall specialising in jumbo-sized grilled chicken skewers – has evolved. It has just opened its own bricks-and-mortar eatery in West End, expanding its offering to include all kinds of Korean-style street eats, from tteokbokki and kimbap to Korean-style corn dogs, fish cakes, mandu and more. Take a peek inside ... more

Casual Dining
Doughcraft's new inner-city expansion is a bakery, deli and aperitivo bar all in one
Food & Drink

Doughcraft’s new inner-city expansion is a bakery, deli and aperitivo bar all in one

With its brand-new inner-city location on Mary Street, pastry-making powerhouse Doughcraft has not only expanded, but evolved. The Albion-born concept is still pumping out baked goods that fuse French and Italian inspirations, but now the crew is branching into aperitivo hour – serving primo paninis, stacked meat and cheese boards, rosemary-infused negronis and Corsican wines on Thursday and Friday evenings. more

Casual Dining
Pavement Whispers: elevated gastropub Portside Social to lead Portside Wharf's next wave of openings
Food & Drink

Pavement Whispers: elevated gastropub Portside Social to lead Portside Wharf’s next wave of openings

After a huge 2023, Hamilton's resurgent riverside lifestyle hub Portside Wharf is set to carry momentum into 2024 with a brand-new retailer incentive program bringing more fresh blood to the precinct. In June, the team behind Newstead Social will open another pub-style concept at Portside Wharf, one serving schnitties, steaks, burgers, ice-cold beers and colourful cocktails. Here's what we know ... more

Casual Dining
Uncle Don brings its dressed-up donburi bowls to South Brisbane
Food & Drink

Uncle Don brings its dressed-up donburi bowls to South Brisbane

Fans of Uncle Don's range of high-end rice bowls will be thrilled to hear that the beloved donburi specialist has expanded. The team recently opened a slick new location over in South Brisbane, where the likes of premium teriyaki-butter-coated wagyu, braised red-miso pork, grilled freshwater eel and char-grilled duck are layered atop pillowy piles of steamed rice. With Japanese soft drinks, beers and sake also in the mix, we might have just found our new favourite lunch spot. more


The Locals Next week:

Casual Dining
Superfood to help you feel super good – Nautical Bowls opens at West Village
Food & Drink

Superfood to help you feel super good – Nautical Bowls opens at West Village

Normally, we don't need a special reason to plot a course for West Village, but now that Nautical Bowls has docked at the lifestyle precinct, we're raising anchor and setting sail. The USA-born dispensary of supercharged plant-based eats opened its first Brisbane store late last year, the perfect timing to get us through the perilous resolution-breaking new-year period. Here's what's on offer ... more

Casual Dining
Perentie Brewing Co
Food & Drink

Brews and chews – Eagleby welcomes new $6-million brewery Perentie Brewing Co.

For a long time, the Eagleby stretch between Brisbane and the Gold Coast didn’t offer much that would inspire one to veer off the Pacific Motorway. That all changed in 2015 when Distillery Road Market arrived – heralding the beginning of a new food and entertainment precinct centred around community and connection. The most recent addition to the precinct has been unveiled and it’s no small feat – the $6-million, one-million-litre capacity lager brewery, Perentie Brewing Co. Lager lovers, this one's for you. more

Casual Dining
Meet your mates at Vlume, Racecourse Road's new home of Med-inspired tapas and wines
Food & Drink

Meet your mates at Vlume, Racecourse Road’s new home of Med-inspired tapas and wines

What makes a perfect neighbourhood watering hole? Great drinks and snacks are a good start. A comfortable setting helps, too, and friendly service is a must. Ticking all the boxes is Vlume, a fetching bar and nosh spot that's giving Ascot locals a place to meet over tipples and tapas. If tuna tacos with shoyu ponzo, Angus brisket burnt ends and ice-cold Aperol spritzes enjoyed on a shaded deck sound like your idea of a good time, this Racecourse Road local should be on your summer hit list. more

Casual Dining
Benz on Miller, one of Brisbane's most-respected burger joints, has opened a new spot in Tingalpa
Food & Drink

Benz on Miller, one of Brisbane’s most-respected burger joints, has opened a new spot in Tingalpa

What makes a great burger? Good produce, for one. Then you've got to have a good meat-to-bun ratio, plus a solid mix of condiments. Consistency will have us coming back time and again, of course, and a bit of variety on the menu couldn't hurt. If there's any spot that ticks all of these boxes, it's Benz on Miller – the Murarrie-born burger joint that has recently expanded with a brand-new eatery in Tingalpa. Here you can sink your teeth into the brand's menu of award-winning burgers, as well as slurping up lemon curd thick shakes and Biscoff cheesecake tubs. more

Casual Dining
The round-up: what's open in Brisbane on Boxing Day
Food & Drink

The round-up: what’s open in Brisbane on Boxing Day

People use Boxing Day for a variety of things – shopping, seeing the latest blockbuster film or simply recovering from the Christmas Day chaos. We like to use it for, you guessed it … more feasting! Sure, there might be plenty of Christmas lunch leftovers floating around, but we prefer to seize the day by dining at some of Brisbane’s best nosh spots. This Boxing Day loads of eateries will be opening to the public – here are some to look out for … more

Casual Dining
The round-up: what's open in Brisbane on New Year's Day
Food & Drink

The round-up: what’s open in Brisbane on New Year’s Day

Folks, we’ve made it through another year and what a year it was. As we wake up on January 1, many of us will be reflecting on the year that was, feeling eager for the bright future of 2024, and probably nursing a headache from a huge night of celebrations. Whatever it may be, the best way to kick off the New Year is with a good brekky, dynamo feed or another drink to continue the celebrations at one of Brisbane’s terrific snack and sip spots. Scores of cafes, bars and restaurants are open on New Year’s Day – all you have to do is make the choice of where to feast. Here’s a list of some handy suggestions to choose from … more

Casual Dining
South Australia's Benny’s American Burger has arrived in Brisbane – and it's giving away 300 burgers to celebrate
Food & Drink

South Australia’s Benny’s American Burger has arrived in Brisbane – and it’s giving away 300 burgers to celebrate

After becoming a sought-out staple of Adelaide and Melbourne's burger scenes, Benny's American Burger has opened its first Brisbane location in the heart of Milton. In addition to a menu boasting everything from classic and premium burgers to heaped serves of saucy pulled pork, crispy chicken tenders and decadent shakes, Benny's is putting its best foot forward with a burger giveaway on Monday November 20. Here's the scoop ... more

Casual Dining
Silly season sorted – here are the top spots to celebrate Christmas in The City
Food & Drink

Silly season sorted – here are the top spots to celebrate Christmas in The City

If you're yet to clue onto the sudden influx of decorations, we have some slightly stressful, but very exciting news for you. Christmas in nearly here, and while some of us have been prepping for the festive season months in advance and already have their Christmas plans sorted (we're looking at you November tree assemblers), for the slightly less organised folk, this round-up is for you. From end-of-year parties and after-work watering holes to Christmas long lunches and festive dinners, this list of top spots in The City is sure to assist in your silly season planning. more

Casual Dining
The round-up: what restaurants and bars are open on Monday night in Brisbane
Food & Drink

The round-up: what restaurants and bars are open on Monday night in Brisbane

If you’ve never experienced the Monday blues then you must be a robot. Just kidding (sort of), but starting the work week after the dizzying delights of the weekend can be a little bit soul destroying. Our solution is to extend some more of that fun into Monday. “How?”, we hear you ask. Simple – book in for dinner out one Monday night. Brisbane’s not as sleepy as it used to be. These days there are countless venues that are open for Monday-night trading, from fine-dining institutions to reliable neighbourhood eateries (and more than a few bars, too). If you want to line up a hot dinner date before the week gets too hectic, or if you're in hospo and are looking to make the most of your weekend, check out Brisbane’s Monday night scene and see what’s open using this handy list. more