It almost goes without saying, but a lot can change in five years. Brisbane’s hospitality scene was entering a fertile period when Hoo Ha Bar first opened on Tribune Street in 2013, with boutique bars popping up in greater numbers and craft beer enjoying a stranglehold on the taste buds of pint-drinking punters. By the time Hoo Ha closed up shop and reopened as a small coffee slinger on Melbourne Street in 2018, Fish Lane had become South Brisbane’s premier dining strip and independent wine was starting to surge in popularity. During the five-year period between then and now, Hoo Ha relocated again (this time to flashier digs up the road near Gelato Messina, where it has established a rock-solid reputation for coffee) and Brisbane’s amount of wine bars has increased exponentially. Aside from the change of premises, perhaps the biggest shift from 2013 to 2023 has been in the tastes of Hoo Ha’s owners Mike Slatter, Anthony Connolly and Declan Law. “When we first opened Hoo Ha we were all about beer – it was kind of that craft-beer revolution in Brisbane where the small-bar licences became available,” reflects Mike. “We were all much younger guys who would eat giant burgers and drink beer, whereas now we drink wine and eat smaller plates of delicious things.” This maturation, coupled with a desire to showcase the wines they’ve enjoyed drinking in their spare time, is a driving force behind Hoo Ha Bar’s new nighttime pivot. Yes, it’s still pumping out smooth brews in the morning, but come the evening Hoo Ha’s lights dim and the offering shifts to include wine, cocktails, tinnies and a tight menu of snacks.

Though Hoo Ha’s nighttime menu is a lot different to the beer-heavy offering of its salad days, Mike and the team has ensured that the menu is well-rounded, with something for most tastes. That said, wine is the bar’s primary commodity, with low-impact drops from small Australian producers undoubtedly the focus of the beverage list. “I’ve noticed little bars selling much better wine, and even cafes and restaurants that are quite casual selling interesting wines,” says Mike of the current post-dusk landscape. “For me, over the last three or four years, I’ve been noticing the wine scene opening up and becoming far more interesting and diverse, and more little producers getting a foothold, which is great.” Hoo Ha’s 21-strong, ever-rotating list of lo-fi and natural vino features a who’s who of Australia’s most dynamic vanguard winemakers like Beyond the Glass, Dazma Wine Company, LUDO, Fleet Wines and Brave New Wine, with by-the-glass and bottle options spanning a solid array of styles. On the cocktail front, Australian spirits are worked into a range of riffs, such as the Even Stakes (a 50-50 martini with Manly Spirits dry gin, dry vermouth and citrus), the Chai Wallah (Upshot whisky, house chai syrup, orange and anise) and After The Calm (Australian agave spirit, lime and blood-orange juice). Hoo Ha Bar’s nighttime menu is snack heavy, with guests free to fill table space with plates of Riser Bread sourdough with brown butter and stracciatella, mortadella with bread and butter pickles, pork and pistachio terrines with kimchi stone fruit, smoked mussels with potato crisps and pickled chilli, and crumpets topped with pickled mushrooms, mutabal and fresh herbs.

Hoo Ha Bar is now open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 5:00 pm. More details can be found in the Stumble Guide.