Patina at Alumni Court
Even in the midst of Brisbane City’s soaring skyline and Eagle Street’s buzzing food precinct, Customs House stands out. You can chalk it up to the building’s stately facade, which is crowned by a copper-sheathed dome that, over time, has attained an aquamarine patina. It’s from this eye-catching architectural hallmark that Customs House’s own eatery, Patina, draws its name. The restaurant, which boasts a menu crafted around the themes of garden, pasture, sea and bay is undoubtedly one of the most picturesque spots to dine along Brisbane River. Soon, the team behind the lauded locale will expand its operations to the University of Queensland, where it will open its sister venue Patina at Alumni Court. This 90-seater concept is slated to open to the public on Monday February 21 at Alumni Court – a leafy segment not far from the university’s limestone-laden Great Court. The restaurant will spread across Alumni Gardens and into the heritage-listed former Radon Laboratory, both of which will boast luxe furnishing and brass and copper-coloured finishes to bring it in line with Patina’s established aesthetic. Head chef Nick Murtas will be working with executive chef John Offenhauser to create a menu that follows Patina’s paddock-to-plate philosophy, with seasonal produce and local seafood featured in dishes like Ora king salmon tartare with Tasmanian wasabi, smoked soy, avocado, nashi, finger lime and coriander, and South Burnett pork belly with smoked parsnip, Mooloolaba king prawn, witlof and pickled white grapes. Patina at Alumni Court’s drinks list will be loaded with cocktails (made using craft spirits) and plenty of wine. UQ staff and students will be free to stop by every weekday from 7:00 am for breakfast bites like Tasmanian smoked salmon brioche, maple-glazed bacon brioche and cups of coffee from Neighbourhood Coffee Roasters. Stay tuned for more on Patina at Alumni Court when it opens next week.

BROOKI Bakehouse
The revitalisation of the Stewart & Hemmant building (and the mid-2021 opening of lauded Italian restaurant Rosmarino) heralded the start of a new chapter for a forgotten corner of Fortitude Valley. In a few months time, the reinvigorated former drapery will score a new tenant – one helmed by a globetrotting travel blogger and self-professed dessert lover. BROOKI Bakehouse is the brainchild of Brooke Saward, founder and editor of World of Wanderlust. Brooke has travelled to more than 80 countries since starting World of Wanderlust in 2012, making a point of sampling the best sweet treats she could her hands on. In 2016 Brooke opened Charlie’s Dessert House in Launceston, where she seduced locals with a range of decadent menu items. With BROOKI, Brooke is looking to cater to the celebration set, crafting a range of cakes, cupcakes and macarons that pair perfectly with a special occasion. Confections like lavender honey macarons, cookie-dough cupcakes, and wildberry lemon celebration cakes will feature, with new flavours arriving every month. Clui Design has been tasked with creating BROOKI’s aesthetic – we’ve been told to imagine a Williamsburg-inspired industrial foundation with French accents, including classic fixtures and brass detailing. BROOKI Bakehouse will open in May – click here for more information.

NUG. General Store
When the chef behind one of Brisbane’s most in-demand restaurants announces that a new project in the works, we sit up and listen. But Sarah Baldwin, the culinary mind behind Bakery Lane’s ten-seat (and always booked out) restaurant Joy, revealed that she was expanding her hospitality footprint, she also announced that she wasn’t going it alone. Sarah has teamed up with Jarrod Applebee and Shane Phillips of California Lane’s Finnley Home to open NUG. General Store – a repository of everyday essentials from nourishing sustenance and gourmet pantry fillers to homewares. NUG. General Store will occupy the tenancy next to Joy (soon to be vacated by Cakes & Shit ahead of its relocation to Paddington), and will contain a cafe and deli, pantry, homewares and styling store, and workshop and education hub. Sarah’s domain will be the cafe and deli, which will serve an assortment of salads and sandwiches that will rotate on a weekly basis. Sarah is eager to delve into a more rustic style of cooking, spotlighting ingredients that are at their yummiest to create wholesome flavour combinations. The deli will also sling fresh juices, kombucha, sodas and pre-made batches of cold-brew coffee. Jarrod and Shane will be curating NUG.’s pantry and homewares component, stocking larder items from local artisans and small collections of decorative pieces, ceramics, tableware and glassware crafted by an array of predominantly Australian makers. NUG.’s workshop space will be used to host these makers and respected artisans for an assortment of masterclasses, enhancing their customer’s connection and point of access to the minds behind NUG.’s products. NUG. General Store is targeting a late-May opening. We have some extra details here.

Leonard’s Bar & Bistro
The April 2021 opening of New York and Paris-inspired eatery Leonard’s Bar & Bistro helped kicked off a resurgence of bistro-inspired dining in Brisbane City, with its character-filled interior quickly becoming a popular setting for long lunches and post-work libations. Leonard’s is in for another stellar year with a new culinary maestro at the helm, as acclaimed chef  Jimmy Richardson (ex-Gerard’s Bistro, Bridge Room and Cafe Paci, among others) steps into the role of executive chef. Jimmy’s debut menu is set to launch next week, with dishes like Spencer Gulf kingfish with lemon butter, yoghurt and sesame, roasted game-farm spatchcock with smoked harissa, yoghurt and lime, and smoked pineapple with coconut, kefir lime leaf and rum butterscotch showcasing Jimmy’s world-class talent. Jimmy Richardson’s new menu will officially launch on Thursday February 24.

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