Jumbo
Warm up your tastebuds – Brisbane City will welcome Jumbo, a brand-new upscale Thai restaurant and bar, late next week when it officially opens above the Embassy Hotel. The brainchild of Andrew and Wasana Park, Jumbo is the couple’s biggest hospitality splash to date (Andrew and Wasana have opened several neighbourhood Thai restaurants in Brisbane’s west), and they’re looking to show off the best and most authentic side of Thailand’s culinary culture. Jumbo’s interior has been designed by Open Air Studio’s Wit Chongwattananukul, who has crafted an aesthetic that blends ornate fixtures and eye-catching textures – exemplified by the rattan-wrapped entry hallway, embroidered inlays in Jumbo’s French doors, hand-made ceramic tiles sourced from Lampang, imported furniture boasting Jim Thompson fabrics and hand-painted tiled table tops. The walls will also feature a classical Thai mural from artist Thirawut Bunyasakseri and original artworks from Bangkok-based artist Virat Rungpayak. When it comes to the food, Andrew and Wasana have assembled a phenomenal kitchen team to help deliver a top-notch menu. Thai chefs Wilawan Dowweingkan (ex-Sailors Thai Sydney, Bangkok’s Dusit Thani Hotel) and Chatchai Taewpia (ex-Osha Restaurant) are working with Taya Meeikaew (Taya Cooking School, My Thai Restaurant) to assemble the menu, which will boast everything from mouth-watering entrees to sizeable share-style plates. We’re talking char-grilled local ox tongue, butterfly pea flower crab-meat dumplings, whole crispy goldband snapper, and southern yellow Thai curry with betel leaf and chunks of Western Australian sand crab. Pruetsamon Chaithongkong (formerly of LONgTIME) will oversee front-of-house operations, while local wine expert David Bone has helped put together a list of more than 75 varietals from the restaurant’s on-site cellar. Jumbo’s bar will also serve Thai-inspired cocktails and, for the first time outside of Thailand, Chao Siam Pale Ale on tap. Jumbo is expected to officially open late next week, and will then operate seven days a week for lunch and dinner. Stay tuned for a look inside!

The Lord Lamington
Waiting for a flight at Brisbane Airport’s domestic terminal will soon be far more enjoyable. The finishing touches are currently being applied to The Lord Lamington, a brand-new multi-faceted eatery and bar from the team behind Windmill & Co over in the international terminal. Named after a former Governor of Queensland, The Lord Lamington has been conceived with the Sunshine State in mind. Locality is key here – the vast majority of produce has been sourced between the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast, taking full advantage of the food bowl within arm’s reach. The Lord Lamington will be servicing early birds with a breakfast offering featuring classic options such as eggs benedict, bacon and eggs, and omelettes, but will then shift towards well-priced pub-style favourites (think buffalo wings, share platters, salt and pepper calamari, pork belly bites) in the afternoon and evening. If you like to linger until gates open, The Lord Lamington can make the wait bearable with its selection of local craft beers such as Burleigh Brewing and Ballistic Beer Co. One final specialty worth mentioning is the signature lamington range, which will give travellers with a sweet tooth the chance to savour several variations, including the Nutella baklava, red velvet, rocky road or classic lamington. The Lord Lamington will be opening this Friday July 19 – if you’re flying out, seek the eatery between gates 26 and 32.

The Outpost
As the opening of hotly anticipated new music venue The Fortitude Music Hall draws closer, we are getting even more tasty news regarding what has been happening within those four walls on the mall. As well as the Music Hall proper, it has just been revealed that the Brunswick Street space will house multi-purpose venue The Outpost. This 300-cap spot takes inspiration from the 1970s Brisbane dive bar of the same name, with the intention of imbuing the same original vibes with an added dose of flexibility – you could be sipping whisky and getting sweaty at a show one night, then taking in a fancy post-work cocktail the next. The Outpost will boast a diverse roster of artists gracing its stage, a killer drinks list, cocktails curated by the legends at Proof & Company, plus a 3:00 am licence to keep the good times rolling long into the night. This brand-new baby will be celebrating its launch on Thursday August 1 with a welcoming show featuring local legends Major Leagues, Greta Stanley, Married Man and Colts – for more details, check out our Event Guide.

Brisbane City Cathedral Square Markets
If you’re a CBD worker or dweller, odds are you would be familiar with the beloved and bountiful Brisbane City Markets that set up shop at Reddacliff Place every Wednesday. For those closer to The Valley, the trek up to the market can be a bit of a punish – because it’s hard to enjoy your gozleme when you’re hoofing it back to your office at the opposite end of town. In news that is bound to delight hungry city folk, the Brisbane City Markets are about to debut a brand-new location to spread the love a little further – from Thursday July 25, you can also catch the markets at Cathedral Square between 8:00 am and 2:30 pm. Those in the northern end of the CBD will now be able to grab mouth-watering eats from a huge range of food stalls, as well as stock up on some of the freshest produce going around.

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