Produced in association with our mates at Qantas – who have partnered with us and Tourism and Events Queensland to tell you about all the domestic delights this wide, brown land has to offer, and help you experience them without spending too much $$$. You can check out their bookings page to see how you can get to Brisbane in a jiffy, and if you’re not yet convinced, check out the below list of entirely valid and excellent reasons to make the city a travel destination this summer.
Over the past few years, funny things have been happening in Brisbane. Perhaps realising that all its friends were leaving, the city has gotten its act together in a fairly drastic way.
Think: The transformation undergone by Anne Hathaway in The Princess Diaries and you may be somewhere near the ballpark.
All of a sudden, there are places to eat, places to drink, places to shop, places to drink … Yeah, we said that one twice, but there are a lot of watering holes. What Brisbane lacks in opening hours (just quietly, the rumours are true: you’ll probably want to eat early), it makes up for in places to get a delicious beverage.
FYI: Unlike other Aussie cities (we’re looking at you Adelaide), Brisbane has A+ public-t. Grab yourself a $2 CityCycle ticket and fang around town, hop aboard the ferry or drop a few coins for the faster CityCats. Then there’s the city’s extensive busway network, which means you won’t waste any time getting around.
Because we care, here’s a guide to some of the coolest stuff to eat, drink and do in key places around Brisbane. Don’t say we never do anything for you:
The CBD
On arrival in Brisbane, you may well clock the fact that the city’s looking noticeably slick these days – even good old Jimmy’s On The Mall (Queen Street Mall) has had an extensive redesign, and re-branded itself as a boutique ale house. If you fancy a feed on arrival, and if you would like that feed to be a kickarse burger of some description, then Miss Kay’s (185 George Street) has you covered.
(via Miss Kay’s)
Since Brisbane had the bright idea of actually using its laneways and putting cool things down them, the inner city has an abundance of interesting, out-of-the-way spots to eat, drink and shop. Down one end of Burnett Lane, you’ll find craft beer and cocktail spot Super Whatnot (48 Burnett Lane), and down the other, at basement level is Brew Cafe And Wine Bar (150 Queen Street).
Corbett & Claude (283 Elizabeth Street), tucked away in the historic Corbett Chambers, is a more ~refined~ city experience, offering build-your-own cheese and charcuterie boards, while dimly-lit basement bar Brooklyn Standard (Eagle Lane) has no fancy food, just generous bowls of pretzels to accompany your beer and cocktails.
Fortitude Valley & Newstead
The Valley has a reputation as the home of some of Brisbane’s seediest night spots and is … still the home of some of Brisbane’s seediest night spots (bless), but its game has noticeably lifted in terms of drinking and dining.
The James Street precinct is bursting with great places to eat, from the posh pub fare at Sixes And Sevens (67 James Street) to the venerable Gerard’s Bistro (14/15 James Street), whose head chef Ben Williamson marries seasonal local produce to influences from Europe, the Middle East and northern Africa.
(via Mighty Mighty)
Around the corner, Mighty Mighty (7/100 McLachlan Street) offers soul food, craft beer and American-inspired cocktails, some of them smoked. Gordita (11b/100 McLachlan Street), sister restaurant to Peasant, is named after a “cute, spunky chubby girl” and offers delectable southern Spanish fare.
Tucked away in the back-streets of Newstead, Tippler’s Tap (1/22 Masters Street) features no fewer than 11 taps on constant rotation, as well as some damn fine baskets of wings. Meanwhile, in the heart of The Valley, Winn Lane is an eccentric haven of everything from fashion (The Outpost, Sunday Social) to much-needed meat and carbs (Ben’s Burgers).
You (artist’s impression).
Meanwhile, getting to Greaser Bar (259A Brunswick Street) is an adventure unto itself, but if you can find it (and we recommend giving it a try), enjoy the buttermilk fried chicken, hot dogs, crinkle cut fries and craft beers.
(via Judith Wright Centre)
Every Friday afternoon from 5pm, the Judith Wright Centre (420 Brunswick Street) puts on Live At The Judy, a showcase of up-and-coming local musical talent to help you ease into the weekend. The Powerhouse (119 Lamington Street), meanwhile, put on a free stand-up comedy show every Friday evening from 6pm, on the Turbine Platform.
Barracks & Caxton Street
A short distance from the city centre, The Barracks (61 Petrie Terrace) features cinemas and dining in three beautifully-refurbished, heritage listed buildings. Peasant Spanish Restaurant serves up mouth-watering tapas and a killer wine list, although is not as cheap as the name might suggest, and Libertine Bar And Restaurant offers a renowned French-Vietnamese fusion menu.
(via Peasant)
A short stagger away, you’ll fine Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall (15 Caxton Street), a plush, old-world bar, housed in a former strip club, that features nightly bands, good ol’ southern fare on the menu and a killer whiskey list. Nearby Statler & Waldorf (25 Caxton Street) calls itself a modern Australian gastropub, with a rotating menu and a variety of beers to wash it down.
South Bank
The Gallery of Modern Art (Stanley Pl), a short walk across the Victoria Bridge from the city centre, is hosting the eighth annual Asia Pacific Triennial until April 16, and The South Bank Christmas Markets (Stanley Street Plaza, South Bank Parklands) run every day from Friday December 11 to Wednesday December 23, because nothing says ‘Straya like a humid festive season.
(via South Side Diner)
If you fancy wiling away a cool afternoon by the water, South Bank has dozens of new bars and restaurants opening along the river bank and in the surrounds. South Side Diner (Little Stanley Street) is a throwback to the burgers’n’shakes era of the ’50s, while Aquitane Brasserie (River Quay) offers Bordeaux-inspired cuisine, with a mixture of French and local wines.
There are more bars than you can can count along the water, but if you’re starting your South Bank pub crawl, Stoke Bar (River Quay), stretching out along the mangroves, is a great spot for an afternoon tipple, and you’ll probably definitely get a visit from a local lizard at some point.
The Manhattan Line (Little Stanley Street) features a quirky, New York-inspired hot dog menu and lots and lots of whiskey, while down the other end of South Bank, The Fox Hotel (71-73 Melbourne Street) is home to the city’s favourite rooftop bar.
Queensland Art Gallery (Stanley Pl) is renowned for its Australian collection, with works spanning the colonial period to the modern day but right now, as part of APT8, the display has been given a new twist by indigenous artist Brook Andrew, who has applied a striking graphic design specific to the Wiradjuri people on the walls of the space.
Portside
Along with its cruise ship terminal, Portside Wharf (39 Hercules Street, Hamilton) features some of the best riverside dining in Brisbane. Byblos, named after the port of the ancient Phoenecians, features a lavish cocktail list and a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern-inspired menu, while steak house Belvedere Bar N Grill offers 11 beers on tap.
(via Eat Street Markets)
Upstairs near Dendy Portside cinemas, Sono is a first-class Japanese dining experience, with the freshest ingredients and superior techniques. On Friday and Saturday, it’s standing room only at Eat Street Markets (221 Macarthur Ave, Hamilton), an international food fair and feast for the senses at a disused container wharf.
The Burbs: North Side
If your holiday budget doesn’t stretch to a luxe inner-city pad and you’re slumming it with the ‘fam in the suburbs, you’ll still find places to go all over the once-sleepy city. The Junk Bar (215 Waterworks Road) in Ashgrove is a favourite spot for northside residents, with a damn fine drinks menu to accompany its poky retro charms.
(via Fitz + Potts)
Yorks Hollow (52 Brookes Street) is a vintage speakeasy tucked away in Bowen Hills, featuring a kitschy interior and a unique selection of international beers and wines. Further north, Nundah has new venues opening left and right, incluing Fitz + Potts (1180 Sandgate Road), which offers a boutique beer menu, and jaffles as the house special.
Out by the bay, Cardigan Bar (198 Seymour Street) overlooks the Sandgate town square, and brings an inner-city feel to the sleepy suburb, featuring local tipples from Bacchus Brewing Co on tap.
The Burbs: South Side
Woollongabba is renowned for its Antique Centre (22 Wellington Road), which is your starting point for quirky, vintage shopping around the area. If shopping has you tired out, though, then the suburb also features more quirky eateries and bars than you can shake a stick of artisinal brown butter garlic bread at.
Retro boutique Can You Keep A Secret? (619 Stanley Street) has kept the over-stuffed old furniture but transformed itself into a wine bar and lounge, while Apple Tango (12 Annerley Road), in an open-sided shed next to the historic Princess Theatre, does breakfast in the morning and cocktails in the afternoon.
(via Can You Keep A Secret?)
The Bent Elbow (16 Old Cleveland Road) in Stones Corner is a casual bar/bistro featuring an indoor beer garden (astroturf FTW) with an all-Australian wine list and gastropub fare, while Shady Palms (472 Logan Road), situated in an old Queenslander, is as cool as the name suggests, offering a lush backyard as well as a variety of spicy sliders, tacos and empanadas.
If you’re thinking of heading to Brisbane to eat/drink yourself to a standstill or just bask in the sun by the pool, Qantas are offering hella cheap flights from November 16-23 – to book, click here.
Photo via Winn Lane / Facebook
