BRISBANE
A once sleepy Brisbane has finally shrugged off its reputation as a gateway city, having well and truly joined in on all the late-night food and dark alley, speakeasy adventures.
Words and photography Justin Meneguzzi
BRISBANE
A once sleepy Brisbane has finally shrugged off its reputation as a gateway city, having well and truly joined in on all the late-night food and dark alley, speakeasy adventures.
Words and photography Justin Meneguzzi
WITH a slew of new hotels, bars, restaurants and live music venues, Brisbane is finally having its moment.
ith a slew of new hotels, bars, restaurants and live music venues, Brisbane is finally having its moment. Just in time, too, as it's announced as the host city for the 2032 Olympic Summer Games.
The formerly derelict Howard Smith Wharves have been reimagined as the city’s neon-tinged playground by the water thanks to their sprawling brewery and chic eateries, while party central Fortitude Valley continues to remind us why we call it Bris-Vegas. New precincts – from Fish Lane to Queens Wharf – are popping up faster than a laneway donut shop, plus with more reliable sunny weather to boot, Melbourne and Sydney had better watch out.
Click below to watch the full video
Good things take time; that’s why you’re starting early in the afternoon at Brisbane Distillery Company. While it’s tempting to pull up a seat at the bar and browse the drinks menu, you’re really here for the gin school. Enter the classroom at the rear to find test tubes, stoves and Ukrainian copper stills boiling away, and be guided as a master distiller helps you choose from more than 140 botanicals to craft your own personalised gin. Distilling does require patience and devoted research, which is why the experience includes multiple rounds of cocktails to help you better study the craft.
Image: Brisbane Distillery Company
99 Jane Street, West End
A short walk north-east brings you to the bustle of Fish Lane. This arterial laneway leads right into the city’s arts district and once serviced South Brisbane’s rough-and-tumble working-class docks. Browse luxury furniture and knick-knacks at La Casa Vita or pause to admire the vibrant street art splashed on every wall, including an enormous octopus enveloping a hot yoga studio. Bomb shelter turned boho bookshop, Paladar Fumior Salon, is the ideal place to sip a tactical mid-afternoon espresso, while beer nerds will froth Saccharomyces Beer Café (try saying that three times fast after a few pints). For a classy touch, settle in at Fish Lane’s newest addition, Southside, and enjoy a drink in the lush jungle beer garden.
Image: Southside Restaurant, Fish Lane
South Brisbane
Hail a cab and scoot along the river’s edge to Will and Flow. The city’s newest overwater bar, dotted with dwarf palm trees and a centrepiece wood oven, brings distinct Miami vibes to the Brisbane River. Soak in the sunset while tucking into an eclectic menu that caters to the grazers and the bottomless pits. Unsurprisingly for a bar set among mangroves, the star of the show is the seafood, with a cavalcade of prawns, salmon, oysters and crabs ready for devouring. Try the scallops Saint Jacques – a dreamy collaboration of scallop, crispy prosciutto and bechamel sauce that will have you licking the shell when nobody’s looking.
Image: Will and Flow
59B Gardens Point Rd, Brisbane City
Catch a different side to the city from the water aboard a CityCat Ferry as you cruise north to Riverside Ferry Terminal before walking to Howard Smith Wharves, the city’s latest nightlife hotspot. Heritage-listed, but abandoned since the 1960s, the wharves have been given new life and filled to the brim with stylish eateries and moody bars. Grab a beer at sprawling Felon’s Brewing or opt for playful cocktails and oysters at pastel-hued Mr Percival’s. If you prefer to be above the water rather than on it, The Fantauzzo Hotel’s rooftop bar offers stellar views of the wharf and Story Bridge.
Image: Felons Brewing Co.
5 Boundary Street, Brisbane City
The Greek name Agnes means ‘pure’, and what’s purer than fire? That’s the philosophy that chef and co-owner Ben Williamson has taken to heart at this dimly lit restaurant housed in an old brick warehouse in the Valley. Williamson eschews gas and electricity in favour of wood-fired cooking, using flame and smoke to create hearty dishes designed to share with friends, like smoked lamb neck or hay-roasted mussels. Yes, everyone is dressed in black and the lighting is spare, but don’t be fooled – underneath lies a gregarious heart, and the chatty bartenders are more than happy to show you some of the restaurant’s hidden secrets if you ask nicely.
Image: Agnes Restaurant
22 Agnes Street, Fortitude Valley
Want to imbibe a liquid burger, slurp down some zombie brains or sip from a glass stiletto? Located just off the Valley’s main drag, Viscosity is a mad lab of cocktail creations where mixology and millennial nostalgia meet in a fluorescent wonderland full of cartoon and video game references. You won’t find traditional cocktails shaken and stirred here, but instead a revolving range of creatively imagined bevs constructed using tweezers and droppers, then served in bespoke glasses. Go all in with the Slurpee shot rack.
Image: Viscosity
11 Connor St, Fortitude Valley
Once you’re done with glowing test tubes, head around the corner to At Sixes and Sevens on James Street, a uniquely Queensland white-gabled cottage and public house that combines the city’s history with the casual glam of Fortitude Valley. The tiered and astro-turfed patio out front, with its festoon lights and charming tendrils of low-hanging ivy, is the place to be seen. Inside you’ll find two bars and more intimate settings for romantics or groups of friends looking for extra space while they share a jug of white peach sangria.
Image: Dean Swindell
67 James St, Fortitude Valley
It’s time to burn some calories on the dance floor. Backtrack west towards Chinatown, where you’ll find a not-so-secret speakeasy waiting in Prohibition. Inspired by the glamour, bootlegging and hard liquor of the 1920s, this cavernous underground nightclub gives you the choice of four distinct sections: the speakeasy-styled Blind Tiger bar, intimate Peacock Lounge, the Main Hall for dancing up a storm and the VIP-exclusive Wall Street lounge for high rollers.
Image: prohibitionbrisbane.com.au
206 Wickham Street, Fortitude Valley
With your feet now hurting and all the signs pointing to a dirty hangover tomorrow, stumble down the road to Greaser Bar – perfect for a last-minute fried chicken burger and old-school arcade game while you await your Uber back to home base.
Image: theprinceconsort.com.au/greaser/
259 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley
get in the know Brisbane was the first Australian city to use electricity – which powered eight lights on Queen Street in 1882.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE
