When you take an historically notorious bathhouse and brothel and turn into a steakhouse and bar, complete with a hot tub in the basement, the cheeky one liners just write themselves. Fortitude Valley’s new Les Bubbles has completely embraced it’s shady past, creating a venue unlike any other – but not a brothel, as a neon sign on the wall clearly states. Upstairs, the Parisian steakhouse does one dish and does it well. Proudly proclaiming it has been serving ‘meat’ since 1982 (take that how you will), Les Bubbles’ signature dish is steak frites. Actually, it’s their only dish, and comes with your choice of sauce and bottomless frites, while vegetarians and pescatarians are catered for with a daily special. There’s plenty of choice when it comes to dessert and drinks though, with a French inspired sweets list and cocktails that are everything you’d expect from a former brothel – one even comes in a bootylicious cocktail glass with an extremely feminine shape. If cocktails aren’t your thing, you can pair your dinner with a wine from the Little Wick urban winery, soon to open just behind the restaurant. 
For a post-dinner treat, choose from chocolate or raspberry soufflé, a fruity bombe Alaska, crème caramel or crepes. Seated in a red leather booth and served by French maid attired waitresses, you’ll be under the magnimonius gaze of owner Damian Griffiths himself, whose renaissance style portrait sits over the entry. Downstairs in the white-tiled Bathhouse bar, things are a little more relaxed, with more cocktails, plenty of space for hanging out and a 15-person spa bath. We’re not sure what the rules are for jumping in the hot tub, but we’d suggest not pigging out on bottomless frites before getting in a bikini (or a man-kini). You’ll find Les Bubbles at 144 Wickham Street, open 7 nights a week and for lunch on Fridays. Words by Ranyhyn Akui
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