From bougie joints for date night to casual spots for your pre-work breaky, Brisbane’s restaurateurs, bar aficionados, and coffee collective have launched some delectable new locales to the scene—how many have you tried?
La Valle | Fortitude Valley
Inspired by the Italian saying “il vino è vivo” or “wine is life”, bar, bottle shop and community hub La Valle is a beacon for wine lovers in an otherwise quiet pocket of the Valley. Expect tasty nibbles like cheese, charcuterie and tinned goods as well as loaded focaccias to pair with your tipple.
Rabbit & Co | Coorparoo
The third instalment from The Rabbit Hole Cafe team, who already have two bustling bunnies of the same name, this bright corner cafe serves up crowd-pleasing brunch plates like crispy chicken waffles with kale and apple slaw, maple bacon, sriracha Kewpie and maple, potato hash cakes with leek, goats cheese and a poached egg, and dark choc pancakes with berry coulis, chantilly cream and almond praline. There’s a lot to uncover in this warren…
Coppa Spuntino | CBD
A triumphant relocation for this CBD fave, Coppa’s new home on Eagle Street Pier brought plenty of their best bites along, with plenty of fresh seafood, hearty mains and Italian bites to pair with your frosé, frosecco, or frogroni (that’s a frozen Negroni, duh). Coppa’s inside/outside feel and adaptable menu makes it suited to everything from wid-week lunch to weekend dinners and date night drinks.
Bear Boy Espresso | Windsor
An import from the original Helensvale location, this super aesthetic spot in Windsor’s gorgeous Colwill Place precinct serves banging coffee and an all-day brunch menu. You can expect breaky classic like avo toast, Bennies and burgers, as well as some hot takes like mango and coconut hotcakes, and buttermilk fried chicken waffles.
South Austin | Mount Gravatt
Here’s one you’ve definitely seen on your Insta feed… South Austin is Barbecue Mafia’s take on Tex-Mex tacos and more, popping up Thursday-Saturday nights at Cenzo’s Cafe & Bar. Nab a booking to get messy with the tacos like birria (beef, served with the requisite consomme), pork shoulder, and Barbecue Mafia’s unreal beef brisket.
La Costa Restaurant | Fortitude Valley
The final piece of the puzzle for this multi-level Italian hotspot at the top of the Valley, La Costa Restaurant is all about celebrating coastal Italian flavours with favourites including clam and nduja linguine, Moreton Bay bug spaghetti, crispy calamari, and whole baby barramundi. Don’t miss the tiramisu bomboloni for dessert!
Bisou Bisou | Fortitude Valley
The latest addition from the group behind Donna Chang, Blackbird and Byblos, Bisou Bisou brings a little piece of Paris to the Valley! Dine on classics including tartare showered in tête de moine, escargot and marrow toast, and bouillabaisse loaded with local seafood.
Elementi | Paddington
From some familiar faces (if you’re an Italian food fan), this casual Paddington eatery is all about traditional Italian bites served with heart. Swing in for all the usual antipasti suspects as well as a range of wood-fired pizzas and pastas served with quality ingredients that do all the talking.
Kebab Kulture | Hendra
Forget everything you think you know about kebabs and replace it with this: a range of globally-influenced delights using premium ingredients! We’re talking options like The Multicultural kebab with chicken, lamb, onion, tomato, two cheeses, paprika, pickles, hot chips, tzatziki and garlic sauce, or The Mediterranean with lamb, onion, tomato, paprika, hot chips, feta and tzatziki.
La Mexicana | CBD
It might be a pop-up, but the goods (and vibes) at La Mexicana are well worth squeezing in! From chef Louis Tikaram (who’s behind Stanley), find this buzzy hotspot in Howard Smith Wharves’ cute Citrus House (formerly a functions space) serving up the likes of grilled corn with queso fresco, chilli, coriander and lime, kingfish aguachile and, of course, plenty of tequila and mezcal!
Dandelion & Driftwood on Doncaster | Hendra
They’re back! After a temporary departure from their ‘burb, Dandelion and Driftwood is back with dinner in tow. The breaky and lunch menus are satisfying, as always, while dinner welcomes staples like slow-cooked corned beef with house-made horseradish sauce, roasted spuds and veggies, sausages with mash, veggies and smoked capsicum sauce, and a new collection of cocktails.
Kazba | Fortitude Valley
A moody cocktail bar in the style of neighbouring restaurant ZA ZA TA, Kazba serves up an impressive collection of unique Middle Eastern ingredients in cocktail form! Enjoy a Forbidden Fruit with bitter orange Sipsmith London dry, rosemary, Lillet Blanc, Suze, blood orange bitters and rosemary smoke with a vegetarian nibble like zucchini flowers with kashkaval baba ganoush and caper aioli or chilli haloumi savoury doughnuts with pomegranate and chili jam.
Kould Be Anywhere | Woolloongabba
The new day-to-day offering of chef Scott Webster’s Know One Know Where private catering company, this small backstreet cafe serves up big flavours in the form of toasties, salads and King Street Bakery pastries. Do yourself a favour and order the New Yorker, packed with confit chicken, bacon and oozy mozzarella.
Eleven Bridges | South Brisbane
Things just keep getting better for Brisbane’s gin lovers, with Eleven Bridges Gin Bar & Distillery adding yet another stop to their list. Serving over 100 boutique gins (all listed with their suggested signature serve), fine wines and craft beers, this spot will also be distilling their own product!
Leonard’s and Dawn on Spencer | CBD
Something about big shoes? In the spaces vacated by the closure of Urbane, Leonard’s serves up bistro classics like oysters, charcuterie, pan-fried trout with thyme potatoes, broccolini and charred lemon, and skirt steak with hand-cut fries, salbitxada and hot mustard, while Dawn is all about snacks like pork rillettes with bread and pickles and a classic club sandwich.
We can’t wait to see who’s included in our 2021 Q2 wrap!
Want to advertise with The G&G? We love working with businesses of all shapes and sizes to deliver drool-worthy content! To see how we can help you out and to learn more about our food-crazy audience, head here.
