Where to stay, eat and drink in Brisbane: Hotels, restaurants, cafes and events
There once was a time Brisbane was a bit s***. Let’s call it five years ago.
That’s right, we don’t mind kicking the hornet’s nest because we understand the parochial tattoo that comes with being born in Brissy.
This is a town that was long overlooked and very much looked down upon; a sunburnt place of creepy humidity without a proper beach; a city-town amalgam and one holding rugby league as its deity; a capital dominated by a snaking brown river where the nightlife ended before Uber surging started and which, really, failed to offer much beyond Trent Dalton and The Go-Betweens (sure, Violent Soho, Dune Rats and Bernard Fanning too). But things have changed. The city is looking outwards and upwards. And, yes, you can claim that the surest way to prove a place is rubbish is to label it ‘on the up and up’. But it’s true.
ROAM. Landing in your inbox weekly.
A digital-first travel magazine. Premium itineraries and adventures, practical information and exclusive offers for the discerning traveller.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.The Olympics are coming, those squeezed out of Sydney and Melbourne have brought with them a desire to ameliorate things and, best of all, Brisbane is starting to lean into itself — to find confidence in its ways and not simply look to replicate its east coast siblings.
This is a city standing up — and winning at more than just every sporting code. Time, then, to get around Brisbane and find a city on the move.
STAY
Two places in Brisbane are worthy of your time and your money — and both speak of the city’s ascendancy. The Calile Hotel is the one that no one can properly pronounce and which wins every global tourism award going: a lush and well-placed James St cocoon of cool and calm.
Bold, bright and with ways that seemingly wink at W Hotels’ design language, South Bank’s Emporium is an elevated offer of views, spacious and well-appointed rooms, and has a standout pool deck that actually outdoes the former. True.
EAT/DRINK
Food is an area that sees Brisbane rightly starting to plate up some unique appeal. And let’s run this list fast — Agnes is a rightful award-winner of mood and flame, Marlowe brings a sense of elevated and unique fun, Suum’s Andy Choi (ex The Fat Duck) offers inventive Korean flavour in the CBD, with Essa a fine dining and seasonal standout.
Melbourne’s esteemed Andrew McConnell overlooked Sydney in bringing Supernormal’s Asian flavours north (on that page see also Otto, Sokyo, Short Grain and Lune) while 1889 Enoteca remains a Brisbane original that’s never stumbled across its 17 years and continues to plate up exceptional Italian, washed down by one of the city’s finest lists.
As for a few evening shandies (sorry — not anymore, not in this new Brisbane) the charms of West End’s Bar Francine are hard to overlook, Death & Taxes is another must and we also don’t mind the Emporium’s The Terrace Bar when in South Bank.
GET CAFFEINATED
In the CBD? Head for Coffee Anthology — named the world’s eighth best cafe in The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops.
Elsewhere, Snug in Coorparoo is a charming local joint that also does a mean Korean-influenced breakfast and brunch. intersectionfd.com.au
SPEND/PLAY
Brisbane’s Gallery Of Modern Art (GOMA) is one of the country’s finest with impressive curation that straddles both permanent local and international art and a strong exhibition program (note Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson’s exhibition opens December 6). From culture to commerce — easily done — a trip to Fortitude Valley’s James Street is a must.
Heidi Middleton (Sass & Bide) has just opened the doors on a debut atelier/boutique for Artclub, alongside locals such as Gail Sorronda and Calexico as well as P.Johnson (men’s and women’s), Zimmermann, and Scanlan Theodore among others.
The CBD now comes stacked with luxury European labels and be sure to indulge the brilliant tailoring at local outfit The Cloakroom. Elsewhere, walk the bridges, so to South Bank and Howard Street Wharves.
As for sport — this is a city that’s recently been ranked above Melbourne as a global sporting powerhouse (holding the reigning premiers across AFL, NRL and the WNRL helps), with the Gabba’s incoming first day/night Ashes Test and preparations underway for the 2032 Olympic Games. For now, all eyes are focused on Royal Queensland Golf Club and this month’s BMW Australian PGA Championship (November 21-24), featuring a peerless line-up that includes Min Woo Lee, Adam Scott, Cam Smith, Marc Leishman and defending champion Elvis Smylie.
