While Brisbane is often referred to as a "big country town", locals know it's more like a collection of villages, each with their own particular flavour. Here are the Brisbane Times Good Food Guide's top picks in four precincts; from hole-in-the-wall coffee houses to date night restaurants and delis.
Antiques, bric-a-brac and cricket have been the ABC of the Woolloongabba since long before Queensland managed its first Shield final, with the past decade seeing these joined by quality food and drink establishments.
If you seek sustenance with an early coffee head to Banneton, or try to choose between the luscious treats at the Baker's Arms. Caffeine heads will be catching up at Brown Dog Cafe and the Little Prince, shopping for coffee accessories at Grindhouse or beans at Cup Roastery. Wine lovers and Italophiles will be rewarded at 1889 Enoteca, while Pearl Cafe just keeps on doing its thing with Parisian ambience, switching to a New York vibe in its upstairs venue The Servery.
Crosstown Eating House serves up shared dude food at its bar tables, but check out the speakeasy upstairs for more refined moments. Cocktails and good times are the order across the road at Canvas.
A cyclist might be on your breakfast stool at popular Lady Marmalade on Saturday morning, but you can go for lunch instead, or head around to the Stones Corner Hotel for all-day dining, drinks and coffee, pub-style. Shady Palms upholds the Queensland beer garden tradition, especially evenings and weekends.
Moose and Gibson, Foxy Bean and Pawpaw offer good coffee, great ambience and cafe flair at breakfast or lunch. Visit Pennisi to stock up on cheese, locally made Italian pork and fennel sausages, or South American groceries, or go to Samios Foods for more European deli goods. Robyn's Charcoal Chicken is the go-to for BBQ chooks, and don't buy your hummus, baba ganoush and rice pudding to take home from anywhere else. Curry night is catered for whether eating in or out at Mirchh Masala Chaat Court with its restaurant upstairs and the grocery down, or at All India Foods. Green Papaya, the Norman Hotel and Thai Rose are the post-match venues of choice.
1889 Enoteca, 10-12 Logan Road, 3392 4315, 1889enoteca.com.au
All India Foods, 31 Balaclava Street, 3391 1420, allindia.com.au
Banneton Bakery, 25 Balaclava Street, 3393 2111, banneton.com.au
Brown Dog Cafe, 54 Logan Road, 3891 7355
The Crosstown Eating House, 23 Logan Road, 3162 3839, thecrosstown.com.au
Cup Coffee Roastery, 43 Balaclava Street, (no phone), cupcoffee.com.au
Foxy Bean Cafe, 869 Stanley Street East, 3391 4990, foxybean.com.au
Green Papaya, 898 Stanley Street, 3891 5000, greenpapaya.com.au
Grindhouse Specialty Coffee, Shop 9, 360 Logan Road, (no phone)
Lady Marmalade, 269 Logan Road, 3324 2480, ladymarmaladecafe.com
The Little Prince Espresso, 8 Annerley Rd, 3391 4658, littleprinceespresso.com
Mirchh Masala Chaat Court, Shop 3, 110 Logan Road, 3162 8194
Moose & Gibson, 77 Jurgens Street, 3339 7987, mooseandgibson.com
Norman Hotel, 102 Ipswich Road, 3391 5022, normanhotel.com.au
Pawpaw Cafe, 898 Stanley Street, 3891 5100, venzingroup.com.au
Pearl Cafe, 28 Logan Road, 3392 3300
Pennisi Cuisine, 17 Balaclava Street, 3891 7643, pennisicuisine.com.au
Robyn's Charcoal Chicken, 66 Old Cleveland Road, 3394 3909
Shady Palms, 427 Logan Road, 3324 2917, shadypalmscafe.com
Stones Corner Hotel, 346 Logan Road, 3397 3727, stonescornerhotel.com.au
Thai Rose Cafe, 2 Logan Road, 3217 3588, thairosecafebar.com.au
OK, officially two suburbs, but no one seems to know where one starts and the other finishes, and both boast warehouse apartments and a high density of eating options.
Considered an old-timer in these parts is Beccofino, still home to what is arguably Brisbane's best pizza. Call into Claret House for a pre- or post-dinner glass of wine from a list collated from the four corners of the globe. If beer's more to your liking, hidey-hole Tippler's Tap, with its collection of craft beer, will slake the thirst, while Newstead Brewing Company, housed in an old bus depot, offers 'growlers' of their brew to go. If you have a thirst to learn more, Green Beacon Brewing Co. run brewery tours every first and third Thursday of the month. Another to add to the bar hop list is Twig & Berry, a homely basement bar with courtyard perfect for socialising on long summer evenings.
The stairs at Sourced Grocer are a popular coffee pit stop. It's also a fine place for a quick breakfast or to stock up on all those urban essentials, such as cheese, pasta, charcuterie, fresh fruit and veg and artisan bread. New neighbours La Macelleria Gelateria have already won over locals with their authentic handmade gelati and sorbet.
Keen cooks or those who need to brush up on their skills might want to book a class at The Golden Pig Cooking School under ex-Rockpool chef Katrina Ryan.
Worth seeking out is Rogue Bar & Bistro tucked down a side street, but discovered by legion of fans who come for the quality, keenly priced bistro fare. Standing sentinel over Newstead is the gasometer; a frame left from the days when there was a gasworks here. Now it's lit up at night and has given the name to a new development that boasts restaurants such as Hatch & Co, Peng You China Kitchen and bar, Reef Seafood and Sushi, where oysters are shucked to order, as well as The Standard Market Co, with everything from deli lines to fresh produce.
Beccofino, 10 Vernon Terrace, Newstead, 3666 0207, beccofino.com.au
Tippler's Tap, 22 Masters Street, Newstead, tipplerstap.com.au
Claret House, 36 Vernon Terrace, Newstead, 3257 0402, clarethouse.com.au
Newstead Brewing Co., 85 Doggett Street, Newstead, 3172 2488, newsteadbrewing.com.au
Green Beacon, 26 Helen Street, Newstead, 3252 8393, greenbeacon.com.au
Twig & Berry, 92 Commercial Road, Newstead, 3252 1965, thetwigandberry.com.au
Sourced Grocer, 11 Florence St Teneriffe, 3852 6734, sourcedgrocer.com.au
La Macelleria Gelateria, 29 Florence Street, Newstead, 0424 908 612, lamacelleriagelateria.com
The Golden Pig Cooking School, 38 Ross Street, Newstead, 3666 0884, goldenpig.com.au
Rogue Bar & Bistro, 14 Austin Street, Newstead, 3257 0227, roguebistro.com
Hatch & Co, 76 Skyring Terrace, Newstead, 3257 2969, hatchandco.com.au
Peng You China Kitchen & Bar, 76 Skyring Terrace, Newstead, 3257 7225, peng-you.com.au
Reef Seafood & Sushi, 76 Skyring Terrace, Newstead, 3257 7554, reefseafood.com.au
The Standard Market Co., 76 Skyring Terrace, Newstead, 3606 3319, standardmarketco.com.au
Between the hippies and hipsters, the greenies and the Greeks, West End dares you to find your groove. Wake up and smell the coffee with breakfast overlooking the roastery at Veneziano First Pour, or enjoy barista banter with an espresso at cute corner store Alberto's Shot. BlackStar has excellent bottled cold brews for caffeine on the go. Your inner-Greek will be happy over haloumi at Little Greek Taverna or calamari at old favourite Lefkas Taverna – unless the aroma from the smoky grill has drawn you to Char Char Yiros.
Meanwhile, the Italians fight back at recent arrival Spaghetti House where tables of diners spill out of the shopfronts onto the footpath most nights. At The Burrow, the lightest, most crisp pizza bases in Brisbane are on offer, as are a beer-focused drinks list and great breakfasts.
Beneath the soaring ceilings at the former warehouse now occupied by Plenty imaginative breakfasts morph into healthy homemade lunches.
Social enterprise success story Mu'ooz has moved from its Moorooka start to share authentic Eritrean food. Long tables welcome groups for street food pan-Asian style at Chop Chop Changs, while Mizu and Bird's Nest Yakitori fly the flag for Japan.
Back in Oz, Tukka delights and surprises with classic technique applied to our coat of arms and more; try a tasting plate and take a tour of the kitchen garden. Mondo Organics affirms that sustainable, organic, biodynamic and locally sourced food can be a truly lived and completely delicious dictum. Enjoy the heritage space at old stager The Gunshop Cafe or see who is volunteering on the piano at funky new Holloway. Drinks time can be loud house at Archive or quiet groove at The End or BOSC. Pick up your deli goodies and a Portuguese tart at the Swiss Deli and browse the cookbooks at Avid Reader, or trawl the fruit and veg stalls in the chilled atmosphere of the Davies Park Market every Saturday.
Alberto's Shot, 462 Montague Road, 3846 2270, albertosshot.com.au
Archive, 100 Boundary Street, 3844 3419, archivebeerboutique.com.au
Bird's Nest Yakitori, Shop 5, 220 Melbourne Street, 3844 4306, birdsnestrestaurant.com.au
BlackStar Coffee, 44 Thomas Street, 3217 2323, blackstarcoffee.com.au
BOSC, 69 Vulture Street, 0413 332 463
The Burrow, 37 Mollison Street, 3846 0030, theburrowwestend.com.au
Chop Chop Chang's, 185 Boundary Street, 3846 7746, chopchopchangs.com.au
Davies Park Market, Jane Street, Saturdays 6am–1pm, daviesparkmarket.com.au
The End, 73 Vulture Street, (no phone), 73vulture.com
The Gunshop Cafe, 53 Mollison Street, 3844 2241, thegunshopcafe.com
Holloway, 69 Hardgrave Road, 0439 178 787, hollowayeyewear.com.au
Little Greek Taverna, 1 Browning Street, 07 3255 2215, littlegreektaverna.com.au
Mizu, 63 Hardgrave Road, 3844 9918, mizurestaurant.com.au
Mondo Organics, 166 Hardgrave Road, 3844 1132, mondo-organics.com.au
Mu'ooz, 54 Mollison Street, 3844 8378, muooz.com.au
Plenty, 284 Montague Road, 3255 3330, plentywestend.wordpress.com
The Spaghetti House, 120 Boundary Street, 3844 4844, spaghettihouse.com.au
Tukka, 145b Boundary Street, 3846 6333, tukkarestaurant.com.au
Veneziano First Pour, 369 Montague Road, 3846 0011, venezianocoffee.com.au
Once a working class suburb, Paddington now works hard to keep the population well-fed. The Barracks stand guard at Paddo's border with the city; an historic building turned culinary pleasure hub. Peasant dishes up the bold flavours of Spain, while its sister, the moodily lit Cabiria Wine Bar, takes its cues from France.
If you're wearing your dancing boots; scoot across the road to former gentleman's club turned wild west saloon, Lefty's Old Time Music Hall, with its kitschy stuffed animals, live music and secret rum bar. Next door, Statler & Waldorf is a gastro-pub named for a pair of Muppets, where you can slake your thirst with a beer. Follow the scent of grilling meat across the road, to find arguably Brisbane's best steaks, served with old school professionalism at Black Hide Steakhouse. Regulars have their own Lagiole cutlery sets, stashed in drawers with their names.
If you've had a bit of a late start to the day, Anouk does some of the most imaginative breakfasts in town; served all day. The menu changes frequently but the pear French toast with rhubarb, tapioca pearls and pistachio is worth the weekend queue. Forget dining on weekends at Montrachet though. Owner Thierry Galichet eschews traditional hospo hours for a home life, shutting up shop on Friday arvo. But during the week, you can perch up at the comptoir and join loyal locals for gruyere souffle, steak frites and a classic bouillabaisse with a glass of beaujolais and pretend you're in Paris. If it was Paris, instead of Paddo, then Kettle & Tin with its keenly priced food and eclectic clientele would have to be the student quarter. The pork belly fries won't win any awards from dietitians, but they are understandably popular.
If you're feeling more virtuous, join the paleo set for a gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free meal at the popular Paleo Cafe. Paleoists can also pick up an organic, grass-fed steak to take home from the Meat-ing Place butchery.
Across the road, sit in the sunshine with a coffee in the dinky little courtyard at the Rogue Rennard, or grab a freebie with your beans a few doors down at Merlo's Torrefazione. Some seriously good authentic charry crust pizza is served with Italian brio at Il Posto, or make your own after stocking up with pizza accoutrements, such as buffalo mozzarella, from Paddington Deli & Epicerie. Join locals at Shouk Cafe for a breakfast dessert of date panna cotta or a crisp stack of latkes.
Peasant, 61 Petrie Terrace, 3367 8066, peasant.com.au
Cabiria, 61 Petrie Terrace, 3368 2666, cabiria.com.au
Lefty's Old Time Music Hall, 15 Caxton Street, Petrie Terrace, leftysmusichall.com
Statler & Waldorf, 25 Caxton Street, Petrie Terrace, 3368 1932, statlerandwaldorf.co
Black Hide Steakhouse, 36 Caxton Street, 3367 2886, blackhidesteakhouse.com.au
Anouk Cafe, 212 Given Terrace, Paddington, 3367 8663, anoukcafe.com
Montrachet, 224 Given Terrace, Paddington, 3367 0030, montrachet.com.au
Kettle & Tin, 215 Given Terrace, 3369 3778, kettleandtin.com.au
Paleo Cafe, 257 Given Terrace, 3162 2469, paleo-cafe.com.au
The Meat-ing Place, Shop 3b Paddington Central, 107 Latrobe Terrace, Paddington, 3369 9522, themeat-tingplace.com.au
The Rogue Rennard, 106 Latrobe Terrace, Paddington, theroguerennard.com
Merlo Coffee, 1/78 Latrobe Terrace, Paddington, 3368 2099, merlo.com.au
Il Posto, 107 Latrobe Terrace, Paddington, 3367 3111, ilposto.com.au
Paddington Deli & Epicerie, 153-155 Latrobe Terrace, Paddington
Shouk Cafe, 14 Collingwood Street, Paddington, 3172 1655, shoukcafe.com.au
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