Tiny Red Hook adds weight to Brisbane's laneway culture

Dynamic hospitality duo Bonnie Shearston and Tom Sanceau are opening another venue, although it's on a more modest scale than their 125-seater city restaurant Public in George Street.

Their new bar and eatery, Red Hook, named after an area in Brooklyn famous for its street food, will take its cue from the food culture of that area - offering casual New York style food, with an international twist.

The hole-in-the-wall on Gresham Lane in the CBD will be able to accommodate just three patrons inside, with the majority of the seating in the laneway courtyard.

“We're lucky, we are the only tenant in the lane with an outdoor area,” Shearston says. “We've ordered an awning, which will be hung low and there will be heaters when it's cold.”

Red Hook will open for light breakfasts with Belgian Liège-style waffles and coffee, while lunch crowds will find a menu including sporting tacos and burgers, plus a few surprises.

“At night it'll be a fun, vibey little diner with a drinks list of American beers, wines and some mixed drinks," says Shearston, "but our intention isn't to compete with The Gresham Bar but to offer a great place for after-work drinks and to add to the laneway culture.”

Red Hook in Gresham Lane is scheduled to open in the second week of August.