1. Give your mornings a Middle Eastern twist
Swap snack attacks for latke stacks at Shouk. Taking its name from the Hebrew word for ‘marketplace’, this popular Paddington café is also known for sensational shakshouka (baked eggs). Enjoy the Israeli breakfast in vegetarian form or, if you’re after a meaty treat, add the merguez sausage!
2. Get fired up about pizza
Beccofino is an Italian institution in Brisbane, but its new sibling, Julius Pizzeria, is also well worth a visit. With a custom-built wood-fired oven (straight from Naples, no less) and Aeperol-lined bar, this South Brisbane restaurant celebrates la dolce vita by way of homely pastas, impeccable antipasti and the kind of pizza menu that’d make Mama proud.
3. Do doughnuts ’round The Valley
“It’s always a good time” is the tagline from Fortitude Valley’s sweet sensation Doughnut Time, and it’s right on the money. From the seasonally appropriate Treat Yo' Elf (Christmas cream glaze, topped with rice crispies) to The George Constanza (caramel and pink salt glaze with salted pretzels) and The O.G (original glazed, not original gangster… in case you were wondering), their fantastical flavours wow us every time!
4. Enquire about Esquire
Take advice from Doughnut Time and treat yourself (rather than that elf) with a special dinner at Brisbane’s only three-hatted restaurant, Esquire. Built around seasonal, local produce, the ever-changing menu features curious items like “Kettles onion and duck” or “Milly Hill lamb basil black cardamom anchovy”. The nightly degustation contains between 12-25 dishes and, in any case, is truly inspired.
5. The answer to last night’s hijinks
Forget greasy bacon and eggs. The best way to sooth a sore head is to dive head-first into a “recovery bowl” of breakfast carbonara at new West End eatery, Morning After. With a focus on fine coffee, local produce and excellent service, the restaurant run by mother and son Soula and Yianni Passaris is a must for early birds and late brunchers alike.
6. Love the food, LONgTIME!
Don’t be put off by its name, LONgTIME isn’t a seedy addition to The Valley, but rather a top-notch restaurant serving South East Asian street eats, shareable mains and Thai-inspired cocktails. Slick styling aside, the kitchen team comes with impressive credentials, having collectively worked under three Michelin-starred chefs, and cooked for both the British and Thai royal families. If you’re after punchy flavours with a modern twist, this is the real deal.
7. Rogue Bar + Bistro
If you like fine food minus the starchy tablecloths, get yourself over to Rogue Bar + Bistro in Newstead. At first glance on the menu, mains might seem relatively simple: cow, fish, pig, bird… but each protein is carefully paired a series of appealing sides. For instance smoked pork belly comes with tater tots, pea feta salad and creamed pumpkin. The drinks list is substaintial, but we’re particularly fond of the house cocktails. Who wouldn’t be won over by “How do you like dem apples” (Southern Comfort, limoncello, bitters and fresh apple, for the record).
8. Beaut burgers and suburban serenity
When Brissie chef Ben O’Donoghue isn’t barbecuing up a storm, you might find him at Annerley café Billykart Kitchen. A former corner store, the coffee hub serves up brunch, lunch, drinks and baked goods on the daily. If you’re visiting for the first time, you can’t go past the signature dish, Billykart pulled pork burger with baja dressing, slaw and fries. And if you’d prefer to stay in the city, you can now find Billykart Kitchen in West End, too.
9. Go for the beer, stay for the bistro fare
Inspired by the British taverns of yesteryear, West End gastropub London Fields is the kind of place that suits almost every occasion. After work drinks? Casual family lunch? Hearty English supper with a pint or two? Done, done, done. Beers aside, London Fields sports an exciting, ever-changing boutique wine list, too.
10. Waffle on, and on, and on
We couldn’t round up our list without throwing in a crazily named curveball: Piggy Barn Waffle House. Serving up a variety of waffle bases (think traditional vanilla, double chocolate, wholemeal chia seed and coffee), this is the kind of place where anything (waffle-related) is possible. O.T.T. toppings include whipped cream and strawberries, salted caramel ice-cream and marshmallows drizzled with dark chocolate. Oh golly, we feel a nap coming on…
And because we couldn't help ourselves, here's #11
For stunning views of Brisbane's skyline and equally striking fare, head to the Gallery of Modern Art's two-hatted bistro. Under the creative gaze of executive chef Josue Lopez — whose CV includes a stint working with René Redzepi at noma in Denmark — GOMA restaurant serves contemporary creations from sustainably sourced ingredients. Think suckling pig with chestnut and Davidson plum, Maleny buffalo haloumi alongside asparagus and duck egg, or a sweet wattleseed custard.
For more food and drink inspiration, head here.
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