Brisbane is fast becoming a hotspot for culinary getaways. Whether you’re choosing to visit purely to hop between cafes, restaurants and bars, or are planning on spending your time enjoying the mountain vistas and stunning islands the subtropical capital has to offer while you stay, there’s something there for everyone.
A weekend gives you just enough to enjoy a taste of the city’s breadth, but with new, bold flavours and experiences around every corner, you’ll leave planning your next trip. So, instead of returning to revisit your tried-and-true favourites, book in a weekend of new, tastes and adventures to fully discover everything the region has to offer.
That’s the approach chef and stylist Sian Redgrave took while exploring Brisbane to uncover the uncommon ground she shared with tastemaker Annalisa Ferraris. Their recommendations, together with the Gourmet Traveller team’s favourites, make an ideal weekend itinerary.
Brisbane’s best bites
Brisbane’s dining scene has evolved to rival its capital city counterparts, with chefs championing local produce, seasonal menus and cleverly concepted dishes. Redgrave finds the scene to “feel confident and quietly exciting”.
Enjoy Thai street food-inspired flavour bombs from Redgrave’s favourite sAme sAme, with its “bright and expressive” menu, “generous service and softly lit dining room centred around an open kitchen” she relaxes into the “effortless energy”. A must-try is the rice salad, a bold expression of “freshness, acidity and richness”.
The famous lobster rolls from Supernormal.
(Credit: Photo: Nikki To)With sparkling river views, Supernormal’s long-awaited Brisbane outpost sees Andrew McConnell reinterpret the Melbourne original through a distinctly Queensland lens that Redgrave calls an “ease and lightness”. Chef Jason Barratt’s refined menu features lobster rolls alongside seasonal dumplings, bao and signature favourites such as their slow-cooked Szechuan lamb shoulder, with pickled cucumber.
Redgrave enjoyed “the warmth and intimacy” at West End’s August. Perched atop a hillside and located inside a heritage church that exemplifies Queensland’s architectural charm. The elegant diner is reimagining classic European dishes with a modern local twist that for Redgrave feels “original and honest”. And “for someone who is not a dessert eater, a hot chocolate pudding with cold vanilla ice cream turned me into a sugar fiend.”
Where to stay in Brisbane
With a lush subtropical climate as the backing to any stay in Brisbane, you’ll need a reminder that a bustling metropolitan city lies just outside your hotel doors.
For both Redgrave and Ferraris, the Emporium Hotel in South Bank served as their base for the weekend — with unmissable views from its rooftop terrace and infinity pool, that Ferraris called “a little oasis in the middle of the city.”
Sophisticated urban resort, The Calile, has been named the best hotel in Oceania. Located within Fortitude Valley’s James Street precinct, the sweeping mid-century curves, pink sand tones and lush spanning pool serve up an atmosphere previously only associated with international travel.
Where to drink in Brisbane
Whether you’re celebrating, congratulating or just continuing a long lunch or dinner, the occasion calls for a bar worthy of the trip, and Brisbane isn’t shy of top-shelf options.
Named Gourmet Traveller Bar of the Year in 2025, +81 Aizome Bar offers a prestigious take on the finer details from blocks of ice sourced from Kanazawa in Japan to their delicate glassware. Mixologist Tony Huang’s neo cocktails can take days to craft and are best enjoyed in a flight of six.
If fresh, seasonally led cocktails drenched in sunshine is your mood, both Bar Miette and Ruma Rooftop offer unmissable terrace views. Redgrave was transported straight to Milano with Bar Miette’s take on the Garibaldi, calling it the “perfect way to kick off aperitvo hour”.
Where Bar Miette and Ruma Rooftop offer their spectacular views from on high, Mr Percival’s unique perspective sees riverside drinks served from beneath Brisbane River’s Story Bridge.
What to do in Brisbane
Brisbane is full of bold, exciting events and experiences. Spend an afternoon at Queensland Art Gallery of Modern Art before immersing yourself in the luxury-leaning world of James Street’s retail and lifestyle precinct. Here you’ll find everything from Australian designers to leading dining options. Or take a CityCat down the river like Ferraris, where she found the city to “reveals itself from the water in such a different way, that little bit of distance allows you to take it all in.”
Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art.
If you’re looking for an adventure slightly further afield, Brisbane Oyster Farm Tours offer an in-water dining experience in Moreton Bay. Taste freshly shucked oysters mere meters from the newest oyster lease.
No matter where you turn, Brisbane’s exciting new openings are sure to captivate. Redgrave’s top tip is to “take your time outdoors, walking without an agenda and allowing the city to unfold as you go.”
She wants you to remember that “Brisbane has an effortless rhythm, balancing a laid-back warmth with a quietly vibrant cultural scene. Lean into both and you’ll find the ingredients for a weekend well spent.” A sentiment Ferraris shares, echoing that the “friendly, relaxed pace was easy to get absorbed by”. Showing that the charming town truly has a place for all to connect with.
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