The recap: the best new Brisbane restaurants, bars and cafes in April
With all of the public holidays turning our weekends into long weekends, it felt like April zoomed by in the blink of an eye. Despite this, Brisbane’s dining scene welcomed a bunch of brilliant new eateries, from NYC-inspired pizza bars and neon-lit ramen joints, to sun-soaked beer gardens, stellar suburban bottle shops and a new location for a viral pancake slinger. Here are five new openings that we adored in April …
Donnie’s, Teneriffe: Brisbane isn’t short on pizza spots, from the tried and true Napoli-style slice slingers to the more obscure rectangular Detroit variety. Donnie’s, the new Tenerrife eatery and cocktail bar from Canberra transplants Jackson McLoughlin and Nickolas Kruckel, is shining a light on the crispy and pliable pizzas of New York City. The duo recently flew out Alim Nayil of Patio Pizza in the UK to assist with the formulation of Donnie’s all-important dough recipe, which is a lower-hydration dough that is cold-fermented for 48 hours. Jackon and Nick are then topping the dough with an assortment of premium ingredients, including American cup ‘n’ char pepperoni, vodka sauce and burrata, ‘nduja and hot honey, and meatball ragu with whipped ricotta. Rounding out the Donnie’s offering is a selection of snacks (think smoked-mozzarella sticks and Philly cheesesteak spring rolls) as well as a tight wine list, a tidy selection of signature cocktails and tap beers.
L.P.O. Neighbourhood Wine Store, Tarragindi: When comedian and Tarragindi local Matt Okine texted his good friend Dan Wilson asking, “How hard is it to open a wine shop?”, Dan – drawing on years of experience running a number of acclaimed venues in London – replied, “With me, it’s pretty easy.” This exchange sparked the creation of L.P.O., a cosy, character-filled wine shop nestled in the leafy heart of Tarragindi. Though it has only been open for a short while, L.P.O. has quickly become a local favourite, offering a curated selection of minimal-intervention wines in a stripped-back, plywood-lined space designed to spotlight the bottles themselves. Dan’s curatorial ethos centres on accessibility, authenticity and emotional resonance, with the goal of guiding customers toward unique wines that reflect not only terroir but also mood and feeling. Stocked with both local and international labels, L.P.O. serves wines by the glass to help demystify the buying process, while offering rare vintages on weekends to surprise and delight.
The Beaumont Beer Garden, Fortitude Valley: It’s not unusual for a menu to draw inspiration from Australia’s bounty of top-notch ingredients, but it is rare for the country’s natural splendour to inform a venue’s entire direction. That’s exactly the case at The Beaumont – Fortitude Valley’s newest rooftop beer garden. Drawing inspiration from the Great Dividing Range, The Beaumont blends nostalgic Australiana aesthetics with casual, communal dining and a focus on warm, friendly service – or what the team calls the “Aussie way” of hospitality. Housed in the site previously home to nightlife staple Birdees, the transformed space features timber and iron accents, striped umbrellas, festoon lighting and an indoor dining area called the Aviary. Head chef Joshua Kelly’s menu reimagines pub classics using native ingredients like kangaroo, lemon myrtle and Kakadu plum, while the drinks program celebrates Australia’s landscapes with inventive cocktails such as the Outback Blaze Marg and the Aussie Sunrise.
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Hai Hai, West End: With the official start of winter mere weeks away, the opening of Hai Hai’s new West End outpost was incredibly well timed. The expansion, located in the old Chop Chop Chang’s space on Boundary Street, sees the Hai Hai crew elevating and expanding on the ramen concept, which first launched in Paddington almost a decade ago. Here, ramen still reigns supreme, but under the guidance of newly appointed executive chef Benjamin Chow, Hai Hai is boosting its menu with a range of izakaya-inspired dishes. Expect the likes of loaded karaage chicken, miso-coated sweetcorn, fried Brussels sprouts, with scallop ceviche, tataki-style dishes and chargrilled morsels to be added in the future. New front-of-house lead William Keltner oversees the venue’s enhanced beverage offering, which includes big-name Japanese beers, highballs, and cocktails infused with sake, shochu and whisky.
Buttery Boy, Fortitude Valley: Few 2024 openings made as big of a splash as Buttery Boy, Vince Mōefa’auo’s Fortitude Valley cafe and dessert spot. Droves of foodies regularly flocked to Chinatown Mall in The Valley for a fix of the cafe’s signatures butterycakes – puffy plate-sized pancakes that boasted a souffle-like texture. When Buttery Boy closed its Duncan Street location, its legion of fans were crestfallen. But, over Easter, Buttery Boy made its triumphant return, opening a new four-month pop-up on East Street (between Snack Man and Petite). The Buttery Boy team hasn’t skipped a beat, slinging a condensed menu of Buttery Boy favourites including its butterycakes and boujee hot chocolates alongside a retooled range of savoury dishes and caffeine from Passport Specialty Coffee. Plans are in the works for a new permanent home in Newstead later this year, so be sure to keep and eye out for more info in the coming months.
Many more restaurants, cafes and bars opened this month. You can have a browse through the latest foodie happenings by clicking here.