New York City is almost a second home for Adrianne Arizabal. In addition to boasting some familial ties to the Big Apple, Adrianne harbours a deep love for the city – its buzzing boulevards, world-class dining scene and high-end fashion. Miss Manhattan, Adrianne’s new eatery and bar nestled in the heart of Newstead, is the hospitality operator’s ode to the magic of the city that never sleeps.

Miss Manhattan is a long-held dream for Adrianne, who also operates modern-Australian restaurant Ollieo in the Hunter Valley. But her ambitious vision needed a suitably sized venue to do it justice and it was only until she found a cavernous tenancy on Masters Street – formerly home to The Matriarch – that Adrianne felt the conditions were right to make her dream come true.

“This was the second site I inspected in Brisbane,” Adrianne tells us. “The structure and the skeleton … I thought it was exactly what I was looking for. [The Matriarch] had everything in place perfectly.”

With keys in hand, Adrianne enacted a swift cosmetic transformation, keeping the blue and the gold of The Matriarch’s aesthetic (as well as its eye-catching chandeliers), incorporating tan tones to even out the feminine and masculine aspects.

You might like

Food & Drink

New cookbook Eat Brisbane is serving up a delicious snapshot of the city’s culinary rise

Food & Drink

New location, same bold flavours – Naga Thai is reopening this Friday in South Bank

Miss Manhattan retains the venue’s original layout, with a street-facing alfresco area leading towards a capacious interior dining room and bar space. Furnishings like marble-topped tables and leather couches help to soften the building’s industrial bones, creating a nice juxtaposition of chic and grunge – an appropriate descriptor of New York City itself.

“This inside space is a little bit low-key – you can come in, have a few drinks with your mates and grab some small plates, or you can stay for hours and roll with the fun times,” says Adrianne.

The menu is designed to be approachable and flexible, with an assortment of small plates divided into New York-inspired themes. Classics On Fifth Ave includes riffs on familiar flavours, with Reuben croquettes and wagyu-beef sliders available alongside crispy maple-glazed chicken lollipops and French fries. From The Docks is where you’ll find seafood, including XO scallops, flash-fried squid, and cognac and chilli king prawns.

In 42nd & Cured, diners can order charred marinated vegetables with whipped hummus and smacked wagyu bresaola, while The Chelsea Edit is home to dishes like golden potato latkes with sour cream, burrata with watermelon and chilli, and arancini with saffron and vegan ‘nduja. Those after something extra special can order caviar bumps with champagne or a Manhattan sidecar.

Flip the menu over and you’ll find Miss Manhattan’s drinks list. The cocktail selection leans towards classics, with sours, highballs, margaritas and traditional stir-down sips featuring. On the wine front, you’ll find a selection of Australian vino available alongside French champagne and some bold Italian reds. Heads of Noosa beer is dispensed from the taps, but there’s a clutch of mainstream suds in bottles if desired.

Miss Manhattan is poised to evolve over the coming months. A new grand piano will soon be brought in for weekly jazz nights, while next year The Matriarch’s former private-dining space near the entrance will become a standalone dining space called Studio 30, which will offer more of a fine-dining experience.

While Adrianne is eager to hear the Newstead community’s feedback on the offering moving forward, she assures us that Miss Manhattan’s spirit and personality has already coalesced.

“Miss Manhattan is something I’ve always wanted to do – the persona has always been there,” says Adrianne. “She’s a strong woman, she’s independent, she’s successful. She gets out of bed every morning and has a fire in her belly for the day.”

Miss Manhattan is now open to the public. Operating hours and contact details can be found in The Directory.