Caffeine hits to late-night bites – where to eat and drink during BIGSOUND 2025
From September 5–8, BIGSOUND will take over Fortitude Valley, filling its streets and venues with hundreds of industry heavyweights and Australia’s best emerging acts. Whether you’re here for the conference, performing in the showcase or soaking up the live music, you’ll need a hit list of the best spots to refuel. Consider this your BIGSOUND menu – a guide to where to eat, drink and keep the night going.
You won’t see some of The Valley’s biggest names here – like Black Bear Lodge, Blute’s Bar, The Brightside, Crowbar, Honky Tonks, Ric’s Backyard, The Prince Consort, La La Land, Tomcat, Wonderland, Eclipse and The Wickham – as they’re already part of the live showcase. You’ll have plenty of chances to catch them in action during BIGSOUND – for everything else, read on …
Morning brews and bites
BIGSOUND days are big and the nights are even bigger, so you’ll want to kick things off right – and Fortitude Valley’s got you covered. The neighbourhood is brimming with great coffee joints and breakfast spots to keep you buzzing from the get-go.
If caffeine is your top priority, make tracks to Ann Street Coffee Project, Bear Bones Coffee, Keep 15 and Reverends Fine Coffee for silky brews, or seek out So What Stereo on Little Street for caffeine paired with Thai-style breakfasts. If classic brunch is more your thing, The New Black in Bakery Lane serves a fried-chicken Benedict to die for, No. 5 Cafe in Winn Lane slings bang-on brekkie rolls and Andonis Cafe & Bar on Robertson Street reigns supreme for all-day breakfast. Need some restorative vitamins? Pressi Juices in California Lane has an elixir that’ll get you feeling tip-top again.
Down near James Street, Bellissimo Coffee and Piccolo by Her are great places to score your morning pick-me-up, and Sprout Bakery is a top choice for pastries. A pit stop at Laneway Bagels for a stacked breakfast bagel is never a bad idea, but if you need to sit down for a while, head to ēmmē for woodfired eats or The Green for a leisurely Lebanese-inspired feast.
Top spots for lunch
Networking builds up an appetite, so it pays to keep your energy levels high. If you’ve got a break between BIGSOUND panels, wander over to BrewDog’s three-level Brunswick Street brewpub for burgers, pizzas, wings, tacos and big-bowl salads. Craving carbs? Make a beeline for Biang Biang Fresh Noodle and its hearty belt-width noodles, or slurp up a steaming bowl of ramen and dumplings at Gung Ho in Bakery Lane.
Fortitude Valley favourites like Ben’s Burgers and Hashtag Burgers & Waffles are on standby for hunger-busting handhelds, while District 1 at the top of Chinatown Mall is a must-try spot for some phenomenal pho and street food. If an early beer is calling, Valley Hops Brewing pairs its house-made ales with woodfired pizza, the sun-soaked surrounds of The Beaumont Beer Garden is a great spot to wet your whistle and snack on battered Moreton Bay bug rolls, while the Jubilee Hotel and the Osbourne Hotel deliver classic pub vibes and feeds to match.
Sundown feasts and frothies
When darkness hits, The Valley ignites – and BIGSOUND takes over. With gigs kicking off early, it’s smart to get a solid feed in before the first chord strikes. On Wickham Street, The Vietnamese serves steaming bowls of pho that go easy on the wallet, while Fat Dumpling on Brunswick Street will happily pile your plate with xiao long bao. Bird’s Nest fires up sizzling yakitori skewers, and Netherworld plates vegan-friendly bar food built to fuel your gig-hopping marathon.
If you want to escape the buzz of Brunswick Street for a spell, Barry Parade Public House is great for top-tier cocktails and Creole cuisine, while Bonnie Doon Public House specialises in craft beers and snacks with a nostalgic lean. Stone & Wood’s Fortitude Valley brewery is a go-to for post-conference beers, but its hearty menu also makes it a top pre-show pit stop. And if you’re out to impress, book a table at Agnes for fine dining, Short Grain by Martin Boetz for next-level Asian eats, Baja for Mexican, Perspective Dining for boundary-pushing tasting menus, Les Bubbles for steak frites, Rosmarino, Etna, N.U.G. General Store or Ripiena for Italian, Mr. Vain or TAMA for moody elegance, Super Bowl for Chinese, Bisou Bisou for French flair or Hôntô for Japanese done right.
Late-night revelry
If you’ve made it through the gigs and industry shindigs still standing, congrats – you’ve officially smashed BIGSOUND. Keep the night rolling with a Fortitude Valley circuit that hits all the right notes. Start with refined cocktails at the moody and elegant Dark Blue, then savour Italian vino at its sibling Dark Red on Bakery Lane. Crank things up at Hawaiian-inspired dive bar Suzie Wongs, where the dance floor never quits, gather the gang for karaoke and izakaya-style snacks at Goros, slip into The Alligator Club for a tipple and some tunes, and then round out the trail at California Lane’s 1st Edition, a pop culture-themed bar with a wrap-around counter, ace bartenders and late-night bites.
Still going? Step through the orange door at Savile Row for top-shelf whisky, drop into Winn Lane’s QUIVR Bar for cocktails and DJ sets, sink into Finney Isles’ leather couches or embrace the grit at O’Skulligans. Closer to James Street, slip into The Tax Office for late-night parties and The Gatsby for classic cocktails. Rooftop fans can sip with a view at Cielo, Soko, Iris or MAYA Mexican, while Brunswick Street Mall favourites Ric’s Bar, The RG, Hey Chica!, Prohibition and Retro’s keep the beats pumping.
For more dining options in The Valley and beyond, be sure to check out The Directory!