The recap: the best new Brisbane restaurants, bars and cafes of November
As we inch ever closer to the reveal of our year-end ‘Best Of’ lists, we’re ticking off one more month of incredible openings. November was huge for Brisbane, with the arrival of Santana-inspired cocktail dens, massive food and entertainment precincts, slick suburban bistros, charming cafes and winsome wine shops. Here’s what we loved this month …
Shaman, Brisbane City: The newest and most ambitious bar concept from Brisbane hospitality stalwart Peter Hollands is already shaping up to be one of 2025’s standout openings. Tucked away beneath a historic building on Edward Street, Shaman is a timeless, guest-first cocktail haven built to last. The subterranean rum-and-tequila den channels the fluid, soulful energy of Carlos Santana while weaving together two of Hollands’ long-held concepts: a laidback beers-and-margaritas day spot and a globally minded rum bar. The result is an inviting, detail-rich space that balances Santana-inspired chaos with classic warmth, offering a back-to-basics cocktail program built on precision, juiced-to-order citrus and a collection of around 100 rums and 50 tequilas. With its dynamic playlist, unique rituals (like ice-cold Estrella served straight from the crate), and Hollands’ signature commitment to creating venues that feel instantly lived-in yet enduring, Shaman stands out not as a niche experiment but as a future Brisbane institution – an effortlessly welcoming bar designed for many great nights to come.
Landers Pocket, Brisbane Airport: Roughly ten years in the making, Landers Pocket has lived up to every bit of hype it promised since it was officially announced as ‘in the works’ last year. The visionary, multi-purpose hospitality and entertainment precinct has elevated the already-popular Golf Central site into a landmark destination for Brisbane – and there’s more to come. The first stage has introduced a powerful mix of top-tier experiences, a new mini golf course and the impressive 4 Pines at Landers Pocket brewery, distillery and gastropub, created in partnership with industry heavyweights 4 Pines Brewing and Never Never Distilling Co. The sprawling venue pours on-site brews, distills bespoke Queensland-inspired spirits and serves a broad, crowd-pleasing gastropub menu, all within a vibrant space designed for families, food lovers, beer aficionados and casual golfers alike. With stage two set to add padel courts, a Kick-n-Catch zone, a 3000-person amphitheatre and more, Landers Pocket isn’t just a venue – it’s a one-of-a-kind, all-day destination poised to redefine Brisbane hospitality in 2025 and beyond.
Sauce Bistro, Ashgrove: Sauce Bistro slipped almost shyly into a quiet pocket of Ashgrove, surprising locals with a creative firepower that belies its modest facade. Chef Stuart McGill and sommelier Misa Ohshige are channeling their high-end pedigrees into a warm, egalitarian neighbourhood haunt, weaving Japanese finesse and European classicism through a compact “modern Australian-ish” menu built on a reverence for doing things properly. From wagyu pastrami with Pernod sofrito and brisket party pies, to pasta glossy with bonito butter and baby chicken dusted with Aleppo pepper, the dishes tread a delicate line between playful and precise without straying into fusion-for-fusion’s-sake. Misa’s 120-bottle wine list and 20-strong junmai sake selection spin their own stories, pairing sashimi with Italian whites or steak with sake in unlikely but luminous harmony. Since its soft opening, locals have streamed in for a glass, a snack, or a long evening’s settle-in, discovering a modest bistro that cooks – and pours – with quiet brilliance.
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This and That, New Farm: In bringing This and That to New Farm, owner Anel Wessels has injected the neighbourhood’s brunch scene with a fresh, community-driven cafe that champions local produce, thoughtful simplicity and everyday approachability. Nestled in a character-filled Brunswick Street cottage formerly home to A Cafe Called Kevin, This and That offers a flexible, seasonally shifting menu built around Anel’s culinary philosophy – delivering elevated brunch favourites, vibrant salads and premium sandwiches made with goods from top-tier local suppliers like Tamborine Cheese and Meat at Billy’s. With coffee from Cavalier, teas from Tour De Tea and a welcoming atmosphere shaped by Anel’s signature warmth, This and That offers New Farm a new neighbourhood staple – an easy, reliable and quality-driven spot for locals to make part of their daily rhythm.
Ruby’s Wine Shop, Albion: Former emergency nurse Tamara Husler has burst onto the scene with one of the month’s most exciting openings – Ruby’s Wine Shop, a warm, character-soaked hybrid bottle shop and wine bar that has already become part of Albion’s fabric. From the moment the doors swung open, locals flooded the cosy Sandgate Road space – perching at tables, crowding next to shelves and greeting Ruby the border collie – eager to sample Tamara’s thoughtfully curated, sustainability-minded selection of 100 wines, including minimal-intervention Australian stars, European treasures and her own easy-drinking pet nat. Tamara’s venue feels less like a bar and more like someone’s lived-in lounge room, with guests able to bring their own snacks, order from next door and chat freely with strangers. With rare Swiss wines on the way and a community-driven approach guiding its evolution, Ruby’s is quickly establishing itself not just as a new local favourite, but as one of the city’s most compelling newcomers this month.
Many more restaurants, cafes and bars opened this month. You can have a browse through the latest foodie happenings by clicking here.