The recap: the best new Brisbane restaurants, bars and cafes of January
No matter how hard we try, we can’t seem to recall a January as busy as the one we’ve just experienced. It seems as if the year broke out into a sprint the moment we got back to our desks, with an exciting new opening hitting the scene every week. We can’t pinpoint exactly why January has been a busy month, but we know it bodes well for the rest of the year to come! From riverside bagel joints and subversive wine shops to a clutch of killer new cafes, here are five new openings we’ve loved in January.
O Bagel, South Bank: Brisbane’s love affair with bagels has reached a fever pitch this month, with cult Gold Coast import O Bagel opening a buzzy second Brisbane outpost in South Bank. After a slow-burn rise at its Elizabeth Street debut in 2022 (fuelled by algorithm-breaking visuals and bagels stuffed to near-structural collapse) the brand has landed in Stanley Street Plaza with a crisp, warm-toned space that feels perfectly pitched for parkland picnics and post-lagoon refuels. The formula remains gloriously unchanged – think firm-yet-fluffy bagels built with consistency and confidence, from breakfast heroes like the bacon-and-hash-brown-loaded G’Morning to lunchtime heavy hitters such as the brisket-stacked Drop The Beef and the elegant Classy Lox, plus simple schmears for the purists. Backed by Single O coffee and a playful drinks line-up of hibiscus iced tea, strawberry matcha clouds and condensed-milk-spiked cold brews, O Bagel’s latest chapter proves that doing the basics exceptionally well – with just enough flair – is a recipe Brisbane is more than happy to line up for.
Fountainhead Winehouse, Newstead: Discovery, difference and diversity sit at the heart of Fountainhead Winehouse, a quietly subversive Newstead hideaway created by longtime friends Chris Banham and Dan Wilson. Shaped by a shared desire to rethink the wine-shop model beyond the cold grab-and-go format, the basement-level space – once a forgotten storage room – has been transformed into a warm, living-room-like refuge that rewards curiosity and invites lingering. Nearly 1000 thoughtfully chosen cuvees line its shelves, with the selection balancing elegance and tradition, all curated to help drinkers navigate not just regions or varietals, but moods, moments and occasions. With personalised tastings, gentle guidance and a commitment to stripping away intimidation, Fountainhead reframes wine as something felt as much as tasted – an experience rich with emotion, energy and the quiet thrill of discovery.
Riffe for Goodness, Teneriffe: When Felix for Goodness burst onto Brisbane’s brunch scene in 2014, it helped rewrite the city’s morning menu with sustainably scratch-made dishes that proved feel-good food could still be seriously delicious. Now, the crew behind the beloved brunch spot has expanded to a second home in Teneriffe, transforming the much-missed former Sourced Grocer site on Florence Street into Riffe for Goodness. The Felix team has revived the space, leaning into its exposed brick and timber bones to create a familiar yet more leisurely suburban sibling to its inner-city stalwart. With a menu that blends Felix favourites – think sweet potato and chickpea falafels, veggie-packed frittatas and artful omelettes – alongside Riffe-only plates like Biscoff waffles, potato rosti and a greens-heavy Riffe Bowl, plus top-notch Toby’s Estate coffee and house-made goodies, the cafe feels less like an expansion and more like a natural continuation of Teneriffe’s love affair with community-minded dining.
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Green Cup, New Farm: What began as a full-blown green-smoothie obsession has blossomed into one of Australia’s most trusted acai names, and now Green Cup has carried its quality-first ethos north with a Brisbane-first outpost tucked into New Farm’s Little Lane. Founded more than a decade ago by Melbourne duo Natalie and Simon Guest, the brand was an early adopter of acai long before it flooded menus nationwide, earning a loyal following for its no-fuss, traditional blends made with frozen acai cubes and naturally sweetened with banana – no shortcuts and no added sugar. After building a mini empire across Melbourne, Green Cup’s sleek Queensland debut channels the same pared-back, design-led sensibility, serving nutrient-dense smoothies, thoughtfully topped acai bowls and a handful of toasties for good measure, all built around premium ingredients like sea moss, collagen and hyaluronic acid. Green Cup’s arrival feels less like jumping on a trend and more like a timely reminder that when it comes to acai, doing it properly still matters.
Zmirk Co., Dutton Park: A once-humble chippery on Annerley Road has been given a glow-up and a bold new purpose. Zmirk Co. has quickly emerged as one of Brisbane’s most exciting fresh-faced brunch players, where Asian-inspired comfort food and inventive drinks rule from morning through mid-afternoon. In the kitchen, four passionate chefs have distilled a lively fusion philosophy into a tightly edited all-day menu that elevates the familiar and toys with the unexpected, from gochujang-laced fried-chicken sandos and wagyu burgers kissed with Thai basil and chilli, to tomato fried rice with golden chicken, salmon udon in creamy rose sauce and corn fritters with global flair. Anchored by Single O coffee and bolstered by a playful drinks list spanning ceremonial-grade matcha, hojicha lattes and Thai milk-tea clouds, Zmirk Co. proves that when cultures collide on the plate, the result can be deeply comforting, joyfully inventive and well worth the detour.
Many more restaurants, cafes and bars opened this month. You can have a browse through the latest foodie happenings by clicking here.