Friendship, fermentation and a focus on the land – inside West End’s new restaurant Venner
West End’s dining scene welcomes a thoughtful new addition this week, with Venner opening its doors on Friday. Inspired by the neo-Nordic movement but grounded firmly in Queensland produce, the restaurant (operated by a team of seasoned pros) pairs hyper-seasonal fare with a streamlined, aquavit-led bar program. At its heart, Venner is a celebration of friendship, collaboration and considered hospitality – take a peek inside …
Any hospitality operator will tell you that opening a new venue never gets easier, no matter how many you create. As ideas grow in scope and ambition, new challenges arise – some expected, some not.
Just ask George Curtis, one of the minds behind Venner – the neo-Nordic-inspired restaurant opening this Friday February 27, in West End. Located in the former Gum Bistro space on Boundary Street, Venner is George’s third venue and markedly different from his previous projects.
“It’s bloody hard work opening a restaurant, it takes an army,” says George, who also operates laneway cocktail spot Before + After and grungy inner-city wine bar Milquetoast. “The last two weeks have been pretty full-on, but I think that’s pretty normal when you get down to the business end of things.”
Thankfully, George isn’t going it alone. Joining him in this venture are James Horsfall (also co-owner of Milquetoast) and Jack Stuart, the acclaimed chef behind the Boonah-based destination restaurant Blume. It’s this friendship, forged over time in the crucible of Brisbane’s hospitality scene, that not only tethers the trio together but forms the bedrock of Venner’s ethos and namesake.
“[Venner] means friends in Danish,” says George, who reveals the idea for Venner can be traced back to his time working alongside James at the now-closed fine-diner Elska. “Restaurants are built on friendships – they’re built on people who have come together with ideas. It takes dozens of people to make it come together, so it’s just a bit of an ode to all of those people that make opening a restaurant happen.”
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The trio has shaped a concept inspired by the ‘Nordic vanguard’ – contemporary Scandinavian hospitality, defined by disciplined creativity, minimalism and a deep respect for the land. George cites Copenhagen institutions like Amass, Slippurinn, Jatak and Silberbauers Bistro as touchstones – venues that balance precision with primal energy. At Venner, that philosophy is filtered through an Australian lens.
In the kitchen, Jack works alongside head chef Jack Burgess (formerly of Milquetoast and Essa) to champion Queensland and Australian produce. Dishes are built with restraint and purpose, allowing ingredients to speak clearly. A waste-conscious approach sits at the core, with preservation techniques ensuring every element is utilised.
“The restaurant is going to have Australian bones in a sense, but neo-Nordic is more about time and place, sustainability,” said Jack, when we spoke earlier this year. “Everything in the kitchen will be utilised, whether it’s fermented down the track or preserved, every part of the vegetable and meat and fish will be used. That’s what we’re really, really focusing on.”
Venner opens with a tasting menu that captures this intent. Hyper-seasonal ingredients are presented without excess flourish and ornament, with culinary technique supporting rather than dominating.
The meal begins with iced cos heart with rock oyster green goddess dressing and finger lime, Pyengana cheddar and black-walnut crostade, buckwheat crackers with blue mackerel and horseradish, and kangaroo pastrami with cultured cream and fried onions – a holdover from Jack’s time at Congress Wine.
Subscribe for updatesFrom there come malted rye and seed sourdough with house-churned Jersey butter, squid noodles with celeriac and ham consomme, wild venison loin with cavolo nero and warrigal greens sauce, and braised shoulder on rye waffle with preserved rosella and shiso. Desserts – including a la minute Madeleines and buttermilk custard with fig leaf and ginger granita – close on a quietly indulgent note. With seasonality driving the kitchen, the menu will remain fluid.
On the drinks side, James curates a concise 60-bottle wine list guided by quality and integrity over strict locality, favouring organic and biodynamic producers. Australian bottles sit alongside European benchmarks, selected with season and menu in mind. You’ll spy bottles of Swinging Bridge amber and Smallfry’s Violet blend alongside Domaine Gerard Duplessis petit chablis, Fratelli Revello ‘Gianchini’ barolo, and ‘Freiheit’ Rot from Germany’s Bianka and Daniel Schmitt.
“It’s a small list, informed by the menu and its ethos of local and sustainable,” says James. “It’s leaning towards organic and biodynamic, with a mixture of international and Australian wines. The menu informs the wine list, which is predominantly written with the season in mind.”
Behind the bar, Aidan Perkins oversees a streamlined cocktail program shaped by minimalism and sustainability. Gin is replaced with aquavit, lending the beverage program a distinctly Nordic tilt. The menu includes refined takes on classics – such as a Nordic negroni – alongside seasonal signatures and collaborations with Never Never. Non-alcoholic options, beers, fortifieds and amari round out the offering.
While the concept may sound cerebral, George insists Venner is designed to feel welcoming.
“We’ve tried hard not to market ourselves as a fine dining restaurant,” says George. “We’re going to be slick and we’re going to be elegant in our food, but it’s not silver service. It’s an elegant restaurant – but it’s somewhere that you can feel at home, almost like you’re at a dinner party with your friends.”
That approach extends to Venner’s interior, which George tells us was also a team effort. Light timber and ample natural light creates a vibe that feels lived-in rather than austere. George’s partner Becca has curated the decor, which features plants, food art, knick-knacks, books, wine bottles, ceramics from Tony Rice and paintings by James’ wife Amie.
Like the kitchens that inspired it, Venner is guided by time, place and purpose – but its heart is unmistakably Brisbane. Built on trust and friendship, it’s a restaurant that understands hospitality isn’t just about what’s on the plate, but who you share it with.
Venner opens to the public on Friday February 27 – head to The Directory for operating hours, contact details and booking info.
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