The Junk Bar

Behind an unassuming shopfront on Waterworks Road, squeezed between a Chinese takeaway joint and a dress shop, you’ll find this inspired cross between speakeasy, retro wood cabin and friendly, relaxed cocktail lounge.

In 2010, Mia Goodwin and Jamie Trevaskis (the man behind the Valley’s iconic Troubadour) moved to Bardon and found themselves without a local. After securing Brisbane’s first small bar licence, they decorated their space with second-hand furniture, moose heads and forest-print wallpaper.

In 2014, they added the Skukum Lounge, a cosy bar-within-a-bar that hosts live music and private functions. The decor is a cheeky nod to Trevaskis’s Bigfoot obsession.

It doesn’t take much to develop your own obsession with Junk’s cocktails. Names like No Country for Old Coconuts (white chocolate, spiced rum, coconut cream and lime) and the Hold Me and Cry Martini (sloe gin, bitters and lemon juice) compel you to try them all.

There’s a great selection of wine and boutique beer, and eats that cover snacks to supper, from olives and nuts to pad thai and curry.