Following the opening of Bisou Bisou in February, the Ghanem Group (Donna Chang, Boom Boom Room Izakaya, Blackbird) are set to unveil their second venue at Fortitude Valley’s Hotel X on April 30. Iris will be a Mediterranean-inspired rooftop bar and restaurant with panoramic views of the Story Bridge, the Brisbane City, Fortitude Valley and beyond.

“We are incredibly excited to take Brisbane’s rooftop bar and restaurant experience to decadent new heights,” Ghanem Group Managing Director Nehme Ghanem said in a statement. “We are confident Iris will be the place to be in the Sunshine State.”

The rooftop venue will feature a restaurant space, private dining room, an area that will transform into a dance floor, a pool and surrounding bungalows. In total, it will have capacity for more than 200 people.

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The Ghanem Group have worked with Space Cubed on the venue’s design (the two have previously combined for the fit-out of Donna Chang, Boom Boom Room Izakaya and Blackbird), which includes exposed stonework, Spanish-inspired plum and Indigo shades, rose and gold accents influenced by the Italian coast, marble, stain-work and earthy features. Outside, expect blossoming wisteria, a grove of olive trees and twinkling fairy lights.

Ghanem Group executive chef Jake Nicolson and Iris head chef Lloyd Evans (most recently at the helm of Blackbird’s private dining and event space) have created a Mediterranean-influenced menu of share plates that draw on Queensland’s climate and produce. Think red-claw crayfish tails with guanciale and smoked-chorizo butter; Moroccan-spiced toothfish tacos with cabbage and fennel slaw; glazed barbeque pork rib pinchos with macadamia honey glaze; and a toffee-apple-churros tart topped with fior di latte ice cream. They'll be accompanied by jugs of white, red and rosé sangria.

“I am definitely looking forward to taking on this next chapter and introducing a new flavour to Brisbane’s dining scene,” Evans tells Broadsheet. “There is more to Iris than meets the eye, a lot of hard work and creativity went into designing the food and drinks menu, and I cannot wait to share the results with everyone.”

Iris will open at 458 Brunswick Street on April 30.

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