Golden Avenue, the Anyday Group’s First CBD Restaurant, Opens Next Week – Here’s What To Expect

Music plays an important role across the Anyday group’s venues (Agnes, Bianca, Honto, Same Same, Los and Idle). The group even has a creative director of music: LA-based DJ and sunglasses designer Graz Mulcahy, who curates playlists for each venue. It’s a reflection of a love of music shared by the directors – Tyron Simon, Ben Williamson, Frank Li and Bianca Marchi-Simon – but it also serves a bigger purpose.

“What we like to build in our restaurants is a transformative experience,” Williamson tells Broadsheet. “When you walk in, we want you to feel like you’ve been taken somewhere else – to help you forget about any worries and enjoy your time.”

It’s no surprise, then, that music will be central to Golden Avenue, the Anyday group’s seventh venue – and its first in the CBD. The Middle Eastern-inspired, woodfired restaurant will open next Tuesday at 67 Edward Street.

“[Mulcahy] has done a deep dive for the last nine months through all sorts of eclectic, modern Middle Eastern tunes,” Williamson says. “It’s going to sound incredible and tie in [perfectly].”

For Williamson, Golden Avenue marks something of a return to his roots. In his twenties, he lived and worked as a chef in Bahrain. Later, he spearheaded the opening of Brisbane’s acclaimed Middle Eastern restaurant, Gerard’s Bistro, where he spent six years, before joining Anyday.

At Golden Avenue, Williamson has taken on more of a mentorship role, shaping the framework of the menu while group executive chef Adam Wolfers (who succeeded Williamson at Gerard’s) and head chef Tim Yates (ex-Scully, London) refine the details.

While Williamson’s time at Gerard’s was largely Persian-inspired, he says Golden Avenue leans into Levantine flavours. Expect dishes such as laham nayyeh (beef tartare) with Urfa chilli and sheep curd, wood-baked flounder with preserved lemon, and baklava mille-feuille.

Meze will also be a focus, alongside three styles of bread: a traditional pita, a modern potato sourdough pita, and flat saj bread. “[Bread’s] so pivotal to the way you dine, especially with meze, so I’m really happy we’ve nailed that,” he says.

The fit-out, designed by J AR Office, combines brutalist, concrete-heavy architecture with lush greenery. The restaurant spans a mezzanine and main dining room, and includes a bar named GA. There’s also a retractable roof that will fill the venue with natural light and shadow.

Golden Avenue opens at 67 Edward Street, Brisbane CBD on Tuesday August 26.

@golden.avenue.restaurant