Cielo Rooftop Bar

Salt Meats Cheese and and Sydney imports Stefano de Blasi and Edoardo Perlo showed a canny understanding of the Brisbane dining market when they opened Eterna in the old Longtime space on Ann Street in August 2020. It was a very different proposition to the more family-oriented Salt Meats Cheese, serving Rome-inspired eats late into the night, and it proved immensely popular.

Now, with Cielo Rooftop Bar and La Costa Bar, which occupy the spaces in FV Peppers in the heritage-listed Foresters Hall, they've moved into the wee hours proper. For this spot, the pair have teamed up Sydney’s Maybe Sammy, which was voted Best Bar in Australasia in 2020 and the eleventh best bar in the world in the annual World’s 50 Best Bars list.

Cielo upstairs has been opened up and given a bright treatment with wicker furniture and brightly coloured booth seating. What hasn’t changed are the splendid views across the Valley to the north and east and the CBD to the south.

For food, both are doing a selection of small plates. Upstairs leans towards seafood with octopus carpaccio, beetroot and gin salmon bruschetta, and kingfish ceviche.

Still, you’re really here for the drinks, the Maybe Sammy team shaking and stirring a range of cocktails designed to reflect the sunny coastal spirit captured by both venues. At Cielo, there’s Harry’s Dream, with Bacardi eight-year-old rum mixed with peach wine, lemon, pear and strawberry; and the Azzurro, Tanqueray gin combined with grappa moscato, citrus, Marionette blue curacao and orgeat syrup. In both venues, the cocktails are backed by an approachable wine list and local craft beers on tap.