Beirne Lane – inside the heritage-listed TC Beirne department store building – is huge and open 24 hours a day. It provides punters with everything from morning coffee and Sunday brunch, to afternoon drinks, modern dinners and late-night snacks.

The venue is named after Thomas Charles Beirne, a celebrated Queensland businessman, politician and philanthropist in the early 1900s.

The menu, put together by head chef Zac Sykes (previously of Sydney restaurants North Bondi Fish, Omega and Bistro Mars), is inspired both by Beirne’s Irish heritage and his love of Japan. It includes cob loaf with beer cheese, kingfish ceviche and a chicken-katsu sandwich served with Kewpie mayo and tonkatsu sauce.

The drinks menu offers a rotating selection of craft beers and a wine list emphasising natural, biodynamic and skin-contact drops. The cocktail list will revolve around house-made liqueurs and native produce.

The massive space will suit Queensland’s humid weather. There is lush greenery, mosaic flooring and plush booth seating opening onto an outdoor terrace overlooking the mall. The indoor-outdoor environment is good for protecting guests from the elements.