The Best Date Places in Brisbane
So you got a match. The next step is harder: finding the right place to impress your date. These aren't places for quiet, white-tableclothed romance. They're fun, energetic restaurants and bars packed with atmosphere, where there's rarely a chance for an awkward silence. Good luck, lovers.
Bar
Flying Colours
Lo-fi wines, smooth beats and a menu by an ex-Gerard’s Bistro executive chef. The spiritual successor to one of Brisbane’s favourite bars – inside the old Wandering Cooks space – is a win for West End.
Restaurant
Yoko Dining
A two-storey Japanese izakaya with a beautiful bento box-inspired fit-out. Upstairs in pride of place is a pair of turntables, ready to spin vinyl tunes late into the night.
Bar
Frog's Hollow Saloon
An elite bartending team is behind this approachable cocktail den, slinging an imaginative signature drinks list, Guinness on tap and housemade toasties. It’s all housed behind a heritage brick-and-timber facade in the city centre.
Bar
Cielo Rooftop Bar
A rooftop oasis with splendid views across Fortitude Valley and the CBD. Come for Italian-leaning small plates and cocktails designed by Sydney's Maybe Sammy – one of the world's best bars.
Restaurant
Rosmarino
Housed inside an 1890's brick building, this moody Italian wine bar lists more than 150 sustainable drops from Sicily and beyond. House-made pastas and antipasti sidle refined mains with a traditional twist.
Restaurant
Southside
Salt and pepper cuttlefish sangas, Moreton Bay bug char kway teow, fancy wines and spicy cocktails – all in a jaw-dropping three-storey space from the Rick Shores crew.
Restaurant
Essa
Via a long marble bar, this moody 60-seat restaurant puts guests up close and personal with its woodfire grill, used to cook an ever-changing menu that might include Black Angus short rib or pickled kohlrabi.
Bar
Dr Gimlette
A boundary-pushing cocktail bar from the team behind CBD laneway bar Death and Taxes. It takes service to a whole new level, with roving Martini carts delivering expertly made seasonal drinks to luxurious leather booths.
Restaurant
Rothwell’s Bar & Grill
Polished, old-school service and European-inspired dishes are the pillars of this elegant bar and grill in the former Jamie's Italian space. Visit for stellar seafood dishes, a tight selection of pastas and a roving Armagnac cart with bottles dating back to 1931.
Bar
Felons Barrel Hall
The top Brisbane brewery’s monster entertainment precinct is a one-stop drinking and dining destination. It’s got you covered with 59 taps, multiple eateries and a non-stop roster of DJs and live music.
Restaurant
Same Same
The successor to Longtime, one of Brisbane’s most celebrated Thai restaurants. As the name suggests, the site’s DNA hasn’t fundamentally changed – but the service is sharper, the space is more beautiful, and the food is more vibrant than ever.
Restaurant
Sasso Italiano
Hit this south-side spot for soul-warming pasta, woodfired pizza and spinning Italo-disco tunes. For drinks, it’s birthday Negronis, an Aether-brewed Italian lager and 80-plus Italian wines.
Bar
South City Wine Bar
This European-style wine bar pours natural-leaning drops from Australia, France, Italy, Spain and beyond. Enjoy a drop alongside bistro classics such as escargot, steak frites and charcuterie.
Restaurant
Bianca
This beautiful, fast-paced and very fun Italian restaurant is from the Same Same and Agnes crew. Expect house-made pasta, stacks of antipasti and soft-serve gelato, accompanied by a 350-bottle wine list – all in one of Brisbane's most beguiling dining rooms.
Bar
Suzie Wong’s Good Time Bar
Cocktail classic The Bowery has been converted into a Hawaiian-themed dive bar.
Restaurant
Baja
Refined share plates and mezcal on a classy corner of Brunswick Street.
Restaurant
Stanley
A two-storey Cantonese eatery with a star chef at the helm.
Restaurant
Phat Boy
A neon-lit stunner from the owner of Phat Elephant and Chai Thai.
Restaurant
Greca
Family-style Greek from Jonathan Barthelmess, one of Sydney’s favourite restaurateurs.
Bar
Gerard’s Bar
Share some charcuterie at the more casual cousin of Gerard’s Bistro.
Bar
The Boom Boom Room
Cocktails and dim sum in an old, underground bank vault.
Bar
Maeve
A European-style wine bar and bistro in South Brisbane.
Bar
The Gresham
Queensland’s only heritage-listed pub has a refined charm.
Restaurant
Julius
Casual but classy Italian dining.
Bar
Snack Man
A small plate-centric wine and cocktail bar from the Happy Boy crew.
Restaurant
1889 Enoteca
If you’re after the cream of Italian dining in Brisbane, look no further. This place serves real-deal Roman food, and is officially recognised as one of the world’s best Italian restaurants outside the motherland for its stellar wine list.
