Brisbane's Best
Suburban Bars
Updated: Oct 27, 2024
The small bar culture that has become a fixture of Brisbane's inner city has spread its wings, with a small brave cache of funky drinking holes popping up in suburban shopping centres and outer villages of Brisbane.
Some of them are Cinderella bars – cafés by day that quietly morph into beer or cocktail lounges after sundown - while others are simply closed shopfronts that spring to lamp-lit life late in the afternoon as other businesses are shutting their doors for the day.
Here's a sample of 12 cool bars you'll find if you venture out in the 'burbs after dark:
A chic architecturally designed basement hideout where Grange locals go for coffee and brunch in the mornings and, as the sun sets, to relax, sip on a wine and dig into some quality tucker. The bar stocks an array of boutique and popular craft beers, quality wines and a range of top shelf spirits, including an impressive gin collection.. more
On Brisbane’s inner southside is this old colonial shop turned quintessential Queenslander bar complete with VJ walled rooms, paper lantern lit Shady Lane and rear garden courtyard – a laidback place for a drink and some Californian and southern US style food.. more
Nestled on Old Cleveland Road in Camp Hill is this charming French-inspired café, fromagerie and wine bar, which serves coffee by day and wine by night along with top-notch artisan cheese and charcuterie. The carefully-curated wine list includes boutique wines from Australia and overseas; from Margaret River chardonnay to French rose, Barossa Valley shiraz to Portuguese port ... more
Located on Latrobe Tce in Paddington, the glamorous European-style hole-in-the-wall bar with a secret cellar door inside dishes out handcrafted Limoncello and a dedicated Limoncello-infused cocktail menu, the only one of its kind in Brisbane. Visitors can also pop in for a tasting session and LouisB also serve up a range of classic cocktails, spirits, wine and beer.. more
The cool laidback bar and kitchen can be found tucked away in a tiny Holland Park retail strip, where it's become a local neighbourhood hub, albeit one that happens to serve the kid of food you'd find at an inner city restaurant along with a cracking drinks list, whilst retaining its casual charm... more
A Toowong shopping strip is hardly the place you'd expect to find a super cool Euro style lounge bar, yet Lumen manages to evoke summer nights in Europe after the sun goes down. By day it's a slick cafe with a German/Italian menu and by night it's the go-to for cool tunes, German beers and bespoke cocktails, with delicious German/Italian bar snacks.. more
A chic wine and tapas bar tucked away in a quiet little precinct of retro shops just off Coorparoo's Chatsworth Road, Maude is the perfect spot for everything from catch-ups and birthdays to date night. Customers can take a seat in the ambient and elegant interior or on the footpath outside and partake in a glass of wine some of the best tapas on this side of town.. more
The convivial little dive bar in Nundah is packed to the vine-clad rafters with character, hosts live music acts on weekends, and offers a unique and original bar list, On its cocktail menu and wall decor, The Village Social also pays its respects to the history of Nundah (Brisbane’s oldest suburb), whose first free settlers were German missionaries.. more
The charming and chic tapas bar occupies a white Queenslander cottage on Ascot's Racecourse Road, from where it offers top notch service and food to match the setting, Customers can take a seat behing the white picket fence on the breezy terrace out front and watch the world go by or inside the light-filled main dining room and enjoy outstanding tapas and drinks in a laidback atmosphere... more
This small-town bar and eatery in the leafy western suburb of Chapel Hill has been established to provide a home-like feel, with an expansive indoor dining area, upstairs courtyard and bar area. With a key focus on utilising local suppliers and produce, the menu is inspired by regional tastes and the beers are sourced from local brewer.. more
A charming deli cafe and wine bar with dog-friendly back garden, Frank's Social Club can be found nestled in a historic row of shops fronting the historic Paddington theatre that is home to Empire Revival. In the afternoon/evenings customers can partake in charcuterie boards and a carefully curated wine list, beers on tap and a selection of cocktails like espresso martinis, mojitos, and margaritas.. more
