Best Bites: The best places to dine in Wilston

With newcomers including a coffee shop that stays open for dinner and a bustling burger and brew pub, this inner-northern Brisbane suburb has mouth-watering dining options for everyone.

Freja's Cafe in Wilston. Picture: Jamie Hanson

WITH newcomers including a coffee shop that stays open for dinner and a bustling burger and brew pub, this inner-northern Brisbane suburb has mouth-watering dining options for everyone.

BROOKS AND STAIN

The newest kid on the block in bustling Wilston village is Brooks and Stain (its name is a play on its position on the corner of Kedron Brook Rd and Stain St). The venue, which offers food, a bar and coffee, has taken up the spot held by Cafe Conti which closed its doors about 18 months ago, and it is quickly establishing a reputation for a great cup of coffee. It has also been slowly building a following for dinners, with a menu that might include dishes such as crispy pork belly with mushy peas, apple and rhubarb jam or confit duck leg served with fried cauliflower tossed in harissa mayo, grilled pear and sherry vinegar jus. Another bonus is there’s off-street parking behind the cafe.

102 Kedron Brook Rd

FRITZENBERGER

The Wilston strip has a proliferation of coffee shops, so when The Coffee Club closed its doors late last, it was good news that it wasn’t going to be replaced by another place to grab a caffeine fix. Fritzenberger, which has its only other outlet in Petrie Terrace, jumped at the location after working out that a large percentage of its Uber Eats orders came from the locale. And it was the right move. The combination of craft beer and burgers has brought out the crowds at night. It’s a great venue for an early dinner with the family (the vanilla milkshake is amazing), a drink with mates after work or a date night. There’s an array of house-brewed beer, a strong cocktail list and a selection of wine to wash down burgers, loaded frites, wings or mac and cheese balls.

4/99 Kedron Brook Rd

FREJA’S

The decor has a subtle, fresh Scandinavian-meets-Hamptons vibe and has quickly built up a loyal following since opening in February last year. It opens early at 6am, and runs through to 3pm with a menu of freshly baked goods and brunch items with special touches that set it apart from the rest such as the homemade tomato and chilli chutney on the “eggs your way”. For something a little more fancy there is the chilli crab croissant to the home-made pumpkin gnocchi. Freja’s also won plenty of new fans via its commitment to keeping its doors open over the Christmas/New year holidays when so much is closed.

3/1 MacGregor St

ALCOVE CAFE AND DELI

In the more than six years since it opened in July 2012 Alcove has built such a loyal following that in the mornings it has expanded to take up more and more space outside the Cold Rock ice-cream shop. With a shabby chic decor it’s a winning combination of great service and even greater food. Locals enjoy the terrific house-made banana bread, home-made mueslis and its famous for its avocado smash – an avocado, feta and dukkah smash on organic sourdough.

92B Kedron Brook Road