Matt Moran’s Riverbar + Kitchen restaurant to finally reopen

Eight months after it was destroyed by floods, one of Brisbane’s most popular riverfront drinking and dining destinations is set to reopen with a brand new look.

Celebrity chef Matt Moran is finally set to reopen his beloved Brisbane riverfront restaurant this week – eight months after it was wiped out by February’s floods.

The hugely popular Riverbar + Kitchen in the CBD was inundated with water during the freak weather event destroying everything from food to furnishings with only its kitchens surviving thanks to flood barriers.

Riverbar + Kitchen in Brisbane CBD is reopening after the February floods. Lori Smith, Matt Moran and Orla Kelly enjoy the new set up. Picture: Adam Head

The Eagle Street venue, which was luckily insured, has undergone a lengthy and costly rebuild, and will now reopen to the public on Thursday.

Only the tops of umbrellas were visible during the floods.

“It’s modernised it a little bit more and it’s going to be brand new again so it’s probably a really good reset for the venue,” Mr Moran said of the restaurant and bar, which opened a decade ago.

The flood-damaged Riverbar + Kitchen in February. Photo supplied.

The renovations have also included installing additional flood barriers to prevent the same situation happening again.

“It’s been an expensive exercise, that’s why we’re putting precautions in place,” Mr Moran said.

The TV chef said the casual eatery’s rebuild included making the food and drink offering “bigger and better”, introducing a more elevated array of dishes across breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a focus on local produce including seafood and raw dishes, and a shared cocktail menu.