Small bars to create a big stir across Brisbane

Brisbane is set to get a facelift as a spray of new venues open across the city specialising in anything and everything. SEE OUR LIST

Say cheers – small bars are booming in Brisbane with a spray of new venues set to open across the city specialising in everything from boutique Italian wines to cocktails that are stirred not shaken.

Despite the current economic conditions proving challenging for much of the hospitality sector, the operators say they are not deterred, only inspired.

Husband and wife Dan and Amelia Miletic are set to launch new cocktail bar Midtown in South Brisbane early next month, taking over the space previously occupied by Lune Croissanterie’s first bar attempt Butler.

Mrs Miletic said while cost of living pressures were something to consider, it wasn’t going to stop them following their dream of having their own bar.

“You only open a bar if you love it, so for us, those things don’t matter,” she said.

“They’re things that we take into account but everything we do is accessible, so if money is an issue for the rest of the world, which it is right now, we account for that in our model.”

Martini lover Alia Crocker at South Brisbane’s newest bar Midtown. Picture: Nigel Hallett

To help with patrons juggling spending, one of Midtown’s signature offerings will be “two-sip cocktails” – mini versions of traditional cocktails for half the price of a full drink.

“People are looking for an experience rather than just to dine and drink and that’s what we’re trying to offer,” she said.

The food menu is also designed to be affordable with plenty of small plates so people can order as much or as little as they like depending on their budget and hunger. And while the cost of ingredients has gone through the roof, alongside rent, electricity, gas and wages, Mrs Miletic said it was just about being smarter with the offering.

“If you’re paying a certain price for things and people don’t want to pay for it, you can’t have it on menu and you have to change,” she said.

Hospitality guru Marc Grey is about to open his fourth venue next month, small Fortitude Valley bar Stir Down focusing on cocktails that are stirred not shaken.

Mr Grey said one of the biggest financial concerns for bar owners at the moment was the rising cost of alcohol, with Australia’s tax on spirits tipping over the $100 per litre mark.

“The issue is when the government puts on these taxes it always goes to the small businesses and it then has to get absorbed or passed onto the consumer,” he said.

“The idea is not to do that but it will either force people to do that or force people to think outside the box.”

He said his way around the issue would be to offer cocktails with less alcohol – focusing more on the taste and experience rather than the ABV.

“You’re not having the cocktail to get drunk but to enjoy the flavours, so you will have to manipulate the alcohol to have a better experience for the customer,” the mixologist said, revealing his new menu will include quirky cocktails with extravagant garnishes such as a doughnut old fashioned with a doughnut on top or a martini that tastes like the Greek dip tzatziki with a cucumber decoration.

Ashley-Maree Kent of popular pasta and pizza restaurant Ramona in Coorparoo is taking over the space next door to launch her first wine bar and coal grill restaurant. She believed the Brisbane bar boom was being driven by customers looking for less formal dining experiences.

“I think there’s more people seeking a drink and snacks atmosphere than dining out,” she said. “They’d rather sit and wine or drink for a longer time than have dinner in a more up-market or casual atmosphere.”

She said the other appeal of bars was that there was no need to book and also be stung with potential no-show fees.

BAR ROCCO

Coorparoo

This new wine bar/eatery from talented chef Ashley-Maree Kent will move in next door to her hugely popular Italian restaurant Ramona Trattoria in Brisbane’s south.

Designed to cater to guests who can’t get a booking at Ramona, but also those looking for a less formal dining experience, it will feature the restaurant’s pizzas, as well as coal-grilled vegetables and proteins, alongside Italian and Australian wines and cocktails.

It will open early next month.

STIR DOWN

Fortitude Valley

Moving into Fortitude Valley’s colourful California Lane, this tiny 20-seat bar will specialise in cocktails that are stirred not shaken. Expect kooky concoctions such as a Tzatziki martini that tastes like the Greek dip and an Old Fashioned crowned with a doughnut from owner and mixologist Marc Grey. It will also have a small range of Mediterranean-leaning wines to match the fit-out. Stir Down is due to open mid-September.

MIDTOWN

South Brisbane

Named after its midway position between West End and South Brisbane, the 35-seat-plus Midtown will take over the site formerly home to Butler, next to Lune Croissanterie.

Designed as a cocktail bar, its signature will be mini shake-ups called “two-sip cocktails” priced at half the price of a full cocktail created so people can try more drinks. There will also be a tight wine and beer list, plus a variety of snack-style food, including a hero “seacuterie” platter which is a seafood twist on a charcuterie board.

Opening early next month, it will also include an eight-person private dining/drinking space.

ANTICO

Brisbane City

From the Cuatro Group, behind award-winning Brisbane venues like Death & Taxes and Dr. Gimlette, Antico takes the former site of Super Whatnot in the CBD’s drinking street Burnett Lane. Opening on August 6, it operates as a classic cocktail bar with an Italian leaning, serving up favourites like negronis and Aperol spritzes, alongside Mediterranean wines and snacks such as burrata, bruschetta and cured meats.

BAR GUSTO

Bowen Hills

Opening later this month, Bar Gusto slots in underneath Rydges in Fortitude Valley, and will be right in Ekka central. The venue promises authentic Italian dishes with carefully curated cocktails and will boast an outdoor terrace overlooking Brisbane Showgrounds.