Southeast Queensland’s top 25 bars to try in 2025
Are you sick of heading to the same old bars each weekend, knowing there are others out there but not sure where to start? Check out our full guide to the must-visit SEQ bars of 2025.
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We all have our trusty favourites when it comes to drinking and dining, whether it’s the local pub, or the place you had your first date.
We know what we like, but what if your new favourite was one you simply hadn’t tried yet?
Southeast Queensland has had a bona fide hospitality explosion in the last 12 months, with hundreds of bars, restaurants and cafes opening in the state’s capital alone.
We have pulled together a full guide to your year-long bar crawl for 2025, featuring some established faves, newbies and a handful of venues yet to open across Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.
Bar Miette
443 Queen St, Brisbane City
One of Brisbane’s hottest new openings of last year, Bar Miette is a must-visit for 2025, offering more than just their ‘inventive’ cocktails and extensive wine list.
From the owners of Supernormal, located just downstairs, it’s unsurprising that the food menu at Bar Miette holds its own, boasting elevated snacks and light meals, including some up-market twists on toast.
Club Felix
Level 1/33 Felix St, Brisbane City
Located in the recently redeveloped Naldham House, this seductive, supper-club style champagne and cocktail bar, has a French-leaning influence that permeates from its enviable champagne list to its charcuterie and small plates.
Cocktails like the ‘Figure it Out’, bursting with rich cognac, sherry and Pedro Ximenez alongside fig jam and balsamic syrup, and the ‘Le’ Monde’ fresh with gin, limoncello, absinthe and mint, are just some of the thrilling drinks available for late-night sippers.
Milquetoast
Laneway/199 Elizabeth St, Brisbane City
Milquetoast is the sister venue to one of Brisbane’s most notable bars, Before + After, and while technically a wine bar and dining room, also serves up some truly astounding cocktails with a strong focus on pushing creative boundaries.
The converted laneway garage space on Elizabeth St also has a an impressive martini list and food menu with bites like lemon posset with whipped honey and bee pollen.
Ballers Clubhouse
175 Wickham St, Fortitude Valley
This one is one of a few bar experiences slated for open early this year that we are beyond excited for, and if its Melbourne and Adelaide based venues are anything to go by, Brisbane is in for a treat.
Ballers Clubhouse can be more accurately described as an adult playground, featuring everything from a giant ball pit and karaoke, to high-tech fun and games like darts and shuffleboard, all accompanied by a menu jam-packed full of lush cocktails and snacky share plates, tacos, pizzas and sliders.
Goros
6 Warner La, Fortitude Valley
Goros is a Japanese-inspired, late-night izakaya, that is set to offer a nightclub-esque entertainment experience pulsing with Tokyo street vibes, as guests enjoy Japanese street food, sake bombs and cocktails as they take part in interactive games nights and karaoke competitions.
This multi-level Warner Lane wonderland is currently set to open early this year and will have a 500-person capacity and we can’t wait to experience its neon-lit glory for ourselves.
Stan’s Lounge
5 Boundary St, Brisbane City
Stan’s Lounge is the newest offering at the Howard Smith Wharves precinct, tucked away above Cantonese restaurant Stanley, and this intimately dark and moody bar is one not to be missed.
From the smooth DJ-spun beats delivered through the vintage sound system, to the ultra-luxe $150 cocktails featuring vintage spirits and the Cantonese inspired snack menu from Stanley Executive chef Louis Tikaram, this bar is simply dripping in charm.
B-SIDE
2/5 Boundary St, Brisbane City
The vibrant bar scene of Tokyo seems to have taken Brisbane’s hospitality scene by storm in the last 12 months and we can see why, with venues like B-SIDE wowing patrons with its playful boozy slushies, vinyl record sessions and mouth-watering Japanese eats.
B-SIDE joined the scene as the revamped upstairs counterpart to established Japanese dining icon YOKO, at Howard Smith Wharves.
Cicada Blu
33 William St, Brisbane City
Cicada Blu, the Queens Wharf Skydeck bar, offers riverside and city views from its prime open-air position in the centre of the viewing deck 100m above the Brisbane river, offering an experience unlike any other bar in Brisbane.
The cocktail menu, while short, offers some stunning options, alongside a decent wine, beer and spirits list as well as numerous non-alcoholic cocktails and drinks, often accompanied by live music and DJs.
Soko Rooftop
Level 14/7 Symes St, Fortitude Valley
Full of Amazonian flair, Soko Rooftop is Fortitude Valley’s Peruvian and Japanese inspired rooftop bar offering incredible city views and features a menu jam-packed with options as unexpected as the blend of cultures that influences the space.
With a cocktail menu including more than 40 pisco sours and a strong focus on sake and yuzu, this rooftop jungle often plays host to fire-twirling Latin dancers, DJs, bongo players and even frequent feathered guest, Manko the Macaw.
Pawn & Co
680 Ann St, Fortitude Valley
Imagine a perfumery meets cocktail bar meets pawn shop and you might come close to picturing the unparalleled experience that Fortitude Valley’s Pawn & Co offers.
Oozing 70s-style charm and grit, the venue features multiple bars, dancefloors and several other unexpected experiences (signature scent making, anyone?) and everything in the venue is for sale, including furniture and ‘curiosities’.
Boston Shaker Bar
Shop 3/123 Parkyn Parade, Mooloolaba
Straight out of Prohibition-era America and onto Mooloolaba Wharf, Boston Shaker Bar is the Sunshine Coast’s must-visit art-deco watering hole, including an entire wall of whiskies from across the globe and a cocktail list Jay Gatsby would envy.
The cocktail menu at Boston Shaker is extensive, guiding guests through various flavour profiles and drawing all its inspiration from classic drinks of the 1920s, right down to the types of ingredients used and sourced.
Dark Blue
Winn La, Fortitude Valley
From the powerhouse behind Bakery Lane’s Dark Red Italian wine bar and adjoining cocktail bar 2.0, Dark Blue is slated to open in March this year on neighbouring Winn Lane.
Dark Blue will have a focus on Portuguese, Spanish and Argentinian wines, as well as inventive and experimental cocktails designed to amaze, and with visits from owner Hannah Wagner’s pup, Daisy guaranteed, could there be more reasons to pop in?
WAT Den
105/101-105 Mooloolaba Espl, Mooloolaba
Ideally located on the Mooloolaba Esplanade and specialising in whisky and tequila, WAT Den couples moody, cigar-lounge vibes with highly-knowledgeable and experienced staff to give guests an unforgettable night out.
For the true enthusiasts, WAT Den also offers access to a range of masterclasses and exclusives, like a personal liquor locker and are also one of only 23 venues in the country to be affiliated with The Whisky Club, which offers tastings of limited edition whiskies.
Spill Wine
Shop 5/45 Maple St, Maleny
A little out of the way, but well worth the drive, Spill Wine Bar in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland is the epitome of a good neighbourhood bar, combining over 400 top-quality wines, primarily low-intervention and biodynamic wines, with elevated snacks and perfectly curated events.
Spill hosts everything from wine and cheese nights, to a words and wine book club to their weekly sellout ‘wine-down dinner’, but even outside of these, the team is always on hand to guide and assist even the newest wine-lovers.
The Gin Parlour
Avalon Parade, Miami
Inside the bustling creative hub that is Miami Marketta sits this incredible private gin bar, boasting an indescribable number of different gins, each individually and stunningly highlighted on the bar wall.
Guests can experience gin-focused cocktails and tasting paddles to truly experience the vast offerings.
Rosella’s
1734 Gold Coast Highway, Burleigh Heads
Not the youngest venue on the block in Gold Coast’s incredible bar and dining scene having opened in 2019, but Rosella has cemented itself a firm favourite for everyone from dedicated locals to tourists, dishing up pure Aussie nostalgia in every aspect of its menu and venue.
Cocktails with names like ‘Blinky Bill’, ‘Aeroplane Jelly’ and ‘Fantales’ are sure to get that inner-90s kid buzzing, while the food menu offers classics like ‘prawn and pork dimmies’ alongside creative bites like a XXXX and fig damper.
Happy Endings
2707 Gold Coast Hwy, Broadbeach
With a cheeky name hailing from the building’s former use as a massage parlour, this Japanese-inspired speak-easy is hidden down an alleyway, above Broadbeach’s Fig + Frankie, and offers guests bold, curated cocktails and incredible Japanese eats.
Careful consideration was clearly taken in the design of the six cocktail menu, with drinks like the wasabi, melon and pineapple Tokyo Drift making a statement, while the food menu showcases classics like pork ramen, sashimi and even a pork katsu sandwich.
Naami
47 James St, Burleigh Heads
An underground, Vietnamese-inspired speak-easy disguised as a regular Vietnamese takeaway store? Count us in.
At Burleigh’s Naami, guests are prompted to ‘sneak in through the back alley’ before experiencing the bar as it morphs into something a little grittier as the night goes on, with a DJ booth offering the perfect injection of energy into the space.
The cocktail menu is the champion of this venue, taking classic cocktails and twisting them into something almost unrecognisably delicious, all the while offering immersive and theatrical experiences with each drink.
Paloma Wine Bar
12 James St, Burleigh Heads
Paloma, from the talented team behind the award-winning Restaurant Labart, is a neighbourhood wine bar offering an astounding wine list and an array of small, seasonal plates, that has continued to wow guests since its opening in 2021.
The venue, on Burleigh Heads’ drinking and dining mecca, James Street, features a list heavy on low-intervention wines and drops you’ve never heard of, allowing visitors to order by the glass and taste their way to new favourites.
Trove
175 George St, Brisbane City
This little-known treasure tucked above one of Brisbane’s oldest hotels, Irish Murphy’s, is teeming with eclectic, old-world charm, all the while offering a truly Australian drinking and dining experience.
With a cocktail and snack menu built primarily around bush tucker ingredients and native botanicals, including saltbush, Davidson plums and dessert limes, and predominantly Australian wine and beer options, Trove’s offerings are unlike any other in the city.
Destino Sanctuary Cove
Shop/38c Masthead Way, Hope Island
This year, acclaimed mixologist Marc Grey officially took ownership of Destino Sanctuary Cove, and has continued to make his signature cocktail magic a core element of this coastal hangout.
The Mediterranean-inspired venue easily transitions from its recently added breezy brunches to sunset sips to after-dark DJ sets, and with just shy of 20 stunning cocktails on offer, Destino is a must-visit spot.
Maker
9 Fish Ln, South Brisbane
Fish Lane is always up there on our list of must-do foodie spots, but beyond some incredible dining options (think Julius, Lune and Southside), there are also several incredible bars to choose from, one of which is Maker.
Maker’s physical space and cocktail offerings both demand attention as much as each other, with a small and completely black room commanded entirely by a long brass bar bench, and a cocktail menu as unusual and creative as it gets, like a recent creation featuring rye whiskey, miso butter, banana, coffee and black walnut.
Next Episode
5/27 Cordelia St, South Brisbane
If you spot the cherry red rotary phone (the neon sign makes this part easy) you know you are in the right place to experience this unexpected New York City-esque speak-easy; but you’ll need to dial the secret number first.
Unsuspectingly tucked inside a functional barbershop is Next Episode, an epic hip-hop inspired speak-easy, all Palm Springs and neon lights, featuring rotating craft beers on tap and a bumpin’ cocktail menu.
Midtown
15 Manning St, South Brisbane
Yet another Fish Lane favourite is Midtown, a must-try spot for martini-lovers in particular, with an impressive 14 different martini options and a seasonal martini flight to boot.
The menu also features a handful of classic cocktails and a full page wine list, alongside a truly elevated food menu, teeming with the likes of oyster shooters and caviar, lobster croissants and blood orange brulee.
The Velveteen Rabbit
22 Caxton St, Petrie Terrace
Step into the rabbit hole, quite literally, at this brand-new Petrie Terrace hotspot which boasts not only an incredible kitchen and dining experience, but a secret tunnel entrance into its Alice-in-Wonderland-esque cocktail bar.
Spearheaded by Isaac Ohsberg, formerly of Death & Taxes, the Rabbit Hole bar offers boundary-pushing cocktail creations, created using some truly groundbreaking techniques and technologies.
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