Chefs flock north to open Queensland’s best new restaurants
The lure of the Sunshine State has captured some of Australia’s best known chefs and restaurateurs – reserve a table with the help of The Weekend Australian Magazine’s Hot 50 Restaurants issue.
Welcome to our list of the ‘hottest’ new dining destinations in Queensland, as featured in the Hot 50 Restaurants issue of The Weekend Australian Magazine.
Brisbane and the Gold Coast are both buzzing with culinary innovation, with renowned chefs and restaurateurs packing up from other destinations to bring their expertise to the northern state.
In Brisbane, the arrival of Supernormal ands Bar Miette from Melbourne culinary talent Andrew McConnell has infused the city with fresh energy. Fellow Victorian Shane Delia joins him in the state capital with his new diner Layla. Meanwhile, the Gold Coast continues to shine with venues like Bar Monte and Norté, where nostalgic charm meets modern flair.
Each restaurant on this list brings something special to the table, inviting diners to explore the diverse and dynamic culinary landscape of Queensland’s most exciting cities.
TOP QUEENSLAND RESTAURANTS
Supernormal, Brisbane
There’s been a migration of Melbourne chefs into Brisbane’s dining scene, most notably Andrew McConnell, who has installed his long-loved Supernormal there. It’s no clone of its southern sibling, though. Where the Melbourne diner is a sleek, neon-lit den, the Brisbane iteration is all Story Bridge views, buttery-soft banquettes and potted palms. The menu, however, has all the Asian-inspired finesse of the OG. Here, it’s executed by chef Jason Barratt, formerly of Cabarita’s Paper Daisy, who knows his way around a seafood market. Mix and match dishes of steamed coral trout with aged soy or roast Yamba prawns with shio koji sauce with Supernormal classics (New England lobster roll/ prawn and chicken dumplings) for a well-rounded table.
Bar Miette, Brisbane
Sitting atop sister venue Supernormal, Bar Miette is McConnell’s easygoing, all-day diner adroitly composed with European savoir-faire. You could unwittingly slip into a French Riviera state of mind here, until you catch sight of Brisbane’s Story Bridge and Kangaroo Point across the way. But the view is a pleasing enhancement to a vibe that is relaxed and refined; try the spelt crumpets with whipped ricotta in the morning before moseying on to a doorstop muffaletta, prawn cocktail or charcuterie selections for lunch and dinner. Whether morning, afternoon or evening, there’s a cocktail to suit the hour – although sound advice suggests steering clear of the margarita frappé at 7am.
August, West End, Brisbane
Proving that a million-dollar, achingly contemporary fit-out is not a prerequisite to a new restaurant’s success, August’s deftly refined service takes place in a 137-year-old West End church. Chef Brad Cooper (ex-Bar Francine) cooks European classics in flawless sync with his unpretentious dining room. Flavours are familiar and comforting, but firmly studied and thoroughly mastered, be it a gently scrambled mud crab omelette or a homey rigatoni with garlic butter that beckons your finger to sweep up every drop. There are also exquisite cakes deserving of nan’s silverware, which you can order to enjoy at August or elsewhere.
Layla, Brisbane
Another Melbourne-made chef wading into Brisbane’s fertile feeding grounds, Shane Delia has opened his first Queensland restaurant, Layla. Tucked between the brick walls of a former World War II bunker in the heritage-listed Thomas Dixon Centre, which houses the Queensland Ballet, the dining room has an underground vibe that lends Delia’s spice-layered fare a little Arabian Nights-style moodiness and mystique. The mostly Middle Eastern flavours are dialled up with tang, heat and char, leading from larger plates of Habibi butter chicken with ras el hanout butter to smaller plates of arak-cured kingfish and starters of Moorish brisket borek buns.
Bar Monte, Miami, Gold Coast
It’s nostalgia with a twist of orange at this Italian trattoria that buoyantly adapts the aesthetic of a ’70s Martini poster to its Gold Coast locale. From the typeface to the tile selection, Bar Monte reaches deep into the bygone brown-edged palette of the era, yet manages to pull it off without overt cliché. As the latest venue from Arcade Agency (of Byron’s Light Years, Moonlight and Pixie Italian), it comes with good pedigree, which is evident in the excellent wine list and a menu of thoroughly good choices, including a mortadella bun stuffed with layers of the soft meat, an anchovy toast that deserves a cult following, and a wagyu Bolognese that warrants repeat visitation.
The Fifty Six, Brisbane
Naldham House was one of Brisbane’s big 2025 openings, thanks to anticipation for the heritage refit led by Halcyon House designer Anna Spiro, as well as the multiple drinking and dining venues across each level. The final puzzle piece is The Fifty Six on the building’s upper level, a modern Cantonese restaurant that celebrates the culinary influence of Chinese immigrants who call Queensland home. Standout dishes include the drunken prawn tart, Hervey Bay scallops with house XO, and wagyu served with chairman’s relish. If the word “chairman” rings a bell, that’s because Chef Gerald Ong has spent time at Canberra’s Chairman & Yip, where he honed his Chinese cooking techniques.
Norté and Sueno, Miami, Gold Coast
There are two distinct parts and personalities to this double-level Latin American-style restaurant and bar in the lively new Oxley precinct in Mermaid Beach. Downstairs, the main restaurant, Norté, centres its offering around a custom-built hearth at the centre of the kitchen, which fires up dishes such as slow-cooked al pastor short ribs with aji amarillo and pineapple. The spanner crab churro with cucumber, apple and jalapeño is a fresh way to start the meal, especially paired with a Chilean chardonnay.
Upstairs, Sueno is an airy rooftop bar with palm tree-framed views, delivering lighter snacks like yellowfin tuna tostadas and brioche choripan. Both restaurants are brought to you by the team behind the Gold Coast legends at Rick Shores, so you know you’re in for a slick good time.
View the Hot 50 FULL LIST here.
To discover the best new restaurants in NSW click here
To discover the best new restaurants in Victoria click here
To discover the best new restaurants in South Australia click here
To discover the best new restaurants in Tasmania click here
To discover the best new restaurants in Western Australia click here
Australia’s Hot 50 Restaurants has been compiled for The Australian Weekend Magazine by Elizabeth Meryment, with additional submissions from Alexandra Carlton, Lara Picone, Nick Ryan and Max Brearly.
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