Why Melbourne chefs are heading to Brisbane in droves
The sunny climate, a vibrant hospitality scene and the looming Brisbane Olympics have Melbourne restaurateurs flying north.
What began as a trickle of Melbourne chefs and restaurateurs testing the warmer waters of Brisbane has become a flood.
Brisbane has enjoyed a taste of Melbourne for years. In 2019, MoVida alums Eleanor Cappa and Maris Cook opened Maeve Wine in the heritage-listed Queensland National Bank Building, and in mid-2021 fabled croissanterie Lune launched its first interstate outpost in the Queensland capital, followed by a second instalment in Burnett Lane in August ’22.
Then, in February 2023, Guy Grossi introduced his brand of casual Italian dining with Settimo at the Westin Brisbane, describing it as a homage to Italy’s Amalfi Coast.
But this year, with the 2032 Brisbane Olympics drawing closer, the trek north has gathered pace as Melbourne restaurateurs grab a slice of the city’s increasingly vibrant hospitality scene.
Star chef Andrew McConnell and his wife and business partner, Jo McGann, opened Bar Miette in June. Open from breakfast to dinner, it’s an open-air affair, with most of its 85 seats on a terrace facing the Brisbane River.
A month later the pair followed with Supernormal Brisbane, the ninth restaurant opening for their hospitality group, Trader House.
Starkly different from the Melbourne laneway original, the 150-seat restaurant has a prime spot overlooking the Brisbane River and the Story Bridge through floor-to-ceiling windows.
But the drift north didn’t stop there. In October, baker Daniel Chirico, who has stores in Carlton and South Yarra, cut the ribbon on his first Baker D. Chirico interstate operation in Brisbane’s Newstead, having quietly migrated to Queensland in 2021.
“I spend most of my time here and shoot down to Melbourne every couple of weeks for a few days,” he says. “I check on the bakery down there, but it has a stable team that’s been there for a while. It’s more about the occasional problem-solving.”
And in November, Shane Delia (Maha, Maha East, Maha North and Jayda) announced the impending arrival of his first Brisbane restaurant, adding that he planned to move his family to the city.
The as-yet-unnamed restaurant, at the Thomas Dixon Centre in Brisbane’s performing arts and cultural precinct, is expected to open in early 2025.
Matt Shea is Food and Culture Editor at Brisbane Times. He is a former editor and editor-at-large at Broadsheet Brisbane, and has written for Escape, Qantas Magazine, the Guardian, Jetstar Magazine and SilverKris, among many others.
Roslyn Grundy is Good Food's deputy editor and the former editor of The Age Good Food Guide.