I have a confession. When I first visited Brisbane in 1990, the plan was to spend a week exploring the Queensland capital. After two days I’d bolted. I dismissed the city as boring. I may even have likened Brisbane to a hot version of the UK’s Birmingham, with a few palm trees. If someone had told me then that Brisbane would later become my home, I’d have laughed. The contrast in tempo from London, my then-hometown, probably fuelled my early indifference. But I just couldn’t understand why a place with such natural advantages seemed to turn its back on them. The broad river was shunned – it was pre-South Bank (1992) – and despite the incredible climate there didn’t appear to be any alfresco cafés or dining to speak of. What a difference a few decades – and an extra million or so people can make.
Meanjin is finally beginning to bloom and embrace its subtropical location, with lush plantings popping up not just at street level but sprouting on rooftops and green walls. A new 64-hectare city park (the former Victoria Park golf course) is also in the works. The River City is paying new respect to the broad Brisbane River which flows through it, with buzzy waterfront dining precincts like Howard Smith Wharves impressing visitors and locals. A new marina will see the wharves act as an embarkation point for Moreton Bay. The once bustling Eagle Street Pier is undergoing a $2 billion redevelopment. While the CBD’s $3.6 billion Queen’s Wharf, a 12-hectare resort built around Star Casino, is targeting an arrival in the second half of 2023, with a flashy restaurant precinct The Terrace in the mix, and a new bridge dropping straight into South Bank. The pace of change is dizzying – and with a 2032 deadline agreed for Brisbane to host the Olympics – it’s unlikely to slow any time soon.
“You can feel the wave, the energy, the excitement in the city,” says Adam Flaskas, founder and creator of Howard Smith Wharves. “I’m so proud to live here and to see the city start to grow and blossom.”
Flaskas isn’t the only one. In the five years to 2021, Queensland welcomed 107,000 new residents. The Queensland government’s population counter now ticks over to the tune of one extra person every 5 minutes and 37 seconds. While much of the activity centres on Brisbane, the capital is by no means an island. “Is Brisbane the place to be in 2023? I’d say South East Queensland is,” says Simon Gloftis, the force behind celebrated Brisbane restaurants Hellenika, SK Steak & Oyster and Sushi Room. “The Gold Coast, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast are all connected these days. No one is scared to come up here any more. They used to say if Sydney sneezes, Brisbane gets a cold but that’s not the case now. You can feel the energy in Brisbane. It’s a city on the move.”
Hellenika
Queensland’s visitor accommodation is poised to level up, too. As one hotelier put it – the calibre of the next tranche of five-star properties is “eye-watering” – think Ritz-Carlton, and St Regis, Gold Coast; a six-star Rosewood, Brisbane; Mondrian Burleigh Heads; Calile Noosa and more. That’s on top of properties already trading. The Langham arrived in 2022 to Surfers Paradise while The Calile, The Westin, W Brisbane, Emporium, Ovolo and Crystalbrook Vincent are established.
A fresh batch of interstate chef-owners is northward-bound too, buoyed by the general upswell. Celebrity chef Adrian Richardson fired up his steak venue Bos in November, at the former Otto site at 480 Queen Street. Earlier this year, Richardson and his Brisbane partners unveiled The Aviary Terrace bar. Melbourne restaurant royalty Guy Grossi is joining the party, slated to launch Settimo, his ode to the Amalfi Coast in The Westin in early 2023. Martin Boetz relocated to Brisbane last spring and is quietly looking at projects in the CBD, after selling his Hawkesbury farm and catering business.
But the arrival that’s generating most excitement? That’s Andrew McConnell who’s due to debut his first interstate venture, Supernormal, at 443 Queen Street, towards the end of the year. McConnell says his decision to come north was easy. He’s impressed by how the new digs will respond both to the riverside location, and the Brisbane climate. “Architects WOHA have created an almost living, breathing façade that wraps the whole building and there is nothing quite like it in Australia,” McConnell says. Queensland produce is another huge drawcard. “The quality of the fruit and vegetables and seafood is some of the best I have seen anywhere in the world.”
“The climate is vastly different to Melbourne so what is available in Brisbane, we don’t always get to see in Melbourne.”
Howard Smith Wharves;
(Photo: Markus Ravik)Of course, this current batch is by no means the first influx of interstate chefs. But this time around, they’re landing in a markedly more cosmopolitan version of South East Queensland, with locals front and centre. Brisbane has quietly become a city that takes its cues and inspiration from wherever they arise, rather than constantly looking south. There’s a growing commitment to quality too. The hottest hotels – like The Calile, Fortitude Valley, plus a slew of the best restaurants and bars, are being delivered by locals. Think of the STK Group (Hellenika, SK Steak & Oyster, Sunshine, Sushi Room) and the clever quartet behind hits like Agnes, Same Same, Honto and Biànca plus independents like Essa, Exhibition, Elska and Joy. McConnell is already sounding like a bit of a fan. “There’s a great array of diverse food and dining experiences in Brisbane, and it’s home to some of Australia’s best restaurants.”
“There are some real pioneers who have contributed and made the city what it is, from exciting hotels to cutting edge restaurants and innovative food suppliers. All around, it’s a very exciting time for the hospitality scene in Brisbane.” I couldn’t agree more.
South East Queensland
While Brisbane is prepping for an extended moment in the sun, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast are both more than just along for the ride.
Even the verdant Scenic Rim, south of Brisbane and west of the Gold Coast is on the up. It’s now home to one of the state’s most exciting restaurants Blume, Boonah, which was named one of the top regions in the world to visit by Lonely Planet in 2022. Beechmont Estate, formerly known as Hazelwood Estate, became part of the prestigious Northern Escape Collection in November. To Brisbane’s north on the Sunshine Coast, Calile Malouf investments is planning to build the Calile Noosa, an integrated resort tucked away on the Noosa River with 178 rooms, 12 suites, 15 villas and a number of dining options. On the Gold Coast, just an hour south from the capital, QT Hotels unveiled qtQT Cabins in November, a collection of tiny house-style cabins on the rooftop of its Ballroom, replete with its own “curator of sunshine”; an experience designed to appeal to those looking for something different in Surfers Paradise. Almost next door, Marriott is planning to introduce Australia’s first St Regis, as part of Tim Gurner’s luxe La Pelago development.
Fifteen minutes further south at Burleigh Heads Mondrian Gold Coast will have 208 guest rooms when it opens later this year, as well as a day spa and more restaurants. Marriott International announced in October they’d be unveiling The Ritz-Carlton, Gold Coast as part of a low-rise $480 million Mariner’s Cove development. It’s set to be a development marathon for the rest of the year – and in the run up to the 2032 Olympics – but hopefully with gold medal benefits for tourists and residents alike.
