The Best Waterside Bars in Brisbane

Sitting behind Emirates House and boasting Brissie’s biggest river frontage, Riverland is a bar and beer garden with a shimmering view. It aims to make the most of its enviable location, not only as an all-day drinking spot with a stellar vantage, but with five street kitchens as well. Fashioned out of two 12-metre containers, the permanent island bar serves a range of beer and ciders spanning domestic, international, craft and micro-brewed, shining a particular spotlight on local breweries.

Elsewhere, three other six-metre shipping containers are home to one regular and four rotating food vendors. The venue has retained the existing trees onsite, keeping the natural feel and the city’s subtropical vibe well and truly alive. Throw in a planned entertainment slate of acoustic performances and DJs, and the scene is set for a welcoming river-adjacent hangout.

South Bank’s Stoke Bar may be gone, but Stokebar Q has taken its place. Originally named just Q and still housed in the space beside Stokehouse Q, it’s the result of a million-dollar makeover — and yes, it’s still all about that stellar riverside view. Redesigned by Alexander Lotersztain of Derlot, the rebadged, renovated watering hole combines the old and the new. In the former camp, it has the same gorgeous vantage, a similar weekend lineup of DJ-fuelled hangout sessions, and the same chef, Richard Ousby.

In the latter category, Brisbanites will find changes of the fitout, cuisine and beverage kind. In good news for everyone fond of hanging out by the water, Stokebar Q boasts a larger space that gets patrons even closer to the river’s edge. That includes more water-adjacent seating, including booths, a wrap-around lounge on the boardwalk, and an additional private lounge area, all decked out in warm grey, blue, pastel green and orange hues. Food-wise, Ousby’s menu features a range of small plates, as split into one-handed snacks and knife-and-fork dishes. Grilled haloumi with burnt honey, mozzarella and bolognese jaffles, fried chicken bites and spanner crab with buckwheat noodles rank among the options. The standout drink is the Goodwill Rising, which blends tequila, fig jam, ginger, pineapple shrub, vanilla syrup, lemon juice, lemon and vanilla sugar crisp — and is probably best sipped while you’re looking out over the bridge that gives it its moniker.

Located on the promenade level of Riparian Plaza, this venture from Matt Moran and Peter Sullivan represents the Queensland lifestyle. With prime river and Story Bridge views, the venue transforms from a laidback outdoor restaurant by day into a hot nightspot when the sun sets. Open seven days a week, Riverbar & Kitchen appeals to the many local lunchtime diners, but also to tourists looking for a picturesque eating spot — and for revellers looking to celebrate.

For those looking to share a refreshing cocktail, Riverbar & Kitchen serves them up in jugs — we particularly like the tart lychee mojito. The food menu kicks off with snack plates – including buffalo haloumi sliders and fried calamari – then ventures into pizza, burgers and mains. Seafood is a mainstay in all categories with a soft shell crab burger, seaweed salad and Cone Bay barramundi among the choices. A 20-metre-long bar extends from indoors out to the boardwalk beer garden, which features several big screen televisions and a tropical garden. The venue’s interior is quintessentially Queensland, with VJ weatherboards, bleached wood and an eclectic mix of vintage nautical pieces.

Nestled into the fast-growing Howard Smith Wharves precinct underneath the Story Bridge, Mr Percival’s looks out over the Brisbane River — and, if that’s not enough, the octagonal bar and restaurant is actually perched right on top of it. Here, you can grab a beverage and a bite to eat while both peering at the snaking central waterway and sitting in a structure elevated above it. It’s Brissie’s first venue of its type since Oxley’s on the River in Milton was destroyed in the 2011 floods, although Mr Percival’s is less about sit-down dinners and more focused on chilling out in a scenic and stylish spot.

From 11am every day, Brisbanites can relax in a watering hole that’s been designed with European beach clubs and the Brisbane’s own park rotundas equally in mind. Think decking, six arched doorways, outdoor seats with a view underneath salmon-pink umbrellas, plus an indoor colour scheme that takes inspiration from the Mediterranean. All the food on offer is inspired by produce from Moreton Bay and the general east coast region. Zucchini fritters, lobster rolls, whipped cod roe served with a warm baguette, and anchovies topped with olive oil, lemon and garlic all feature among the range of snacks, light meals and aperitivo-style nibbles. As for the drinks selection, it includes 17 different cocktails — complete with several types of spritz — as well as a 50-strong wine list that heroes rose and aromatic whites from artisanal producers.

Everyone in Brisbane has been to Straddie at least once — and everyone has been to the Straddie pub, too. There’s a reason for that. When it comes to classic southeast Queensland experiences that involve a view of water and a splash of something alcoholic, it really doesn’t get any better than this. The hotel was redone a few years ago — and while it might boast a few modern touches, the beloved combo of pints and a picturesque beach backdrop remains. You shouldn’t need any more convincing to take the ferry and make a day of it, but if you do, we’ll leave you with this pleasant thought: among the Stradbroke Island Beach Hotel’s many features is an outdoor pool table overlooking the ocean.

As well as its prime riverside spot on Brisbane Powerhouse’s ground level, this all-day watering hole boasts something that most other bars don’t: one hell of a tomato juice bill. Located in the space that was previously home to Watt Bar and Restaurant, Proud Mary slings southern-inspired fare and bloody marys as its drink of choice. Other cocktails, craft beers and wines are also on offer, but there’s no doubting what the house favourite is. Choose from five different types of bloody mary, both as single drinks and in jugs to share — or tuck into a $45 five-course bloody mary brunch every Saturday.

Focusing on New Orleans-style and other French-influenced southern meals, Proud Mary’s culinary lineup is heavy on both seafood and comfort. Think oysters with gazpacho, king salmon ceviche and oyster po’boys sliders, plus griddled crab cakes, pork belly sandwiches, and poutine with cheese curds and gravy. And if you’d like a little entertainment with your meal, Proud Mary’s will also host live music every weekend — between 2–6pm on Saturdays and 1–5pm on Sundays.

Sandstone Point sits just adjacent to Bribie Island so, naturally, it has its own waterside hangout — and one that’s well worth making the drive north of the CBD for. As should be expected in such a tourist-friendly locale — and at a spot with 300 metres of unobstructed water-frontage — the Sandstone Point Hotel is the kind of place that caters for everyone, whether you’re after a meal or want to catch a gig. Since opening in 2015, it’s also proven the kind of place where you can pretend you’re on holidays — and who doesn’t want to do that, too?

The Mediterranean might be the crème de la crème of waterside areas, but not all of us can dash off overseas when the mood strikes. Instead, Brisbanites can head to Byblos, the Portside Wharf bar with expansive river views to die for. The Lebanese theme helps whisk you away to the other side of the world, as does the food menu. Yep, you can sit down and devour a fancy dinner, but you can also just drop by for a couple of bevs (or a couple more than that).

Next time you’re at Southbank, look for the highest point along street’s beach. See that Scandi-chic, wood-panelled building? That’s Southbeach Social. Ever since Southbank has been remodelled in recent years, we’ve been hungry for any chance to head down to our inner-city stretch of beach. Plus, everybody loves a bright purple bougainvillea archway. Southbeach Social features an impressive sharing menu — we rate the half kilo of fresh prawns — and a killer entertainment lineup that features local and international DJs. The views across the CBD aren’t too shabby, either.  

People flock to the Brisbane Powerhouse for many reasons. If they’re not seeing a show or doing a spot of Saturday morning market shopping though, they’re more than likely after a tasty tipple on Bar Alto’s deck, one of the best riverside bars in Brisbane. Just prepare to lose your day to the chilled-out atmosphere — and prepare to see how the other half lives as you stare out at some of the city’s fanciest waterside houses at East Brisbane and Norman Park.

Everything about the Bavarian Beer Cafe screams Germany: its theming, its menu of schnitzel, German sausage, roast pork, apple strudel and black forest cake, and its lengthy list of schnapps and weissbier. And yet, one glance out of the Eagle Street Pier establishment’s windows or over its balcony, and there’s no mistaking that this slice of Bavaria is smack-bang in the middle of Brisbane. Looking at the Brisbane River will do that, naturally. It’s the best of both worlds — as well as one of the CBD’s best spots to grab a beer and a bite if you want a killer view.