Winter Chalet at Customs House

Overview

It never gets all that cold in Brisbane. It doesn't snow, for instance. Still, it's fun to pretend that it's frostier than it is. One way to do exactly that: the Winter Chalet pop-up at Customs House, which sets up igloos and wintry decor by the river each year.

It's the Queen Street venue's regular seasonal makeover when the mercury drops, and it comes complete with see-through domes for you and your mates to hang out in — while getting cosy under faux-fur blankets, peering at the river and knocking back a range of Veuve Clicquot tipples. Or, if you'd prefer cocktails for your chalet-style waterside hangs, the Berries and Bubbles pairs raspberries, citrus, Belvedere Pure and Veuve Clicquot.

Open Tuesdays–Sundays weekly from Tuesday, May 14 until the end of winter, the pop-up is also serving up a selection to line your stomach. Dining is on offer Tuesday–Thursday, as is a winter high tea. The first costs $150 per person and the second $100 per person, both for two–six people.

Opt for dinner and you'll be tucking into wagyu beef tartare, Brisbane Valley quail, hand-rolled gnocchi, and Cointreau- or amaretto-spiked fondue, among other options. For high tea, bites include salmon gravlax and caviar, roast turkey and cranberry sandwiches, duck liver mousse, Fraser Coast sand crab profiteroles, sultana scones and Baileys mousse petit fours. Both packages come with a glass of Veuve Clicquot NV.

The site is operating as a chalet bar Friday–Sunday, too — for dome bookings from $65 per person, and also just hanging about. That's where the always-popular half Moreton Bay bug croissants come in, as well as duck liver parfait, eggplant and mozzarella arancini, and baked whole brie.

Images: Markus Ravik.