Overview
Picnics aren't the only way to enjoy a bite in Brisbane's green spaces. Roma Street Parklands boasts The Garden Room, where you can tuck into a cafe spread in the heart of the leafy inner-city spot. Soon, Northshore Hamilton will be home to Riva Kitchen & Events, an all-day eatery from the same team.
Opening in mid-April — then hosting an official opening weekend across Saturday, May 4–Monday, May 6 — this new dining venue will get its patrons having breakfast, lunch and more riverside. So, as you start your morning with tiramisu overnight oats or opt for Fraser Island spanner crab linguini later in the day, you'll be eating on the waterfront in the River City's inner north (making the most of the fact that this is the River City, clearly).
While the full menu is yet to be revealed, other options that'll be tempting tastebuds include house-cured salmon with a potato cake, soft-boiled egg and dill crème fraiche for brekkie — plus sweetcorn and zucchini fritters that come served with eggplant
relish and labneh at lunchtime.
Catering for coffee dates, long lunches and weekend brunches, too, the culinary spread's focus is modern Australian dishes, but taking cues from the Mediterranean. Local and seasonal ingredients will also be in the spotlight.
The crew behind the restaurant have also designed Riva Kitchen & Events to become Brisbane's next go-to to celebrate occasions, as the eatery's name makes plain. Whether it's for an intimate dinner or a party, or a wedding or corporate event, the site will double as a venue for shindigs — with its openair features and backdrop set to be drawcards.
Plenty of change is coming to this side of Brisbane, including Rise Bakery, Rosé Gelateria, Birds Nest Yakitori and Fosh all joining the neighbouring Portside Wharf, which is in the middle of a $20-million revamp. Next up: gastropub Portside Social.
Northshore Hamilton is also set to undergo an expansion. That project will see the precinct gain an extra 1.2 kilometres, and is focused around hosting the Brisbane Athlete Village for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, then giving residents something to enjoy afterwards.
Riva Kitchen & Events is set to open at 285 MacArthur Avenue, Hamilton, in mid-April 2024, and host an official opening weekend across Saturday, May 4–Monday, May 6. Head to the venue's website for further details.