Overview
Just months after scoring one new waterside bar with a multi-layered deck, Eagle Street has gone and nabbed itself a second one. First came Babylon Garden, and now it's Riverland's turn. In this case, the Australian Venue Co-owned bar has been around since 2017, but has been undergoing a $3.5-million revamp since 2022 — and it's finally time to see the end results.
Come Monday, May 22, Brisbanites will be able to kick back on Riverland's new 800-square-metre deck extension, which isn't just larger than the venue's original setup — it now sprawls across three tiers. Also, this piece of prime river frontage can accommodate 1000 people, making the already-popular CBD spot even busier.
Those three levels include the sky deck up top, boasting uninterrupted views of the Story Bridge and a new container bar. Then there's the promenade deck with direct Eagle Street Pier access, as well as a space with a new live music stage, plus a large screen that'll show sports.
Expect a talented lineup to jump behind the microphone or on the decks from Wednesday–Sunday, giving Riverland's latest guise an acoustic and DJ-spun soundtrack. Expect an array of new food options to tuck into, too, with Riverland 2.0 also featuring two new kitchen concepts.
Given the name, it's no surprise that Sunshine State produce and dishes shine brightly at The Queenslander. Place your order here and you'll be tucking into pub fare such as chicken wings in a pineapple rum barbecue glaze, mango salad, cured Tin Can Bay cuttlefish paired with a brioche doughnut, Mooloolaba prawn san choy bow, fish and chips using Queensland seafood, and the usual burgers and parmigianas.
Over at The Traveller, the culinary range takes its cues from international street food. On a seasonally changing menu, the first stop is Mexican eats; think: fried tortillas with guacamole, roasted tortilla soup, jalapeño poppers, cured red emperor tostadas and a variety of soft-shell tacos — and churros for dessert.
Also changing at Riverland, which remained trading through its renovations, is the beverage menu. Your new sips include spicy watermelon margaritas, a signature cocktail alongside the gin, lemon, apple and raspberry number that's called Burst My Bubble. There'll be more spirits-heavy concoctions, plus 16 beers and ciders on tap, and a sizeable wine list.
With its makeover, Riverland will now span seven different function spaces — adding plenty of areas for parties, too.
Riverland joins the growing list of AVC sites getting a do-over, after The Wickham in Fortitude Valley unveiled its own revamp back in March, and Cleveland Sands Hotel, Salisbury Hotel, Koala Hotel, the Crown Hotel in Lutwyche and Bribie Island Hotel before that. Next, Nundah's The Royal is also getting the same treatment.
Find Riverland at 167 Eagle Street, Brisbane, relaunching from Monday, May 22 — operating from 11.30am–12am Sunday–Thursday and 11.30am–3am Friday–Saturday.