Announcing Concrete Playground's Best of 2017 Brisbane Award Winners

Brisbane's cultural ecosystem is booming. Cafes and bars are opening (almost) weekly, restaurants and pubs are more forward-thinking and imaginative than ever and you can find innovative cultural events and pop-up spaces to visit every day of the week.

At Concrete Playground we encourage exploration and showcase innovation in our city every day, so we thought it fitting to reward those most talented vanguards pushing Brisbane to be a better, braver city. And so, we are very pleased to announce Concrete Playground's Best of 2017 Awards.

As we continue to attempt to define Australian cuisine, chefs continue to push the boundaries. We've seen (and tasted) emu tartare and black ants, eaten bao topped with dumplings and sampled whole kimchi-glazed fish in a cocktail bar. Bars continue to offer immersive, imaginative experiences that take you beyond their drinks lists — you can drink cocktails at a bar hidden in a bottle-o, climb the stairs of a two-level gin oasis and sip house-made sodas while playing arcade games.

The cafe culture is stronger than ever, too, with new cafes not only guaranteeing a stellar cup of Joe, but also innovative lunch snacks and sleek interiors that'll really make you reconsider that desk sandwich.

Pubs are popping up riverside and brewing their beer in-house, while continuing to champion other local brands, artists and events. The bringing together of the art and food scene has expanded beyond pubs, with venues spending more time on their appearances, collaborating with local designers, architects and street artists to create stunning spaces.

Event organisers have created smart and clever new events, celebrating the city's cultural ecosystem and bringing people together to run away from zombies in museums, look at innovative art and discuss the future of health, wealth and technology.

This year, we will be awarding a People's Choice and Overall award in each of the following five categories:

• Best New Restaurant
• Best New Bar
• Best New Cafe
• Best New Pub
• Best New Event

These 30 outstanding Brisbane ventures have been handpicked by Concrete Playground for their combination of originality, innovation, creativity, approachability and sustainability. We straight-up love them. And the winners are...

BEST NEW RESTAURANT

OVERALL WINNER:DETOUR

You don't have to veer off the beaten path to find Woolloongabba's Detour — physically, at least. Diving into its menu? That's another thing entirely. When was the last time you ate emu tartare, gunpowder-cured salmon with black ants, octopus in miso butter or a Hawaiian curry? Or Kentucky Fried Duck with cornbread, the restaurant's signature dish? They're just some of the highlights offered by ex-Public chef Damon Amos's kitchen. When we say serve up, we mean it — and, not just because Detour's plating game is visually stellar. Here, you'll see everything happen while you relax under the former tyre factory's lofty ceilings. The open kitchen sits in full view of patrons, adding some glistening chrome to the space, and making watching your meal get made all part of the experience.

PEOPLE'S CHOICE: JUNK

At Junk, a hawker-style eatery from the due behind Donut Boyz and Hello Harry, you'll find a menu filled with Korean fried chicken wings, crisp Peking duck spring rolls, and four varieties of steamed bao (soft-shell crab, pork, pork gyoza and chicken katsu). Yes, one of those options really does include dumplings on bao. Dumplings. On. Bao. Crispy fried gunpowder chicken ribs and Vietnamese noodle salads will also be cooked up in executive chef Mitch Smith's kitchen, as will Gangnam fries (covered in house-made kimchi, nacho cheese sauce, nori and spring onion, and certain to get a K-pop song stuck in your head). The restaurant is always buzzing. It's a place you can take your friends, your parents, your overseas visitors and know you'll have a great time.

BEST NEW BAR

OVERALL WINNER: ELECTRIC AVENUE

Electric Avenue is the kind of place you could kick-start your evening, drop by late or hang around all night. Brought to Brissie by Canvas owners Daniel Rodriguez and Bodie Schofield, their former head bartender Nick Royds and carpenter Adam Pykett. They also have ex-Sourced Grocer chef Will Quartel in the kitchen, whipping up more than just your usual bar food. Whole grilled kimchi-glazed fish, blackened duck breast and black garlic crepes — yes, that's a dessert — are just some of the menu standouts. You can wash all of that down with their choice of more than 70 wines, or a range of cocktails. We recommend moving this bar to the top of your list.

PEOPLE'S CHOICE: NETHERWORLD

Shelves of board games. Rows of arcade games. A wall of old-school consoles with retro televisions to match. Daytona given pride of place. The sound of The Simpsons' theme filtering through the playing space. Welcome to Netherworld, Brisbane's first arcade game bar. If you like hitting flippers, smashing buttons and passing go, all while drinking brews and eating burgers, you'll like it here. Trust us. For a place named after somewhere hellish or hidden, it's all rather inviting, which also fits the food and drink lineup. At the Hellmouth Diner, American and Japanese influences infiltrate a selection of bar fare that aims higher than the greasy usual bites to eat. All standard items such as burgers, burritos and bowls are also vegan-friendly, though meat and dairy can be added. And if you're keen on something other than the range of beers on tap, wine, spirits, cocktails and house-made sodas are also on offer, with the latter available as boozy 'loaded' versions as well.

BEST NEW CAFE

OVERALL WINNER AND PEOPLE'S CHOICE: GROWN

West End has been a hive of activity lately, with new venues springing up all over the place. One such venue is Grown, a vegan dining venue offering breakfast and lunch six days a week. The plant-based, seasonal menu uses produce from FoodConnect, a company who source from local farmers within a 400km radius of Brisbane. The ethos behind Grown is pretty simple: good food, sourced from local farmers, beautifully presented. Plus, scraps and waste aren't going into the bin — they're being composted at Jane Street Community Garden (check them out — it's a must-do and just a stroll around the corner from Grown), a volunteer-run community space where permaculture reigns supreme.

BEST NEW PUB

OVERALL WINNER: LITTLE BIG HOUSE

LBH comes courtesy of the Matt Moran-led hospitality group Solotel. Raised above Grey Street next to the train station, the two-level heritage-listed building stands out from the crowd with its city views, cruisy vibe, and creative food and beverage menu. From the open front and side balconies, that benefit from the cooling river breeze, to the downstairs karaoke room, where groups can belt out a tune (and slap on a brightly coloured hat) for free — the venue impresses. A pink pool table with an adjacent big screen for sports also takes up one room, while DJ booths are found on both floors. When it comes to booze, two bars — one upstairs, one downstairs — have plenty to offer, including a limited-time-only beer collaboration with Sydney's Young Henrys.

PEOPLE'S CHOICE: NEWSTEAD BREWING CO

A slightly larger and somewhat more polished version of their original Newstead location, the Newstead Brewing Co. Milton is a bustling brewery and craft beer bar right across the road from the Suncorp Stadium. Opened in early 2017, the venue quickly established itself as a popular pre-State of Origin beer spot. With plenty of outdoor terrace space, a large main bar and a function area that is open to the public on event days, the space is prime for big groups and bigger nights. Head brewer Kerry Claydon is in charge of all things small batch, craft beer and seasonal brews. There are a total of 32 taps across three bars, offering the Newstead's core beer range and a cider, as well as Claydon and her team's latest ale experimentations.

BEST NEW EVENT

OVERALL WINNER: SUPERCELL: CONTEMPORARY DANCE FESTIVAL

This innovative new festival celebrates Queensland's place in the dance world by bringing together local and international artists, performances, workshops and conversations. Highlights included a five-woman piece from Switzerland's Simone Truong; a triple bill by Australia's Bridget Fiske and the UK's Joseph Lau; dancers from China, Indonesia and around Australia; and a three-day workshop with Gold Coast outfit The Farm. During February this year, the dance festival, co-founded and curated by Kate Usher and Glyn Roberts, took over the the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts.

PEOPLE'S CHOICE: ESPRESSO MARTINI FESTIVAL

As far as boozy beverages go, nothing beats the espresso martini. It gives you a buzz, it's a crowd-pleaser and most venues have one on their menu. In fact, they're so beloved, Brisbane had a whole festival dedicated to them. They've appeared previously in Sydney and Melbourne, but Brisbane's inaugural (highly caffeinated) festival took over Fish Lane in August this year. Of course, there's no prizes for guessing what was on offer — but it wasn't just the usual 'tinis combos of coffee and alcohol. With the team from Brooklyn Standard on drinks duty, they whipped up at least five different varieties.