New Zealand Clothing Label Rodd & Gunn Is Opening a Bar and Restaurant on James Street

If you've ever coveted a fashion brand's whole aesthetic and wished you could step inside its ads, New Zealand clothing label Rodd & Gunn comes bearing good news: thanks to its chain of bars and restaurants, called The Lodge Bar & Dining, you can now do just that.

Originally opening in Queenstown in 2016, then expanding to Auckland in 2020, and also making the leap to Melbourne in 2021, The Lodge turns Rodd & Gunn's rustic-meets-sophisticated vibe into a venue — and comes highly recommended from NZ. Its next stop: Brisbane, thanks to a new site on James Street that'll open in mid-May.

In its homeland, The Lodge goes for a big alpine mood, naturally; however, don't just assume that it's skewing tropical in Brissie. Here, the new 150-seater eatery will feature wood flooring, wool rugs, and plenty of leather and brass decor. There will also be a wraparound balcony that lets patrons peer out over Fortitude Valley and New Farm, though, so it will be leaning into its Queensland location in at least one way.

While an exact launch date hasn't been revealed, Brisbanites can look forward to roving around a 749-square-metre space in a heritage Queenslander, which has been revamped to play up the local design and also nod to NZ. Downstairs, you'll find a retail space for shopping, a dining room, plus a corner bar with banquette seating. Then, upstairs there'll be another bar, a private dining area and that aforementioned balcony.

Also set to be part of The Lodge: a chilled wine wall, a bespoke bar made out of stone and a feature flagstone wall.

 

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Menu-wise, the food will focus on Australian produce, while the wine list will go heavy on multi-award-winning NZ tipples. The Lodge Bar Group's chef Matt Lambert is responsible for the culinary lineup, with The Lodge Brisbane's Head Chef James Evangelinos putting it on plates — and master sommelier and The Lodge Bar's Head of Beverages Cameron Douglas doing the honours with the drinks selection.

New Zealand has just reopened to Australian tourists effective Tuesday, April 12, so trips over the ditch are back on the agenda, of course. But consider The Lodge the slice of NZ you can eat, drink, hang out in and shop your way through without hopping on a plane — all on James Street.

Find Rodd & Gunn x The Lodge Bar & Dining at 49 James Street, Fortitude Valley, from mid-May — we'll update you with an exact opening date when it is announced.