Overview
We reckon that you're never too old for Easter. Let's be honest: when an occasion involves copious amounts of chocolate, that's something that you never outgrow (and if you claim you have, we call fibs).
Sure, egg hunts and bunny ears seem better suited for kids; however, there's still plenty of tasty concoctions that'll make even the most mature among us start salivating. You just need to know what to look for — from OTT chocolate treats and hot cross cruffins through to cocktails served in chocolate Easter bunnies and cookie cake books that you paint then eat.
Hot Cross Cruffins, Triple-Choc Pains au Chocolat and Lamington-Croissant Hybrid at Lune Croissantrie
When Lune Croissanterie opened its first interstate store in Brisbane in 2021, pastry lovers across the city understandably got excited. And, when it launched its second Brissie spot in the CBD, our tastebuds were doubly happy. The baked goods haven serves up delicious bites that'll tempt your tastebuds all year round, but a Lune Easter is particularly delicious.
On the menu: hot cross cruffins. Yes, they're exactly what they sound like, and they're only available in March. The croissant-muffin-hot cross bun mashups come filled with a spiced custard and traditional hot cross bun fruit mix, which includes sultanas and candied citrus peel. They're then topped with a cross (obviously) and brushed in a sweet glaze. And, they're both vegetarian- and Halal-friendly. For Easter 2024, Lune is also doing triple-choc pains au chocolat and lamington-croissant hybrids, making you spoiled for choice.
Easter Eggs That Melt Into Fondue, Bunny Cookies and Edible Gardens at Belle Epoque
There's never a bad time to treat yo'self to high tea, but Easter is one of the best. Plenty of spots around town celebrate the occasion with exactly that kind of spread — and this list includes more than one. So, what makes Belle Epoque's high tea stand out? Being dished up daily until Sunday, March 31, this feast includes pistachio bunny cookies, an edible garden with caramel chocolate mousse and cocoa soil, and a red velvet bird's nest. It also comes just with tea or coffee ($80), or you can add bottomless champagne ($130) on top.
Another option: the most decadent of Easter eggs to share. For $45 for two people, your handcrafted chocolate orb will melt in front of you, turning into fondue — which you can dip fruit, marshmallows and cookies into.
Banoffee Cocktails Served in Chocolate Bunnies at The Terrace
Stop by the Emporium Hotel in South Bank before the end of March and you'll find multiple ways to celebrate Easter. That only spans Belle Epoque's options above, but also includes boozy choices upstairs at The Terrace — yes, 21 floors up, and with striking views over Brisbane to prove it.
Two seasonal tipples are available for those who like their Easter spirit with some actual spirits, each for $22 a pop. One in particular couldn't be more perfect for the occasion, coming served in a chocolate bunny. That's no longer a novelty, but a banoffee cocktail made with spiced rum, caramelised banana, coffee and chocolate is quite the treat. Also on offer: a choc-pop tipple made with dark rum, muscat and savoiardi, then topped with a mascarpone coco-pop whip.
Tiramisu-Filled Easter Eggs at Massimo
It wasn't all that long ago that chocolate Easter eggs came in two types: small and solid, plus larger and hollow. Sure, there were also an array of different flavours available in each, but Easter eggs weren't also Frankenstein's monster-style desserts filled with other desserts. We bet that your tastebuds are happy that things have changed.
Here's one 2024 sweet treat that you should be supremely thankful for, and hankering to try. Tiramisu-filled Easter eggs are exactly what they sound like, and they're on offer at Massimo Restaurant and Bar for five days from Thursday, March 28–Monday, April 1. They cost $26 each, measure 13 centimetres in size and are designed to share.
Cookie Cake Books That You Paint Then Eat and Creme Egg Cocktails at W Brisbane
Since the beginning of 2024, W Brisbane has been hosting the Ever After High Tea, which takes inspiration from the Fairy Tales exhibition currently on display at the Gallery of Modern Art across the river. For bunny and chocolate season this year, the spread isn't going away — but it is getting a few apt additions, as part of the high tea's easter edition from Friday, March 22–Sunday, April 7.
The fairy tale cookie cake book that you can paint before you devour will now feature Easter imagery, while the Crème Eggstraordinate is taking over as the high tea's signature boozy sip. What it's trying to recreate is right there in its name, as made with Bacardi Superior, Malibu, mango nectar, coconut cream, pineapple juice, lime juice and, naturally, a crème egg.
Hot Cross Bun Martinis at Fosh
Go on, drink your Easter treats this year. That's what Choctails at Fosh is all about. The riverside bar and restaurant at Portside Wharf in Hamilton is still slinging seafood — that's what it does all year round anyway — but it's also letting patrons sip their way through boozy versions of hot cross buns and crème eggs.
Ever tried a hot cross bun martini? You can now. It's made with spiced rum, cinnamon schnapps and vanilla liqueur, and costs $24. Prefer a crème egg tipple? For the same price, you'll be enjoying vodka, Baileys and pieces of crushed crème egg mixed together.
Gelato Cakes at La Macelleria
Can't choose between gelato and chocolate this Easter, but chocolate gelato by itself won't cut it? Need a cake to celebrate the occasion? Try one of La Macelleria's Easter gelato cakes, which are available for collection from the Brisbane chains's Teneriffe store.
Your choices start with a two-flavour cake in three different sizes, which features gelato varieties that you get to pick, and is then topped with fior di latte gelato, a white chocolate bunny and gluten-free sponge cake as grass. A small (for four–six people) costs $36, medium (six–eight people) comes in at $50 and a large (ten–12 people) is $70. Or, there's a cake for one or two folks, still with the same decorations, but with vanilla gelato and passionfruit sauce within — which'll set you back just $15.
Yuzu Custard Bunny Teacups and Cherry- and Chilli Chocolate-Infused Umeshu Cocktails at Hotel Indigo's Bar 1603
At Indigo Isuta Soirée: A High Tea Affair, Easter gets a Japanese spin, complete with yuzu custard bunny teacups, green tea yuzu tiramisu and matcha macarons, plus a cherry- and chilli chocolate-infused umeshu cocktail. The high-tea menu also includes green apple mousse flourless tartlets that come flecked with gold flakes, tamago sandos, mini wagyu burgers and, of course, both hot cross buns and Easter eggs.
You'll pay $89 per person, with a minimum of two people needed, to get feasting from 11am–3pm from Thursday, March 28–Sunday, April 14 at Bar 1603 inside Hotel Indigo on Turbot Street. From 11am each day, you can also just stop by for a cocktail — but only within Indigo Isuta Soirée: A High Tea Affair's 17-day run.