Overview
South Bank's Stoke Bar is shutting up shop, with its riverside digs about to undergo a million-dollar makeover. But there's no need to say a teary farewell, as the space beside Stokehouse Q is set to become home to a new bar simply called Q.
It's really a case of one door closing — and then that same door re-opening, just under a different name four weeks later. The rebadged, renovated watering hole will combine the old and the new when it launches on September 14. In the former camp, it'll boast the same gorgeous views, a similar weekend lineup of DJ-fuelled hangout sessions, and the same chef, Richard Ousby. In the latter category, Brisbanites can expect changes of the design, cuisine and beverage kind.
In good news for everyone fond of hanging out by the water — which, let's face it, is why people head to South Bank to begin with — the revamp will result in a larger space that gets patrons even closer to the river's edge. In the process, Q will ramp up its water-adjacent seating, including booths, a wrap-around lounge on the boardwalk, and an additional private lounge area.
Food-wise, Ousby's menu features a range of small plates, as split into one0handed snacks and knife-and-fork dishes. Grilled haloumi with burnt honey, mozzarella and bolognese jaffles, fried chicken bites and spanner crab with buckwheat noodles rank among the options.
And as far as the drinks list is concerned, ex-Nant Whisky Bar, Cuvee Lounge and Soleil Pool Bar bartender Becki Parker will be overseeing the beverages, with four new cocktails on offer. The standout: the aptly named Goodwill Rising, which blends tequila, fig jam, ginger, pineapple shrub, vanilla syrup, lemon juice, lemon and vanilla sugar crisp, and is probably best sipped while you're looking out over the bridge that gives it its moniker.
As part of the revamp, Stokehouse Q will also close from August 26, and re-open on September 14 with a new kitchen and a few other restaurant upgrades.
Stoke Bar will close on August 26, and Q will open on September 14 on Sidon Street, South Bank. For more information, keep an eye on Stokehouse Q's website.