Overview
When a well-loved venue gets a sibling, the connection between the two spots usually earns a lot of chatter. You sit, you enjoy, you compare, you discuss all those times spent at the first watering hole — all while you're scoping out the new location. And, at Newstead's Stratton Bar & Kitchen, that's likely to be the case. It's the latest venture from Mrs Brown's Bar & Kitchen owners Ben and Tarryn Brown, so there's plenty to talk about.
That said, this newcomer's ties to another Newstead go-to isn't the only thing that's worth noticing. Conversation topic number one: the fact that that Stratton calls two old World War II hangars home, which the Browns have converted into quite the impressive hangout.
Thanks to not only the site's curved roof, but all of its exposed beams hovering above while patrons eat and drink, that history is inescapable. More than that, it's downright striking to look at.
The 920-square-metre venue boasts four sections: a 150-seat dining area, which still retains the laidback vibe that's such a feature at Mrs Brown's; a central bar perched under that eye-catching curved ceiling; a 150-person function space; and a covered courtyard. That gives Brisbanites plenty of reasons to drop by, but one of the biggest comes from its address. As the name makes plain, you'll find the bar and kitchen on Stratton Street — and right next door to The Triffid to be specific.
Whether you're heading in pre- or post-gig, or just because, Stratton serves up a menu that goes heavy on home-style share plates and one-handed bar snacks, with chef Andrew Toms overseeing the food. Culinary highlights include cheeseburger dumplings, chicken karaage milk buns, sweet and sour broccoli and roast duck breast with citrus sauce.
Or, there's peanut butter soba noodles, cacio e pepe udon, bolognese and burrata pizza, and a choc-orange delight of a dessert dubbed 'jaffa garden' that features orange jelly, burnt orange puree, burnt orange curd and dehydrated chocolate mousse.
When it comes to washing down those dishes — with a sizeable amount of gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options also covered — the drinks list hits around 70 bottles in 250-millilitre pours, plus a hefty cocktail range. Standouts include the Kill Bill (Nikka whisky from the Barrel, Midori, Oscar.697 Rosso vermouth and pineapple), the cheeseburger bloody mary (which adds an in-house blend of herbs and spices to vodka and tomato juice to make your tastebuds think they're drinking a cheeseburger) and the Cherry Ripe (Wildflower vodka, cherry, Borghetti coffee liqueur and Tempus crème de cacao).
Or, you can show some homegrown love with the Lamington (Wildflower lamington vodka and lemon) and the Aussie negroni (Four Pillars olive leaf gin, Rhubi Mistelle and Davidson plum aperitif).
The non-boozy cocktail list spans four drinks, too — and, back on the hard stuff, Aussie spirits get pride of place.
Find Stratton Bar & Kitchen at 3–5 Stratton Street, Newstead — open 11.30am–late Wednesday–Sunday.