The Green Has Opened a Permanent Plant Shop and Middle Eastern Restaurant on James Street

If you like eating breakfast, brunch and lunch in leafy surroundings, then you're probably fond of parkside and al fresco dining. Step inside James Street's newest addition, however, and you'll still be be greeted by plants aplenty. You can browse through and buy some before or after your meal, too, now that nursery pop-up The Green has set up permanent digs — and also combined it with a Middle Eastern eatery.

After selling potted greenery further along the busy Fortitude Valley street, and earning a following in the process, The Green has nestled into its long-term home in the same vicinity. You'll find it in a space that's been designed by Channon Architects to resemble an urban oasis, and boasts timber, raw concrete, marble and red-hued interiors by Borhan Ghorfran. You'll also spy cascading plants both indoors and in its outdoor dining pavilion and garden room.

Offering a curated, design-driven range of plants and homewares, The Green stocks everything from eye-catching leafiness to items made by Relik Designs, by local artist Luke Mansini — if you're looking for something green for your home, and something to put it in. Handmade Japanese ceramics also sit on the shelves, and the store will soon feature its own flower bar. Need some advice? You can also pick up tips and information on plant styling and landscape design options, and get design consultations.

When it comes to food, owners Christina Habchi and Angela Sclavos — the latter of whom is also behind fellow recent Valley newcomer Essa — have enlisted Executive Chef Warren Turnbull (Tetsuya, Assiette, Chur Burger) to oversee a Lebanese-inspired menu. The Green dials daytime dining up a few notches, combining fine-diner cooking techniques with Middle Eastern dishes. And, it also does takeaway and catering.

To start the day, green shakshuka with smoked labneh, chilli and Turkish bread sits on the breakfast lineup alongside tahini granola with blood orange, cacao, coconut yoghurt and barberries. Or, for lunch, there's rainbow chard and montasio cheese brick rolls, grilled zhug marinated lamb cutlets with smoked onion puree and crispy shallots, and spiced cured ora king salmon
with golden beetroot, horseradish and lemon seed lavosh.

And if you're wondering how The Green came about, it was originally sparked by Habchi and Sclavos' aim to give the area a great place to buy plants — and somewhere that paired them with coffee, too.

Find The Green at Shop 1/27 James Street, Fortitude Valley — open daily from 7am–5pm.

Images: PHNX Digital.