The Prince Consort Is Fortitude Valley's New Eight-in-One Venue in The Elephant's Old Digs
It's serving up woodfired pizzas, tapas and tacos — and 89 beers on tap.
Since 1888, a pub has stood on the stretch of Fortitude Valley's Wickham Street approaching Brunswick Street, albeit under different names over the years. As announced last month, that space is now home to The Prince Consort — an eight-venue collective that has just opened, and is serving up both drinks and bites to eat.
As every Brisbanite who has visited the Valley in the past few years will know, The Prince Consort has taken over the heritage-listed hotel most recently known as The Elephant. In the process, it has reinstated the site's 132-year-old original moniker, too — so it's a case of the old combining with the new.
Sparking the change is the pub's new owners, Tilley & Wills Hotels, which already boasts Sydney's Greenwood Hotel and Oxford Art Factory among its venues. It has given the premises a thorough revamp, including the creation of different new spaces with varying themes and focuses. As manager Jason Hirt explains, the result allows Brisbanites "to choose between a heritage-style classic English pub, a luxe supper club, a Los Cabos-inspired taco and tequila adventure, a music-driven underground edge, a chilled garden bar and more".
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As live music venue The Foundry announced in September, it is no longer part of the space, moving to a yet-to-be-revealed new Valley location by November instead. But The Prince Consort remains home to Greaser, which was already part of The Elephant, as well as newcomers La La Land, The Garden Bar, 400 Rabbits Cantina, The Bowie Rooms, The Yorke Suites and The Naughty Corner.
The Prince Consort itself resides on the ground floor, in the parlour, and operates as a gastropub. La La Land, which is located upstairs, gives venue a luxurious supper club-style bar with booth seating, VIP private rooms, a tapas-heavy menu and the ability to live-stream events from around the world — plus a dance floor beneath a crystal chandelier. Downstairs, The Garden Bar claims the site's openair space, this time with plants, pastel hues and a stadium screen.
As the name suggests, 400 Rabbits Cantina is all about food, especially tacos, while The Bowie Rooms live up to their theme and The Yorke Suites are designed for musicians and creatives. And, as for The Naughty Corner, you'll need to head by to see what it's about — but, among all of these venues-within-a-venue, fans of The Elephant's woodfired pizzas can rest assured that they're still on offer.
In the kitchen, head chef Jack Powlay (ex-Gerard's Bistro) is overseeing the menu. Drinks-wise, folks can sip their way through 89 beers on tap across the site, as well as sizeable cocktail list.
And if you're wondering how the revamped space look, the aim is to take The Prince Consort back to its roots, while also giving it a new feel.
Brisbanites keen to stop by might want to make a date with the venue's Halloween celebrations, which are taking over three floors. Ticketed burlesque performances are on offer at La La Land, while Greaser is pairing live tunes with themed food and drinks — and The Garden Bar is getting into the spooky spirit on both Friday, October 30 and Saturday, October 31.
Find The Prince Consort at 230 Wickham Street, Fortitude Valley — open 11am–late seven days a week.
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