The Revamped Stokebar Q Is South Bank's New Riverside Hangout
After a multi-million dollar revamp, you can now eat and drink even closer to the river's edge.
South Bank's Stoke Bar may be gone, but a new bar has taken its place: Stokebar Q. Originally named just Q and still housed in the space beside Stokehouse Q, it's the result of a million-dollar makeover — and yes, it's still all about that stellar riverside view.
Redesigned by Alexander Lotersztain of Derlot, the rebadged, renovated watering hole combines the old and the new. In the former camp, it has the same gorgeous vantage, a similar weekend lineup of DJ-fuelled hangout sessions, and the same chef, Richard Ousby. In the latter category, Brisbanites will find changes of the fitout, 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 — Stokebar Q boasts a larger space that gets patrons even closer to the river's edge. That includes more water-adjacent seating, including booths, a wrap-around lounge on the boardwalk, and an additional private lounge area, all decked out in warm grey, blue, pastel green and orange hues.
Food-wise, Ousby's menu features a range of small plates, as split into one-handed 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 is 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.
Find Stokebar Q on Sidon Street, South Bank. For more information, visit the bar's website.
