West End's New Parkside Food Precinct and Public Garden Is Now Open

With Cheeky Poke Bar, Mr. Bunz and Salt Meats Cheese as its first tenants.
Sarah Ward
October 20, 2018

West End's massive West Village precinct continues to get bigger and bigger. While the project is still in development, it has held everything from ice cream festivals to weekend providore markets since it was approved in 2016. And, as of Saturday, October 20, the $800 million project has some hefty new additions.

The former Peters Ice Cream Factory site is now home to The Garden Pantry and The Common. The former is a casual dining precinct featuring multiple eateries, plus indoor and outdoor seating, while the latter is a 24-hour public space brimming with grass, trees, plants, a water installation and a field of lights. In short, the inner-city development has gained a heap of new dining options and a lush place to hang out.

The Garden Pantry's restaurant lineup includes Cheeky Poke Bar, Mr. Bunz and Salt Meats Cheese as its first tenants, which means that West Enders can now devour Hawaiian-inspired bowls, pan-Asian baos and Italian eats. It all comes from tried-and-tested sources, with each of the three headline eateries setting up its second Brisbane locations.

In SMC's case, the chain is also introducing a new tuckshop-inspired menu that focuses on ten different pizzas by the slice, rotating gnocchi specials and three frozen cocktails that nod to Italian granitas. Think jalapeno salty margaritas, Aperol spritz frozès and espresso tiramisu martinis.

That's not the end of the story for SMC either — because making food is as fun as eating it, West Village will also be the site of its first Brisbane cooking school, which'll open its doors in Factory Lane in 2019. Joining the restaurant's usual array of cheese wheel pasta dishes, all-you-can-eat pizza nights and plentiful cocktails, the cooking school will host hands-on classes on how to make gnocchi, other pastas and desserts, including gluten-free options.

Unsurprisingly, in terms of decor, the new spaces play up the garden theme — both in The Garden Pantry space, which is decked out tropical-style, and in The Commons' greenery-filled garden area.

Later this year, West Village will open Factory Lane, and add a new arts and events studio called The Bromley Room #2.

The Common and The Garden Pantry and its restaurants are now open at West Village, which is located at 97 Boundary Street, West End. 

Published on October 20, 2018 by Sarah Ward
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