The best pre- and post-show food and drink destinations from South Brissie to the Valley.
Two years in the making, the inaugural Fringe Brisbane festival is set to run from 14 October to 5 November. A smorgasbord of comedy, music, theatre, circus, drama, poetry, cabaret, improv, storytelling and workshops, it promises an explosion of arts performances and experiences across a whopping 25 inner-city venues.
You’ll need top-notch drinks, dining and good vibes to go with all that culture, so we’ve rounded up the best drinking spots within easy reach of the Fringe fest action. From South Brissie to Stafford, Moorooka to Woolloongabba, Yerongpilly to Seven Hills and Fortitude Valley, here’s where to head for a pre or post-show drink and bite to eat.
Just around the corner from the main festival hub is La Lune (pictured left). No, not a croissant outpost – this is a cute wine bar with a mix of seating and mezzanine area. On the wine menu, you’ll find close to 30 by-the-glass, some of which are local drops and some of which are international vintages. The food menu is a short but sweet ode to classic Euro flavours with creamy burrata, Black Angus sirloin, roasted spatchcock, and a cheese selection.
For more cool, old-school European vibes, head to Maeve, just a hop and a skip from the festival hub, on the first floor of a handsome heritage-listed building on Melbourne Street. Maeve’s got tasty, salty snacks down pat – think wafer-thin slices of house-cured duck ham – and a full, proper, sit-down menu if you’re ready to splash cash. Freewheel wines by the glass or check out their classic cocktails.
Got a little more time to kill before you check out a show? Death & Taxes (pictured) does cocktails, and it does them well. The dark and brooding ‘Moonlight’ combines dark rum, Amaro Averna, pomegranate molasses, pineapple and lime, while the ‘Sisyphus’ swizzles Johnnie Walker Black Scotch with rum, chartreuse, rockmelon and citrus. The two bars collaborate when it comes to bar food, so anything you fancy from Alba’s menu can be delivered right to your table at Death & Taxes.
Frog's Hollow Saloon is another easy walk from the festival precinct where the whisky game is strong and the playlist swings from country to ’70s indie rock. Or visit La Lupa for top-notch pizza and noteworthy Italian wines. Negroni lovers are in luck – La Lupa’s rendition is killer.
Close to key festival venues Big Fork and EC Venue in the Valley, Snack Man (pictured left) is an eclectic wine bar with a lot of tasty eats. The small plates are drawn from across China and the unpretentious staff will help you track down a wine pairing to make the Jiangsu-style pork meatballs taste even better or take your crispy prawn wontons splashed with soy and chilli oil to the next level. Wines are mainly European, both lo-fi and classic, and beers include Happy Boy lager and Aether pale ale.
Popular Cru Bar & Cellar qualifies as the first wine bar in the Valley. After almost 20 years, it’s still got one of the city’s best and broadest drinks lists and an impressive food menu to boot. Try the KFC-inspired spatchcock or charcuterie with pickles and a side of artisan sourdough.
Agnes Wine Bar accepts walk-ins and provides a cosy spot for pre and post-show drinks. You need to walk through Agnes Restaurant to gain access and the back-lit bar shines like a good deed in an unruly world. Expect small-batch, artisanal and eco-friendly wines – globetrotting labels and local gems sit side by side on the menu. The bar snacks are straight from the restaurant menu with highlights including yakitori-style skewers of wagyu beef and smoked potato sourdough.
Down in Howard Smith Wharves, Fiume is a great spot to take in a sunset. The rooftop bar is the place to be on a balmy September night, Spritz in hand, sharing a vego grazing board with your mates.
And if you’re headed out to The Grand on Stanley in Woolloongabba for a show, then you'd better head directly across the street to Can You Keep A Secret, a retro-themed wine and craft beer bar with a tiny secret vintage boutique. They do a great vegan amaretto sour here as well as three mid-strength and light beers, and the cocktail list includes a pickleback shot with Monkey Shoulder Scotch whisky. There’s a small list of bar snacks and the bar team are happy for you to order takeaway from independently owned and operated pizza bar Stone & Brew.
