Where to eat and stay along the revamped Brisbane River

He’s one of Australia’s best-known chefs, with a clutch of award-winning bars and restaurants strewn around inner-city Melbourne. So when Andrew McConnell decided to open his first interstate venture, not in Sydney but in Queensland’s once-sleepy capital, it said a lot about the city of Brisbane’s coming of age.

“There’s so much to love about the burgeoning restaurant scene in Brisbane,” McConnell says. In particular, he praises the city’s abundance of riverside dining spots.

“They combine a great vantage point with excellent accessibility and a lively atmosphere,” he says.

Both of McConnell’s new venues, Supernormal and Bar Miette , sit inside one of Brisbane’s most striking new waterfront buildings, 443 Queen Street. Upstairs, the European-inspired Bar Miette is part-terrace café, part-wine bar, where you can accompany your cocktail (served from 10am on weekends) with a plate of sobrassada toast or a bowl of Sicilian olives.

Meanwhile, Supernormal takes the elevated Asian flavours for which the original Melbourne hotspot is known and teams it with the best local ingredients. Don’t miss the hand-rolled noodles, served cold and tossed with sweet spanner crab and sesame sauce. And the views of Story Bridge through those floor-to-ceiling windows? Pure Brisbane.

In fact, this stretch of the Brisbane River’s north bank is home to some of the city’s most exciting dining locales. A short stroll in one direction leads to the always-jumping Howard Smith Wharves, where you’ll find options ranging from the laidback homegrown brewery Felons Brewing Co to the classy Stanley Chinese restaurant .

Head the other way to reach Queen’s Wharf, the city’s most eye-catching new development, where popular outlets include Azteca – serving lively Latin flavours and a mean caipirinha – and Brisbane’s highest rooftop bar, Cicada Blu .

“The river is coming alive,” says Daniel Finch, the CEO of The Star Brisbane , which operates multiple venues within Queen’s Wharf. In the lead-up to the river city’s hosting of the 2032 Summer Olympics, Finch wants to draw attention to how his city is stepping out of the shadow of larger Sydney and Melbourne and showing off its own unique style.

“What sets us apart is how we combine sophistication with that easy-going Queensland spirit,” Finch says.

While food is certainly a focus in this sleeker Brisbane, even the city’s skyline has benefitted from the glow-up, with the unveiling of two new pedestrian river crossings, the Neville Bonner Bridge and the Kangaroo Point Bridge. “These bridges aren’t just practical infrastructure; they’re invitations to explore the river and everything Brisbane has to offer,” Finch says.

The cable-stayed Neville Bonner Bridge, named after the first indigenous Australian to sit in parliament, connects Queen’s Wharf with South Bank, Brisbane’s original riverside playground and the site of some of the city’s most important art galleries.

South Bank’s family-friendly attractions include extensive parkland, the 60-metre-high Ferris wheel The Wheel of Brisbane, and Streets Beach, where locals love to cool off on a sultry day.

It’s not just the inner city that makes the most of its riverfront real estate. In nearby Toowong, the graceful Regatta Hotel has overlooked the river for 150 years. Back in the day, cattle drovers would slake their thirst here after bringing their steeds to market; today the hotel caters to a more upmarket crowd, with five elegant venues for dining and socialising. Foremost among these is The Boatshed, where dry-aged steaks are cooked to perfection on a two-metre-long flame grill. For bespoke fare in an intimate setting, there’s The Henley Room, the hotel’s wine cellar-turned-private dining space.

In New Farm, the waterfront New Farm Park is home to the Brisbane Powerhouse , a venue both for live music and farmers’ markets, where local growers sell fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as artisanal breads and cheeses, every Saturday morning.

Of course, to really make the most of the Brisbane River, you have to take to the water. If the sound of a floating picnic appeals, hire an electric boat from GoBoat. You don’t need any experience to pilot these eight-seaters, which are surprisingly easy to steer.

Partial to a paddle? Sign up for one of Riverlife’s kayaking tours. Company co-owner Sam Jarmy says the sunrise tour – which includes a barista-made coffee for some early-morning pep – is especially serene.

“The sun rises up from behind Story Bridge, there are no other boats on water and the water is like glass,” he says. “You can see the reflection of the whole city.”

Where to stay in Brisbane

Wake up to a front-and-centre river view at The Star Grand in Queen’s Wharf, the city’s newest five-star retreat. Down by Howard Street Wharves, the Crystalbrook Vincent has an urban chic vibe, with a superb collection of paintings and prints by Aussie artist Vincent Fantauzzo.

Getting around Brisbane

With an AU$0.50 (HK$2.5) flat fare on all public transport, Brisbane’s CityCat ferry service is ultra-affordable, but it’s still not the cheapest way to get around. The compact CityHopper ferries, which serve central Brisbane between North Quay and New Farm, are free of charge.