+81 Aizome Bar, West End: Though the newest bar to feature on this list (and by new, we mean brand new – it opened on Wednesday December 4), +81 Aizome Bar might be one of the most striking bars to arrive this year. Why? Well, for one, it boasts an incredible minimalist design, envisioned and shaped by Derlot’s Alexander Lotersztain. The ten-seater bar is saturated in a deep indigo colour palette, with a trapezoidal bar wrought from natural wood helping give the intimate cocktail joint the essence of a high-end bar in Ginza. Behind the bar is award-winning mixologist Tony Huang, who is furthering his pioneering approach to ‘neo cocktails’, crafting drinks that employ freeze-integration techniques, tea-based infusions, sake-inspired twists and loads of fresh fruit. The prelude to an exciting new culinary concept opening in February next year, +81 Aizome Bar is innovative and immersive – a bar unlike any Brisbane has seen to date.

The Alliance Hotel, Spring Hill: There were signs of new life in Brisbane’s pub scene this year. A few independent operators have emerged out from the shadow of the large groups, creating approachable watering holes with character. The Alliance Hotel experienced a rebirth earlier this year, with new custodians Peter and Emma Hollands, Nick Winter, and Katerina Makarov giving the heritage-listed beauty a new lease on life. The biggest changes included transforming the venue’s restaurant into The Whisky Warren, a candle-lit space boasting an old-timey aesthetic reminiscent of warmth-filled British pubs. Here, the team is amassing one of the largest collections of Australian whisky in the country, available alongside a menu that mixes well-executed pub classics and a host of game meats. The crew has also reinvigorated The Alliance’s front bar – a character-filled space boasting Australian-inspired decor and all the tipples you’d want from a local.

Bar Hugo, West End: As Brisbane’s bar scene deepens, there’s now more room for specialists. Bar Hugo in West End, the brainchild of hospo pros Nick Sebar and Shaun Kelly, is a joint that’s flying the flag for vermouth and low-ABV drinks. This timber-clad haunt is homey and familiar, with a deck and garden space at the rear adding to Bar Hugo’s approachability. At the bar, vermouth is king, with a broad selection of drops sourced from all over the globe encompassing sweet, almost dessert-style vermouths, all the way to the super-bitter aperitifs. On the wine front, Shaun has assembled a tidy list that ticks most boxes, with around 19 options available by the glass backed by a full list tallying more than 40. Food is a snack-heavy affair, with easy-to-prep bites giving diners the option to graze or feast, depending on their hunger levels. If you’re a West End local or a discerning drinker looking for something outside the norm, Bar Hugo might be your new favourite watering hole.

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Bar Miette, Brisbane City: When 2024 began, one of the venues at the top of our most-anticipated list was the Brisbane outpost for Supernormal – Andrew McConnell and Jo McGann’s lauded Asian-inspired restaurant. For most foodies, scoring Trader House’s first non-Melbourne concept was a coup. Imagine, then, everyone’s unbridled joy when it was revealed that Andrew and Jo had a second venue planned to open alongside Supernormal at the base of 443 Queen Street. Bar Miette, a European-inspired terrace bar, quietly opened above its sibling venue on the street level off Queen Street in June. The venue boasts a cosy 16-seat interior (with chic Parisian-inspired design scheme by ACME featuring earthy tones, materials and textures) and a verdant outdoor terrace, where subtropical greens and sun-kissed umbrellas perfectly frame a sensational view of the river and Story Bridge. Bar Miette is already popular amongst the inner-city set for breakfast and coffee, sun-dappled lunches and cocktails and snacks in the evening. Andrew and executive chef Jason Barratt (ex-Paper Daisy) have crafted the menu, which starts with house-made spelt crumpets with whipped maple butter in the mornings, and anchovy gildas, poached local king prawns with sauce rouille and a milk-bun mortadella stack with salted butter and smoked maple syrup available from arvo to evening.

Barry Parade Public House, Fortitude Valley: For many bartenders and publicans, their mental image of a neighbourhood bar is the one depicted in Cheers – the place where everybody knows your name. As cliche as the reference point may seem – some 30-odd years since the sitcom went off the air – that feeling of familiarity is, undeniably, key to the success of any watering hole. Daniel Gregory, Brennen Eaton and Lachlan Henry know this, which is why they aren’t shy about mentioning Cheers when they talk about their aspirations for their newly opened Fortitude Valley haunt, Barry Parade Public House. This bar has everything you could want from a local – the beers are cold, the wine list is nuanced and considered, the cocktails are punchy and imaginative, and the food menu (here it boasts Creole influences) satisfies the peckish and the famished alike.

Cafe Disco, West End: Tasfeen Hassan reckons hospitality is as punk rock as it gets. He’s referring to spunky small-scale venues. The owner-operated ones with heart, character and a community-centric outlook. The joints that are as much a personal expression as a business venture. It’s those DIY venues that Tasfeen reckons are the true jewels of any dining scene and the kind of joint he hopes to make with Cafe Disco in West End. In the Hardgrave Road space previously home to Yoke Kitchen and Luigi’s Italian, Tasfeen has created a representation of himself, of 38 years of existence – a combination of memories, experiences and tastes, all wrapped in a slick, Parts Department-designed package. Cafe Disco’s distinct day and night menus have been shaped by Tasfeen’s own Bangladeshi background, with family recipes forming a foundation that Tasfeen builds upon with experiences eating around the world. The resulting menu is a mix of traditional and reverse-engineered specialties – a purposeful clash of ideas delivered in fun and creative ways. While Cafe Disco holds its own as a daytime must-try, it comes alive at night when the skin-contact wines flow — the kind of gear that boasts the right amount of complexity and dynamic strength to match the food’s bold flavours.

Clover Neighbourhood Bar, Holland Park: Gillian Letham and Gerard Hartnett are some of the most seasoned bar owners you’re likely to find in Brisbane. The brains behind a string of beloved beery venues such as The Mill on Constance, The Oxford Tap House and The Woods have done it again at Clover, a colourful neighbourhood bar in Holland Park that’s perfectly suited for hangs with mates, family feeds or an intimate date-night dinner. Taking over the site previously home to Suburban Social, Clover has reinvigorated the space with a makeover comprising warm tones and textures, emphasising the venue’s ample natural light to create a pub that’s welcoming to locals and blow-ins from across town. Clover’s taps dispense a range of ales to suit most tastes, while a clutch of wines and cocktails means that there’s a libation to suit just about everyone. The menu is divided between classic mod-Aus bar staples (think chicken schnitzels, rib fillets and beefy burgers) and out-of-the-box snacks (teriyaki-glazed split tiger prawns, fried zucchini flowers with vegan dill mayo and Szechuan calamari with nam jim dipping sauce). All told, it’s another excellent addition to Gill and Ger’s portfolio of pubs for the people.

Milquetoast, Brisbane City: Right off the bat, Milquetoast defied expectations. First, the alleyway wine bar and dining room – co-owned and operated by George Curtis (of Before + After fame) and sommelier James Horsfall – pulled a fast one on folks with its name. Milquetoast, taken literally to mean feeble, insipid or timid, is an odd choice for a hospitality concept but, in reality, the venue is anything but bland. George and James have sought to add much-needed texture to the tapestry that is Brisbane’s inner-city nightlife, converting a gritty garage off Elizabeth Street into a haunt that exudes warmth. Then, the duo (plus venue manager Aidan Perkins) have anchored Milquetoast’s drinks list with boundary-pushing cocktails that utilise contemporary techniques (everything from fermentations to house-made tinctures and sodas) and seasonal ingredients. After that, James assembled a cracking wine list (nudging 50 bottles) that favours small-scale independent producers doing interesting things. Finally, head chef Solenn d’Heilly (formerly of Bennelong in Sydney) has crafted a menu infused with a tongue-in-cheek playfulness, interpreting the nuances of provenance-driven British food revival into a range of snacks and small plates.

Ray’s by Range, Camp Hill: When the Range Brewing crew opened Patio in Rosalie Village last June, it was an immediate success. A character-filled pub-style venue serving suds from one of Brisbane’s best breweries and a menu of Italian-inspired eats – with that recipe, how could it not be? With a winning formula in hand, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Range Brewing’s co-founders Matt McIver and Gerard Martin might be tempted to replicate the same concept in other parts of Brisbane. But, as evidenced by the team’s brand-new Camp Hill bar Rays, the crew clearly wasn’t content with a simple cut-and-paste job. Rays sits in the site formerly home to Ze Pickle on Martha Street. Gone is the grungy look of the burger bar – in its place is a vibrant, European-inspired aesthetic boasting warm timbers, bright yellow table tops and electric blue tiling (a disco ball also hangs from the ceiling). Though there is still some crossover between Rays and Patio via the menu (both venues serve Range’s famed Roman-style sourdough pizzas and exceptional craft beers), Rays stands out with venue-exclusive dishes like the panko-crumbed chicken schnitzel with cabbage slaw, mayo and tonkatsu sauce, and a fish sando featuring panko-crumbed fish cakes with dill creme fraiche and lemon on white bread. Though it has already earned a reputation as one of Brisbane’s most innovative beer makers, soon Range Brewing might be regarded as the city’s top pub group.

Stan’s Lounge, Brisbane City: As a dining destination, Howard Smith Wharves covers a lot of bases. But what about drinks? The casual cheer of Felons Brewing Co. has long been a massive drawcard but, if you can’t stand crowds, there aren’t a lot of places to go. Well, until now, that is. Stan’s Lounge, the new vinyl bar and cocktail lounge from the team behind HSW favourite Stanley, has filled that gap with panache. The team has given the restaurant’s second-floor space a significant refurbishment, applying a detailed interior scheme inspired by old-world Hong Kong boasting a rich palette of red velvet, jewel tones, mirrored walls, hand-painted murals and dark emerald curtains. The centrepiece of the venue, however, is the DJ booth, which is manned by a rotating roster of selectors spinning a hand-picked playlist of vinyl records through a top-end JBL sound system. As tunes fill the room, guests can kick back and enjoy executive chef Louis Tikaram’s snack-heavy menu, which features the likes of golden-fried prawn toast, steamed lobster and truffle dumplings with aged black vinegar, XO Queensland sand crab cigars and rolled Peking duck pancakes. Matching this mouth-watering spread in quality is Stan’s cocktail list, which showcases modern interpretations of several timeless classics, while a trove of vintage spirits (many dating back to the 60s and 70s) are funnelled into a range of ultra-premium cocktails.

Highly commended: This list of phenomenal libation slingers could stretch on and on if we let it. While not every spot can make the top ten, we’d also love to shout out venues like Bar Rocco in Coorparoo, Club Felix in The City, The Rose & Crown in South Brisbane, Henley’s in Teneriffe, The Junk Bar and Grape & Grazing in New Farm, With Love, The Underground, My Beer Dealer Alfred Street and Harley Quinn in Fortitude Valley, Come to Daddy in West End, Press’d Wine Co. in Milton and Portside Social in Hamilton.

Be sure to also check out our list for this year’s best new cafes and casual dining.