Idle, New Farm: New Farm’s current renaissance is set to continue into 2025, with the team at Anyday (the hospitality juggernaut behind top-tier restaurants Agnes, Biànca, sAme sAme, LOS and hôntô) making a move into the suburb in the coming months. The team will be relocating and transforming Agnes Bakery – its lauded pandemic-born bakery concept turned James Street staple – into full-service cafe Idle. The venue will see the team expand the offering beyond its signature pastries, breads and cakes, delivering a menu of cooked-to-order seasonal dishes and salads, alongside take-home fridge and pantry fillers like house-churned butter, handcrafted sauces and marinades. Agnes Bakery will continue trading on James Street until Idle’s debut. That’s not all the Anyday crew has in store for 2025, with some big plans underway over in The City …

Golden Avenue, Brisbane City: In the second half of the year, Anyday will lift the cloche on Golden Avenue at 67 Edward Street in the heart of Brisbane City – a Middle Eastern-inspired eatery boasting a lush, garden-inspired terrace. Golden Avenue will draw upon the expertise of Anyday co-owner and chef Ben Williamson and group head chef Adam Wolfers, with both culinary maestros leveraging their mastery of Levantine cuisine to create a modern menu that will feature hot and cold mezze, flatbreads, charcoal-grilled meats, seafood and more. Following Golden Avenue’s debut, Anyday will shift its focus to more expansion plans, including two restaurants and a cocktail bar that will be housed within the heritage-listed Coal Board Building at 169 Mary Street. Details on these concepts are being kept close to the chest, though one can assume that it will be a massive deal for the ongoing growth of Brisbane’s inner-city dining scene.

Gigi’s Osteria, Newstead: A little while back, we hinted that the team behind celebrated eateries Beccofino and Julius was working on something new. The anticipation has almost killed us, but we’re excited to reveal that 2025 is the year we finally get to experience it. Come mid-year, Paolo Biscaro, Cordell Khoury and the team will lift the cloche on Gigi’s Osteria – a smart Italian eatery nestled in the ever-growing Long Island precinct in Newstead, joining the likes of Baker D. Chirico and Evra Marketplace. Gigi’s will be more refined than its older siblings – although a woodfired oven will be at the centre of its kitchen, we’re assured it certainly will not be a pizzeria. Instead, expect generous bowls of glistening handmade pasta, melt-in-your-mouth grilled fish and meat dishes kissed with the smoke of woodfire. The osteria will also boast a considered wine list, featuring an impressive selection of Italian and Australian drops. We’ll have more details on Gigi’s Osteria in the coming months, including its yet-to-be-announced chef. Keep an eye out for updates! 

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+81, West End: In the final weeks of 2024, a striking Ginza-inspired cocktail bar opened on Montague Road in West End. The ten-seat +81 Aizome Bar – an intimate blue-hued marvel – immediately set a new standard for high-end cocktail experiences in Brisbane, with master mixologist Tony Huang applying his cutting-edge ‘neo cocktail’ techniques to the menu. But +81 Aizome Bar was only part one of a greater whole. Taking shape next door was +81 – a kappo-style restaurant offering a full Japanese dining experience. Boasting a sleek and moody fit-out designed by Alexander Lotersztain, this restaurant is shaping up to be one of the most impressive arrivals of 2025. And best of all? You don’t have long to wait – +81 is tentatively set to open in February.

Dark Blue, Fortitude Valley: The brains behind one of Fortitude Valley’s most beloved wine bars is set to open another boozy haunt in the entertainment precinct this year, with Hannah Wagner of Dark Red fame expanding to the other side of Ann Street to open Dark Blue. The 30-seat cocktails and wine bar is estimated to open on Winn Lane in March, with Hannah taking over two neighbouring spaces – which folks might recognise as the former home of Gemini Brow Studio, Winnston Hair and clothing store The Outpost – and transforming them into a single venue boasting a timber-heavy New York-inspired loft aesthetic. Once open, Dark Blue will pour vino from winemakers based in Portugal, Spain and Argentina, as well as an ever-changing range of cocktails (think pre-batched options that can be dispensed quickly). Unlike Dark Red, Dark Blue will offer a small selection of eats – think tasty toasties and imported snacks like tinned sardines and Spanish crisps from Superbon. Fans of Hannah’s pooch Daisy will be pleased to know that the adorable pooch will be making appearances from time to time, including on Dark Blue’s coasters!

Layla, West End: Shane and Delia Group will be officially opening its first-ever Brisbane restaurant Layla to the public on Friday March 28. Though specific details on Layla’s menu are still to be revealed, the team has confirmed that Layla’s offering will have a ‘Middle Eastern overlay’, much like Delia Group’s Melbourne venues Maha, Maha North and Maha East. Delia Group has appointed Simon Palmer (formerly of Black Hide by Gambaro, Urbane, Gerard’s Bistro and e’cco Bistro) as Layla’s head chef, with Shane and Simon collaborating on what the group describes as a “spice-forward menu celebrating a diverse mix of international influences, and drawing inspiration from the Middle East and the flavour rich, herbaceous and exotic subcontinent.” As for the space itself, we’ve been told that Layla will boast a moody main dining room and a sunny outdoor courtyard. Bookings are now live for Layla – head to the restaurant’s website to be among the first to step inside when Layla opens in late-March.

TABOO, Fortitude Valley: March is shaping up to be a massive month for new openings in Brisbane, with the team behind Mr. Vain opening Thai-inspired rooftop restaurant and bar TABOO before the end of the month. Described as a ‘sanctuary in the sky’, TABOO will sit atop The Constance Hotel in Fortitude Valley and will boast a polished monochrome-green colour scheme. When it comes to its interpretation of Thai fare, TABOO’s offering will be rooted in tradition, but will have its own modern flavour. The share-style menu will feature market-style street eats, seafood and curries, while the bar’s beverage program will feature a 100-strong wine list (including a clutch of effervescent pet nat vino) and a number of punchy, flavour-forward cocktails. Read all about TABOO here.

Evra, Newstead: Newstead continues to gun for the title of Brisbane’s epicurean epicentre, with more and more bars and eateries slotting into vacant spaces around the suburb. Late last year, the team behind Evra at Long Island opened Los Angeles-inspired grocer and casual nosh spot Evra Marketplace. Soon, the crew will lift the cloche on a 120-seat restaurant next door, which we hear will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner showcasing coastal and country produce sourced from local growers and producers. These dishes will be complemented by a beverage program featuring classic cocktails as well as a sturdy wine list.

Hai Hai Ramen, West End: Crowded House Hospitality, the crew behind beloved venues such as Remy’s, Ham on Rye and Superfly Pizza, is set to open a second location for its uber-popular ramen concept, Hai Hai. In January 2025, the team will cut the ribbon on the new outpost, which will be located on Boundary Street in the site most recently home to Chop Chop Chang’s. With more room to work with, the Hai Hai team will be relishing the chance to build on its killer menu, with a core selection of ramen and sides bolstered with the addition of more izakaya-style snacks, substantial mains and a range of rotating specials. The site will also boast a bigger bar, which means Hai Hai’s beverage offering will also be expanded – we’ve been told to expect plenty of shochu highballs, Japanese-inspired cocktails and beers.