Range Brewing opens Rays, a new neighbourhood bar serving suds, spritzes and schnitties
When Patio opened in Rosalie Village last June, it was an overnight 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? Well, in good news for Camp Hill locals, the Range Brewing team has done it again with Rays, a sun-soaked new bar and casual eatery that’s open now. Expect the brews and bites you know and love, as well as some fresh additions that’ll likely become new favourites.
For most of the week leading up to the grand opening of Rays by Range, inclement weather had cast Brisbane in a dreary, drizzly gloom. But by the time the brand-new Camp Hill bar and eatery threw open its doors at 3:00 pm on Friday October 11, the clouds had begun to dissipate and sunlight beamed down on the venue that took its name from that very same solar energy.
While the improved weather conditions were a fortunate coincidence, it’s unlikely that damp weather would have turned punters away from the newly minted boozer – the latest venue to open under the Range Brewing umbrella. Last year, the boundary pushing brew crew sent Paddington’s pint-loving populace into a spin with Patio – a bar that paired Australiana-inspired aesthetics with Range’s widely lauded line-up of beers and menu of Italian-style eats. Rays sees the Range team continue its endeavours to light a spark under Brisbane’s neighbourhood pub scene, this time turning a space on the corner of Martha Street and Newman Avenue (the pocket also home to Ramona Trattoria, Mons Thai and Shizen Japanese Cuisine) into a suds slinger with a sunny disposition.
“People bang on all the time about Melbourne and the pub scene down there – this is our attempt at bringing that kind of neighbourhood pub culture to small pockets of Brisbane,” says Range Brewing’s co-founder Matt McIver. “I think Coorparoo and Camp Hill were always at the top of our list after Paddington and to find a space that we thought could really suit our vibe was a massive win for us.“
Though the team could have easily attempted to repeat the proven formula that made Patio an instant success, Matt and Range’s other co-founder Gerard Martin elected to devise a distinct concept designed to match the community it caters to.
“We wanted [Rays] to have its own identity, its own branding, its own quirks and its own community,” says Matt. “Patio has been such a success, but that’s Paddington’s thing. We wanted Rays to be its own thing here. I think that’s what we try to do with our venues, as well – not take shortcuts or do things by halves and do the best we can do with the space that we have.”
Rays by Range’s 85-seater home, which previously housed burger bar Ze Pickle, has been given a substantial facelift. Gone is Ze Pickle’s grungy aesthetic – in its place is a warm industrial look that is vibrant and playful, with a hint of nostalgia. The team has made good use of the building’s bones, with exposed concrete and brick contoured by warm timbers and colourful finishes. Along the Newman Avenue axis sits a bank of custom-built spotted gum tiber booths with yellow-coloured tables built by South Pambula brand Axiom. The rest of the interior seating is divided between low-set banquettes and high-top tables, while a strip of blue-tiled tables run along a stretch of footpath on Martha Street. Blue and yellow can also be spied on Rays by Range’s front bar, which boasts a limoncello-coloured tiled top and electric-blue step.
“We really liked what we did at Patio – that Australiana vibe worked really well,” says Matt. “Here we wanted to go a little bit more European. It is a little bit more of a compact and tight space and a lot of the places you go in Europe are similar to that. We also wanted it to be a little bit more playful and just throw a few more pops of colour in. So that’s why we went with the electric-blue tiles, the yellow tabletops and smoked brown colour that features in a few spots as well.”
The biggest similarity between Rays and Patio is its food and drink offering, which showcases Range Brewing’s beers and the dynamite fare first honed at the brewery’s in-house kitchen, Jacopo’s. The bar is equipped with the same amount of taps as Patio – 12 total, pouring ten beers (both core and rotating options) and two dispensing LATTA wines. Cocktails are also a big focus at Rays, with three kinds of spritz available alongside signature sips like the Paloma May (tequila, verjus, pomegranate and grapefruit syrup, and salted grapefruit soda) and the Miss Martha (spearmint-infused vodka, strawberry and rose syrup, Aperol and lemon).
“We’ve got a few forever Range beers now, so they’ll be the stalwarts,” says Matt of the beers on offer. “And then we’ve got a pretty extensive wine list as well – a lot of really fresh, vibrant wines that are easy drinking and not ultra challenging. Also knowing that it’s about to warm up, we’ve lent heavily into our spritz menu here.”
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The Rays kitchen is serving the Range crew’s signature selection of Roman-style sourdough pizzas, as well as a tight selection of snacks that includes braised and fried lamb ribs, gildas and halloumi fries with lemon and pepper seasoning. Rays also boasts two venue-exclusive mains – a 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. Much like it does at Patio, the Range team will host a number of pop-ups and events at Rays – we hear talk of a spritz-centric soiree and a multi-venue event for lager lovers on the horizon. For now, however, the team is eager to simply establish Rays as a go-to locale for locals.
“I think it is a balance between having a venue that aesthetically is on trend but is also comfortable and open for people around the neighbourhood,” says Matt, when we chat about what makes a successful neighbourhood bar. “We talk a lot about the idea of that third space (after the home and workplace) – we want Rays to be a place where people feel at home, at ease and not feel like they have to dress up.”
Rays by Range is now open to the public.