Take a sneak peek inside Goros, The Valley’s new Japanese-inspired drinking, dining and party destination
This Friday, a brand-new multi-level party spot will send ripples across Fortitude Valley’s nightlife. Goros, Solotel’s izakaya-inspired juggernaut, is set to open its Brisbane outpost on Warner Street, lifting the lid on a multifaceted offering that includes Japanese-style eats, banging cocktails, arcade games, karaoke and much, much more. We got a pre-opening tour of the joint before its grand unveiling – here’s what we saw …
When Goros first opened in Sydney roughly ten years ago, Elliot Solomon was 25. This week Elliot turns 35 and, coincidentally, it’s also the week when Solotel cuts the ribbon on Goros Brisbane.
This confluence of milestones, whether an engineered occurrence or sheer happenstance, puts Elliot in a bit of a reflective mood. When we catch up with the Solotel CEO days before the official opening of Goros Brisbane, Elliot draws parallels between his own maturation and that of the Japanese-inspired party palace – regarded by many Sydneysiders as one of the best places to cut loose.
“I still like to go out, I still like to dance and I still like to sing karaoke, but I also like to eat nice food and I also like to drink nice alcohol,” says Elliot. “I’m a little bit more refined, I would say – that’s just what happens as you get older.”
Likewise Goros Brisbane, according to Elliot, is a slightly more refined interpretation of its Surry Hills sibling – still young at heart and rambunctious, but also more self assured.
Located on Warner Street in the digs formerly home to Little Valley, Goros wraps together the best aspects of restaurant, bar and club in a neon-lit, izakaya-inspired package. Compared to its Sydney counterpart, Goros Brisbane is quite roomy – a quality that attracted the Solotel team when presented with the opportunity to take on the venue.
“The Warner Street space is actually unlike Sydney, which is much more like a black box,” explains Elliot. “This place is, architecturally, a really beautiful space with high ceilings. It’s got a really great energy about it. Even though it’s big, there’s still a lot of intimate nooks and spaces.”
Drawing inspiration from the heaving alleyways of Tokyo, Goros delivers on atmosphere from the jump, offering a transportive experience for up to 500 patrons. Via a laneway entrance (the laneway in question now forms part of the new Warner Lane microprecinct), guests are presented with a choose-your-own-adventure-style array of things to do.
Goros Downstairs is loud and lively, with buzzing indoor and alfresco dining areas anchored by a lengthy bar. Every bit of available wall and ceiling space is covered in Japanese-inspired decorative elements, including paper lanterns, artworks and bunting flags suspended from the ceiling. On the venue’s Warner Street side is a neon-lit games area, with ping pong tables, arcade consoles and a DJ booth for those with energy to burn.
Head up a flight of stairs near the main entrance and you’ll find Goros Upstairs. Described as the more intimate and refined side of Goros, this is where the venue’s three private karaoke rooms are situated (equipped with disco balls, cushy couches and state-of-the-art crowdDJ systems), as well as the venue’s second bar. This haunt, which has been kept secret until now, is an ode to Okinawa-style A-sign bars – post-war boozers that catered primarily to American soldiers. Boasting dark wood detailing, old Japanese Ukiyo-e-style woodblock prints and arcade games, the bar offers a slower pace, but retains the electric energy. With every window in the venue coated in a red-hued film, even a daytime expedition to Goros feels like stepping into another world, a quality Elliot and his team have strived hard to pull off.
“I think why Goros has been so well received in Sydney – and why I think it will be well received here – is because it’s a real experience,” says Elliot. “You feel like you’ve been transported to a different place. The fundamental magic of hospitality is that feeling where you can escape from daily life. I think that’s definitely the case with Goros.”
Subscribe for updates
In addition to a few extra amenities, Goros Brisbane ups the ante over Sydney with its food and drink offering.
“Brisbane is more like a grown up Goros in that it’s still delivering the same sort of fun and that experience, but here we’re much more serious about food,” explains Elliot. “There’s a more extensive menu and the drinks program is much more considered.”
On the food front, Solotel executive chef Hamish Ingham has crafted a menu that celebrates bold Japanese flavours. The offering starts with snacks like saltbush tempura with chilli miso mayo, squid karaage with salt and sancho pepper, and fried cauliflower. Up next is a host of new additions, such as raw plates like kingfish sashimi with pickled ginger, rainbow chirashi sushi, tuna-filled temaki rolls and handmade gyoza. A ‘Baos and Buns’ section is where you’ll find Goros’ famous UFO Beef Burger, and duck and pickled cucumber baos.
On the mains front, there’s Oakey black wagyu steak with tama miso glaze, king prawns with scallops, yakisoba noodles and Japanese barbecue sauce, and Alaskan king crab with chilli miso butter and fries. To finish, the matcha soft-serve ice-cream with pistachio praline can’t be beat. Goros is also offering a banquet menu, available at a very reasonable $49 per person.
For drinks, you’ve got plenty of options. Downstairs, the beverage line-up is anchored by a range of Japanese beers, premium spirits (including Suntory 196s) and flavour-packed cocktails. Highlights include a creamy matcha pina colada with boba pearls on top, sake spritzes and Goros’ iconic sake bombs. The upstairs bar boasts its own drinks list, including a selection of awamori and sake, plus a clutch of highballs, and cocktails like the Fugu Zombie – a whisky-forward concoction mixing nashi pear and pineapple, served in the head of an anglerfish.
Underlining all of the above is Goros’ schedule of entertainment, which will include ping pong tournaments, themed karaoke nights and Pokémon-themed ‘Jag the Joker’ events.
With a decade of operation under its belt, Goros knows how to deliver a good time. That said, the Solotel team isn’t relying on past success to make sure Goros is a hit in Brisbane. If anything, Goros will continue to push into new territory with the aim of ensuring it continues to deliver – be it for date-night dinners, pop-in drinks or rowdy group revelry.
“I would say Brisbane is quite different – it’s a more grown up, cooler version of the Sydney venue,” says Elliot. “It’s probably going to lead Sydney, in terms of how we want Sydney to change to be more like Brisbane moving forward.”
Goros officially opens to the public on Friday February 21. Head to The Directory for more details.