Food & Dining

Where to Eat in Brisbane: A Neighbourhood Food Guide

Brisbane's dining scene has come of age. This guide takes you through the city's best eating precincts, markets, and café strips — organised by neighbourhood so you know exactly where to go.

Five years ago, the honest assessment of Brisbane's food scene was "promising but behind Sydney and Melbourne." That's no longer true. The city's restaurant culture has shifted dramatically — driven by a new wave of chef-owned openings, interstate operators expanding north ahead of the 2032 Olympics, and a local produce advantage (Moreton Bay seafood, Stanthorpe wines, tropical Queensland fruit) that gives kitchens here ingredients other cities can't easily access. James Street, Fish Lane, and Howard Smith Wharves have matured into genuine dining precincts. New arrivals like Attimi in Paddington, Marlowe on Fish Lane, and The Summit atop Mt Coot-tha have added ambition and range. And the city's multicultural food — particularly along Boundary Street in West End and in the Valley's Chinatown — remains some of the best-value eating in any Australian capital.

This guide is organised by neighbourhood, because in Brisbane, where you eat is as important as what you eat. Each dining precinct has its own personality, price range, and mood — and knowing which one matches what you're after on a given evening saves the kind of aimless scrolling that leads to mediocre choices. Whether you want a $16 bowl of pho on Boundary Street, oysters and natural wine in a laneway, or a tasting menu with river views, it's here.

Dining Precincts

Where Brisbane Eats Best

The main neighbourhoods where restaurants, bars, and cafés concentrate — each with a distinct character and price range.

West End — Boundary Street

Brisbane's most multicultural dining strip — family-run, affordable, and endlessly varied

Best for: value & variety Budget: $12–30 Walk from South Bank

Boundary Street is the single best eating strip in Brisbane for visitors who want diversity and value. The stretch runs for about a kilometre and is lined with family-run restaurants serving Greek, Vietnamese, Ethiopian, Nepalese, Thai, Turkish, and Middle Eastern food — most of it very affordable and much of it genuinely excellent. This isn't a curated dining precinct; it's an organic, slightly chaotic, multicultural high street where you choose by walking, reading the handwritten specials boards, and trusting the queues.

The Greek restaurants have been here for decades and are some of the most reliable in the city. The Vietnamese pho and bánh mì joints are packed at lunch. The Ethiopian and Nepalese places are the kind of gems that food writers keep putting on best-of lists. There are also independent bakeries, craft breweries, gelato shops, and a handful of more contemporary restaurants pushing the neighbourhood upscale without losing its character. West End is where locals eat when they want a good meal without a reservation or a dress code.

Start here

Walk the full length of Boundary Street on a Friday or Saturday evening — the atmosphere is at its best. For a completely different experience, come to the Davies Park Market on Saturday morning (6am–2pm) for farmers' produce, street food, and live music under the mango trees by the river.

Fish Lane — South Brisbane

Laneway murals, natural wine, and some of Brisbane's most interesting kitchens

Best for: wine bars & small plates Budget: $30–80 Near GOMA & South Bank

Fish Lane is a narrow laneway in South Brisbane that has become one of Brisbane's most talked-about dining strips. It's just a few blocks from GOMA and the South Bank Parklands, but feels like a completely different world — mural-covered walls, small-format wine bars, Southeast Asian restaurants, contemporary bistros, and a serious cocktail bar or two. The precinct is compact enough to walk end-to-end in five minutes, which makes it easy to wander, compare menus, and choose on the night.

Southside, from the team behind Rick Shores on the Gold Coast, has been one of Brisbane's most popular Southeast Asian restaurants since opening. Marlowe, a multi-level Art Deco-inspired bistro that arrived in 2025, brought a polished European sensibility. Clarence, originally a Woolloongabba favourite, relocated to a prime Fish Lane corner with refined Euro-style cooking. The lane also has wine bars where you can sit with a glass of skin-contact orange wine and a cheese plate and watch the street art change colour as the light fades. Fish Lane is where Brisbane's food scene feels most like Melbourne — in the best possible sense.

Start here

Fish Lane works best as a pre- or post-GOMA dinner destination. Walk through the lane, pick a spot that appeals, and don't overthink it — the general quality here is high. Pair it with South Bank and you have a full cultural evening.

James Street — Fortitude Valley

Brisbane's most polished dining precinct — fashion, fine dining, and the Calile Hotel

Best for: special occasions Budget: $50–150+ Train to Fortitude Valley

James Street is where Brisbane dresses up. This tree-lined stretch in Fortitude Valley is the city's most curated dining and retail precinct — designer boutiques, homewares showrooms, the Calile Hotel (Brisbane's most architecturally notable hotel), and a concentration of restaurants that skew upscale but never feel stuffy. The dining here ranges from refined Italian at Bianca to the fire-driven Australian cooking at Agnes, which operates out of a heritage-listed former bacon factory and has become one of Brisbane's most celebrated restaurants. Essa's, behind its brass doors, showcases seasonal produce with woodfire grilling. Penelope, a newer arrival, brings a glamorous European supper-club energy with late-night dancing.

James Street is the precinct for a special dinner — an anniversary, a birthday, or simply a night where you want the full experience of food, design, and atmosphere working together. It's also home to some of Brisbane's best casual daytime dining, with excellent cafés and brunch spots that are more accessible (and more affordable) than the evening restaurants suggest.

Start here

Agnes for a fire-cooked tasting menu. Bianca for Italian with a sleek fit-out near the Calile. Penelope for cocktails and late-night dining. During the day, the cafés along the street are excellent for brunch before browsing the boutiques.

Howard Smith Wharves

Riverside dining under the Story Bridge — from craft beer to Cantonese fine dining

Best for: setting & atmosphere Budget: $25–120 Walk from CBD or New Farm

Howard Smith Wharves occupies a stretch of revitalised heritage wharves directly beneath the Story Bridge, right on the river. It's one of Brisbane's most spectacular dining settings — the lit-up bridge overhead, the city skyline across the water, and a cluster of restaurants and bars that range from casual to refined. Felons Brewing Co. is the anchor: a large, open-plan craft brewery with waterfront seating, house-brewed beers, and a relaxed atmosphere that draws crowds on warm evenings. It's the most popular single venue in the precinct and works for groups, families, and casual dinners.

The more serious dining happens at Greca — a refined Greek-inspired restaurant with an exceptional wine list — and Stanley, a Cantonese restaurant that has been a Brisbane favourite since 2019. Stanley's newer upstairs sibling, Stan's Lounge, adds Hong Kong-inspired snacks and cocktails in a retro setting. There's also Fellini's Trattoria for Italian street food among olive trees, and a boutique hotel for visitors who want to sleep right on the water. Howard Smith Wharves is the precinct where the food, the view, and the atmosphere combine most successfully — it's where you bring visitors to show them why Brisbane works.

Start here

Felons for a casual beer on the water. Greca for a special Greek-inspired dinner. Stanley for Cantonese fine dining. Walk from the CBD via the Story Bridge pedestrian path, or from New Farm via the Riverwalk — both approaches are stunning, especially at sunset.

Chinatown & Brunswick Street — The Valley

Late-night dumplings, pho, Korean BBQ, and the Valley's grittier, cheaper side

Best for: late-night & Asian food Budget: $10–25 Train to Fortitude Valley

Walk a few blocks from the polished boutiques of James Street and you're in a completely different Valley. Brisbane's Chinatown and the Brunswick Street Mall area are rougher around the edges and far more interesting for budget eating. This is where you come for hand-pulled noodles, dumpling houses that serve until late, Vietnamese pho restaurants, Korean BBQ buffets, late-night bakeries, and the kind of Asian groceries where you can spend an hour browsing ingredients you've never seen before.

The dining here is unpretentious and often very cheap — a generous bowl of pho or a plate of dumplings rarely tops $18. It's also where Brisbane's food scene connects most directly with its Asian-Australian communities, which means the cooking tends to be more authentic and less adapted for a mainstream palate. For visitors, it's the best eating in the Valley if you're not in the mood for a $60 main, and it's one of the few parts of Brisbane where you can eat well after 10pm.

Start here

Wander through the Chinatown gates on Duncan Street and let your nose guide you. Dumplings are the Valley's signature cheap eat. Come after a show at the Fortitude Music Hall or The Tivoli — the noodle houses are still serving when most of Brisbane has shut its kitchens.

New Farm — Merthyr Village & Beyond

Brisbane's café capital — specialty coffee, weekend brunch, and the Saturday farmers market

Best for: brunch & coffee Budget: $15–30 Ferry access

New Farm is where Brisbane does brunch best. The streets around Merthyr Road and Brunswick Street (the New Farm end, not the Valley) are packed with specialty coffee roasters, bakeries, and all-day cafés that take their food seriously — this isn't just avocado toast and flat whites, though both are excellent. The café culture here is genuinely embedded in the neighbourhood; tables spill onto footpaths, dogs are tied to railings, and there's a Saturday-morning energy that makes this one of the most pleasant places to eat in the city.

On Saturdays, the Jan Powers Farmers Markets take over New Farm Park with local produce, artisan bread, charcuterie, pastries, and prepared food from early morning. It's one of Brisbane's best markets — smaller and more curated than Eat Street, with a focus on quality ingredients rather than volume. For dinner, New Farm blends into the James Street precinct at its western edge, giving you access to both the relaxed neighbourhood cafés and the Valley's more ambitious restaurants within a short walk.

Start here

Saturday morning: farmers markets at New Farm Park, then brunch on Merthyr Road. Any morning: pick a café on Brunswick Street and settle in. The CityHopper ferry stops at Sydney Street, making this an easy trip from South Bank or the CBD.

Markets & Street Food

Brisbane's Best Food Markets

Weekend markets are central to Brisbane's food culture — they're where the city eats most casually and most diversely.

Eat Street Northshore

70+ food stalls in shipping containers on a heritage wharf — Brisbane's biggest night market

Fri–Sat 4–10pm, Sun 4–9pm Hamilton 70+ traders

Eat Street Northshore is Brisbane's largest and most well-known food market. Built from 180 repurposed shipping containers on a disused wharf at Hamilton, it covers over 10,000 square metres and hosts more than 70 food traders alongside five themed bars, live music across four stages, and eclectic retail stalls. The food spans six continents: dumplings, woodfired pizza, lamb yiros, pork belly, Korean BBQ, oysters, crème brûlée doughnuts, gelato, and dozens more options. It's loud, colourful, and designed for grazing — you buy small plates from different stalls and assemble your own meal.

Eat Street is 15 minutes from the CBD by car and accessible via the CityCat ferry to Northshore Hamilton terminal. There's free parking for about 1,000 cars, though it fills up on Saturday nights. The market has been running for over a decade and draws a genuinely mixed crowd — tourists, families, date-night couples, and groups of friends. It's not the place for a quiet dinner, but it's an excellent evening out if you want variety, atmosphere, and the energy of a big market.

Tip: Arrive at opening (4pm) to avoid the worst of the queues and grab a table. Share — buying smaller portions from more stalls is better than committing to one large meal. Check the website for dietary filters if you have specific requirements. The CityCat ferry is a more enjoyable arrival than driving.

Other Markets Worth Knowing

Farmers markets, riverside produce, and South Bank's Friday & Saturday Collective Markets

Weekends Mostly free entry Various locations

Beyond Eat Street, Brisbane has a strong weekend market culture. The Jan Powers Farmers Markets at New Farm Park (Saturday mornings) are the most popular for quality produce, artisan goods, and prepared food in a beautiful riverside setting. Davies Park Market in West End (Saturday 6am–2pm) is more eclectic — multicultural street food, handmade crafts, and live music under the trees by the river. It's less polished than New Farm but arguably more interesting, and the food stalls rotate regularly.

South Bank's Collective Markets run on Friday evenings and Saturday evenings, combining handmade goods with food and performance art in the parklands. They're smaller and more curated than the farmers markets, and conveniently located for visitors staying near the CBD or South Bank. For fresh produce shopping rather than eating, the Rocklea Markets (Saturday mornings, south of the city) are Brisbane's main wholesale produce market and open to the public — vast, no-frills, and extremely good value.

Eating Well on a Budget in Brisbane

Brisbane is one of the more affordable Australian capitals for eating out, but costs add up. Here's how to eat well without overspending.

$10–20: Best Cheap Eats

Boundary Street West End for pho, dumplings, and $15 lunch specials. Chinatown in the Valley for noodles and late-night bakeries. Bánh mì from Vietnamese bakeries across the inner suburbs. Davies Park Market stalls on Saturday mornings.

$20–40: Mid-Range

Brunch anywhere in New Farm or Paddington ($18–28). Eat Street Northshore (budget $25–35 for a satisfying graze). Fish Lane wine bars for a glass and small plates. Howard Smith Wharves at Felons for a casual beer and pizza.

$50–100: Special Occasion

Dinner at Greca, Stanley, or Essa's on James Street. Fish Lane bistros like Marlowe or Clarence. OTTO at South Bank for Italian with river views. The Summit on Mt Coot-tha for fine dining with a panorama.

Free & Nearly Free

The CityHopper ferry is free — ride it to New Farm for brunch. GOMA and QAG are free to enter. South Bank Parklands and Streets Beach are free. Combine free activities with one great meal rather than three mediocre ones.

Practical Notes for Visitors

Booking: Most casual restaurants and cafés don't require booking. For James Street restaurants (Agnes, Bianca, Essa's), Fish Lane bistros, and any dinner at Howard Smith Wharves on a Friday or Saturday night, book at least a few days ahead. Peak Brisbane dining hours are Friday and Saturday from 6:30–8:30pm.

Tipping: Tipping is not expected in Australia. Service charges are not added to bills. If you've had excellent service, 10% is generous and appreciated, but it's entirely optional.

Dietary needs: Brisbane restaurants are generally good with dietary requirements — vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are widely available, especially in the inner suburbs. Let the kitchen know when ordering rather than assuming menus cover everything.

What to try: Moreton Bay bugs (a local shellfish, not actually bugs) are the signature Brisbane ingredient — you'll find them on menus from Howard Smith Wharves to Mt Coot-tha. Queensland prawns, mango in season (November–February), and Stanthorpe wine from the nearby Granite Belt region are also distinctly local.

Taste Brisbane with Local Guides

The best way to eat in a new city is with someone who knows where to go. Explore Brisbane's food scene on foot with Cooee Tours.

Browse Cooee Tours