🌉 Riverside Precinct
Howard Smith Wharves
A derelict shipyard directly beneath the Story Bridge, redeveloped into the best-sited eating and drinking precinct in Brisbane — bridge overhead, river in front, cliffs opposite.
Under
The Story Bridge
Brewery
On site
~15 min
Riverwalk from the CBD
Free
To walk through
Howard Smith Wharves occupies a narrow strip between the Story Bridge and the river on the CBD side, hemmed in by a cliff face behind. It was a working wharf and shipyard, then derelict for decades, and it reopened as a public precinct in 2018.
What It Is
Not a suburb — a single precinct, walkable end to end in a few minutes. It holds a brewery, a hotel, several restaurants and bars, event spaces and a stretch of open riverside lawn.
The site is free to walk through and the lawn is public. You do not need to buy anything to sit by the river under the bridge, which is what a lot of locals do.
The cliff behind and the bridge above give it an enclosed, dramatic feel that no other Brisbane precinct has.
The History
The wharves handled coastal shipping from the 1930s and the site includes World War II air-raid shelters cut into the cliff face, which survive and are visible.
After the shipping moved downriver the site was abandoned for decades — a well-known piece of derelict Brisbane directly beneath its most recognisable landmark. The redevelopment kept the wharf structures and the cliff rather than levelling them.
Eating and Drinking
The brewery is the anchor and has the best river outlook of any of Brisbane's craft venues. Restaurants range from casual to substantial, and there are bars along the water.
It is busiest Friday and Saturday evenings and books out for those. Weekday lunchtimes and Sunday afternoons are the calmer version.
It skews slightly older and more polished than Fortitude Valley — this is where you go for dinner with a view rather than a late night.
Getting There, and the Walk
The approach is half the appeal. The Riverwalk reaches it from the CBD in about fifteen minutes on foot, flat and sealed, with the river alongside.
From above, stairs and a lift come down from the Story Bridge approach at the Fortitude Valley end. The CityCat stops at Holman Street across the water and at the Riverside terminals in the city.
Parking on site is limited and expensive. Walking or the ferry is genuinely the better option here.
What Is Nearby
The Story Bridge is directly overhead, and its footpaths are free to walk. The bridge climb operates from the Kangaroo Point side across the water.
The Riverwalk continues downstream to New Farm in about forty minutes. Fortitude Valley is up the hill behind.
Common Questions
A former shipyard and wharf directly beneath the Story Bridge, derelict for decades and redeveloped into a riverside precinct with a brewery, restaurants, bars and parkland.
Yes. The site is free to walk through and the riverside lawn is public — you do not need to buy anything to sit by the river under the bridge.
The Riverwalk from the CBD takes about fifteen minutes on foot. Stairs and a lift come down from the Story Bridge approach, and the CityCat stops nearby.
Friday and Saturday evenings, which book out. Weekday lunchtimes and Sunday afternoons are much calmer.
Limited and expensive. Walking the Riverwalk or taking the ferry is genuinely the better option.
It handled coastal shipping from the 1930s and includes World War II air-raid shelters cut into the cliff face, which survive and are visible.
More polished and slightly older in crowd — dinner with a view rather than a late night. The Valley is up the hill behind it.
Keep Planning
The Story BridgeDirectly overheadBrisbane River WalkThe approach on footBrisbane NightlifeAfter dark across the cityAll NeighbourhoodsThe full area guideWhere to StayAreas, hotels and ratesGetting AroundThe 50c fare explained
Cooee Tours acknowledges the Turrbal and Yuggera (Jagera) peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which Brisbane stands. We pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging.
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