Dine BNE City
Attention all foodies – clear your schedules between May 13–30, because the inner city is coming alive for Dine BNE City, a celebration of The City’s best restaurants and bars. Today marks the official release of the jam-packed program, which sees a total of 50 venues coming together to offer 80 distinct experiences across lunch, dinner, drinks and a clutch of special events. Dine BNE City will look to inject some excitement back into weekday lunching for Let’s Do Lunch, with many top-notch venues offering a range of delicious deals including a $35 flank steak and glass of pinot noir combo at Fatcow Steak & Lobster, a $25 charcoal barbecue lunch at Navala Churrascaria, and a two-course lunch for $35 per person at the Port Office Hotel. At night, participating restaurants will offer exclusive set menus for Dine BNE City’s Supper Club, with highlights including a three-course feast of Jonah crab claws in Old Bay butter, dry-aged porterhouse with creamed spinach and winter berry cobbler at Walter’s Steakhouse, a swordfish carpaccio, tiger prawn and Fraser Island crab linguine, and Sicilian lemon tart trio at COPPA, and Saké Restaurant & Bar’s New Classics menu boasting popcorn shrimp, steamed prawn dumplings, 200-g Zabuton wagyu rump cap and Hiramasa kingfish. Cocktail lovers are encouraged to go on a Bar Safari and hunt down Dine BNE City’s special snack-and-drink pairings, which include woodfired pizza and a frosty Burleigh Brewing Co. beer at Will & Flow, a $20 wine tasting and cheese board at City Winery’s Edward Street cellar door, and steamed duck buns with a glass of Mumm champagne at Madame Wu. It’s not all dynamo deals and frugal feasts for Dine BNE City – several one-off events including beer, wine and cocktail crawls curated by Neighbourhood Events Co (which is bringing back its famous Urban Wine Walk), seafood trails and exclusive dinners also feature on the program, which you can check out here.
Iris
With its illuminated exterior rising above Brunswick Street, Hotel X is pretty hard to miss. Early next month, folks will be able to ascend to the top of this multi-hued wonder for a spot of Mediterranean-inspired hospitality at Iris – the brand-new rooftop bar and restaurant from the Ghanem Group. Joining Hotel X’s ground-floor bistro Bisou Bisou, Iris will look to offer coastal-European vibes and terrific views spanning The City, Story Bridge and the Brisbane River. Design team Space Cubed has created an aesthetic based on a plum-and-indigo colour scheme (accented by hints of rose and gold, marble finishes, exposed stonework) and applied it across Iris’ 200-seat restaurant area, a boutique 14-seat private dining space, a cluster of poolside bungalows and dance floor. Lloyd Evans is moving from his role as head of Blackbird’s private dining and event space to take up the mantle of Iris’ head chef, working alongside executive chef Jake Nicolson to create a menu of share-style plates and tantalising cocktails that transports tastebuds to the Greek Islands and Spain. Iris will officially open to the public on Wednesday May 5 – stay tuned for an up-close look!
Spuntini Bar
Nothing says bring on the weekend like a Friday afternoon spritz. Howard Smith Wharves is angling to become the spot for end-of-week sundowners with its new Italian-inspired pop-up Spuntini Bar, which officially launched last Friday April 16. The Rivershed Bar has been transformed into an evening hangout spot, where folks can snack on the likes of pizza fritta, provolone-and-thyme arancini, spanner crab, fennel and chilli bruschetta and thin-and-crispy pizzas, and sip on cocktails and wines as the sun sets over the Brisbane River. Already in the TGIF spirit? Make a note that Spuntini Bar operates on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 5:00 pm to late.
NOTA Saturday Scran
Paddington eatery NOTA is making the last Saturday of the month a notable occurrence with the launch of its monthly boozy roast lunch series, NOTA’s Saturday Scran. The term ‘scran’ is a piece of Scottish slang often used to refer to tasty and affordable fare, so to celebrate chef Kevin Docherty’s Scottish heritage, the NOTA team will be plating up an ever-changing set menu that pays homage to the classic family roast. NOTA’s first scran soiree is taking place between 12:00–3:00 pm on Saturday April 24 and will feature a menu of eats made from Australian produce – think roast pork belly, crispy garlic-and-thyme potatoes, buttered Dutch carrots, Yorkshire pudding, house apple sauce and gravy. A curated drinks list will also be available, featuring a signature cocktail plus a specially selected red and white wine. Click here for a glimpse at the full menu and booking details.
Regional Flavours
If you’ve been salivating over the Regional Flavours program since it was announced earlier this month, then you’re likely well aware that tickets for the festival’s first major event Grazed + Grown go on sale this Friday April 23. For those not up to speed, Grazed + Grown will fill an entire weekend (June 18–20, to be precise) with cooking demonstrations, talks with renowned culinary figures, live music, loads of locally sourced produce and flowing craft beers and cocktails. Mark a reminder in your calendar for this Friday, bookmark this page and get ready to snap up tickets or risk missing out on what’s shaping up to be a phenomenal weekend of food and fun.
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