The Rose & Crown
Some new life is coursing through Brisbane’s pub scene to start 2024. On Thursday February 29, The Rose & Crown – a brand-new gastropub paying homage to the alehouses and local inns of the UK – will open inside the gorgeous two-level heritage-listed Queenslander previously home to Little Big House. The Rose & Crown’s owner Alex Derrick is channelling industry experience gathered over 20 years working in more than 80 pubs across London, the South of England and Wales, transforming the site – alongside his wife Bella, an experienced interior stylist – into a locale imbued with the same classic hospitality. Beer drinkers will froth when they hear that The Rose & Crown will be one of the only Queensland pubs serving traditional cask beer, direct from the cask. Tap brews will include Birra Moretti, Brewdog and Magners, with the all-important Guinness tap pouring what Alex promises will be some of the finest pints you’ll find outside of Dublin. A 40-strong wine list will showcase a range of old-world gems, with plans in the works to explore historic regions and varietals via monthly wine dinners. The Rose & Crown team is taking its food seriously, with head chef Kevin Honeywood in charge of the menu, which will be constantly rotating. British pub staples like beer-battered fish and chips, Scotch eggs and house-made steak-and-ale pies will be joined by a suite of modern dishes. Fans of a Sunday roast will be able to pop in all day for roast feasts, complete with Yorkshire pudding, veggies, and plenty of gravy. Once open, The Rose & Crown will host weekly trivia nights and live-music performances, and will screen the biggest sporting fixtures. There’ll even be a karaoke room for folks to belt out a few numbers of their own, if the mood strikes. The Rose & Crown will be celebrating its official launch with a grand-opening party on Wednesday March 13. Keep your eyes peeled for a look inside in the coming weeks.
Cooee Cafe and Restaurant
There’s nothing like a cold drink and a feed after a day on the links, so avid golfers will be stoked to hear that Minnippi Golf & Range in Cannon Hill is set to unveil a new premium food and beverage destination later this month. On Friday February 16, the course will celebrate the grand opening of Cooee Cafe and Restaurant, which will be serving lunch daily, dinner Wednesday to Sunday and breakfast on weekends from 7:30 am. Head chef Lenes Pawar (formerly of Corbett & Claude) is overseeing a broad menu that encompasses antipasti boards, snacks like mushroom arancini, mains such as pork belly stuffed with Italian sausage and served with roast vegetables, clubhouse classics like steak sandwiches with house relish, a six-strong selection of pizzas, and pasta dishes like linguine with garlic prawns. Cooee’s bar dispenses a range of libations, including wine, beer, classic cocktails, smoothies, juices, milkshakes and specialty coffee from Bear Bones. Minnippi Golf & Range will be celebrating Cooee’s opening with a weekend of activities, culminating on a family fun day on Sunday February 18 featuring face painting, live music, a petting zoo, a jumping castle and an obstacle course. For more information, head to the Minnippi Golf & Range website.
Justin Lane
A once-buzzing corner of Fortitude Valley will soon be reenergised, with the group behind Burleigh Heads institution Justin Lane taking over the corner previously home to Alfred & Constance. Renowned for its pizza, pasta and party vibes, Justin Lane will look to bring much of its beloved offering to its Brisbane expansion site, which is undergoing a timely refurb. The landlord is currently in the process of refreshing the site’s existing heritage-listed buildings, and is also adding a new rooftop bar. Once complete, the Justin Lane crew – alongside Space Cubed Design Studio – will add its signature aesthetic spin to the venue, which will boast a 200-capacity dining area, a high-end underground cocktail bar, a casual coffee spot and the aforementioned rooftop space. The menu will be the same as Burleigh Heads to start, with sourdough pizzas and handmade pasta to star alongside a stellar cocktail list. Expect wine to be a bigger focus, with the Justin Lane team eager to bolster the range of its vino to better cater to Brisbane oenophiles. Justin Lane Brisbane is looking to open to the public by the midway point of the year – get more details here.
The Alliance Hotel
In case you missed the news last week, we revealed that there’s some new hands at the helm of Spring Hill’s storied pub, The Alliance Hotel. The Boundary Street icon is now under the custodianship of the crew from Frog’s Hollow Saloon – the Charlotte Street honky tonk regarded by many as one of Brisbane’s best bars. The crew has wasted no time putting things in order, stocking the back bar with 50 whiskies (20 of which are American), 20 gins and about 30 rums, transforming the beer list into a majority craft offering and adding six approachable cocktails to the menu. The bistro menu has also been tweaked, with the kitchen delivering classic pub food with a twist – think snacks like white anchovies on brioche toast, Scotch eggs, fried pickles and steak tartare and mains including Cumberland pork rope sausages with mash and house-made gravy, and mussels with white wine, garlic and parsley. The team will also be adding a few aesthetic touch-ups to the building, including refurbishing the venue’s downstairs function spaces. The Alliance Hotel is now open to the public from 12:00–10:00, Tuesday to Sunday.
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