today’s city guide is dedicated to another wonderful city in australia: brisbane! kylie timmins, a art book editor for the queensland art gallery (and 10 year brisbane resident), created today’s guide- which is full of great places to shop and snack. i hope you’ll enjoy her guide to brisbane as much as i did! thanks so much to kylie for all her hard work. [arbour walk image via our brisbane]
[want to share your insider's guide to a city? i'm currently looking for new city guides to a number of areas in the states and abroad so if you think you know all the must-see spots in your town just shoot me an email right here!]
CLICK HERE for the full brisbane guide after the jump!
There is an old saying around here, made famous in the film of the same name 2007, that ‘all my friends are leaving Brisbane’. In the past, all of your friends really did leave Brisbane, usually for Melbourne or, occasionally, the UK. Now, it seems, the tables have turned — these days, Brisbane is full of exciting things that bring our friends from the southern capital cities to visit (or sometimes even to live). Here, I intend to let the rest of the world in on just a small selection of what the River City has on offer. Although this is certainly not an exhaustive list, everything included here will no doubt lead you to find other exciting places in and around Brisbane.
A bit about me: I work in arts publishing, editing art books and dealing with copyright matters. In my spare time, I like to dabble in a little novice interior decorating, and buy nice new homewares from internet land (and many of the stores listed here, of course!). You can catch a glimpse of my decorating efforts at my blog, Flying Ducks.
Shopping
West End:
On Boundary Street is Avid Reader, specialising in the best new fiction and non-fiction. They stock an excellent range of literature, politics, arts, cooking, biography and travel books, plus heaps more. Their staff are extremely helpful and knowledgeable, and they even have a coffee shop at the back of the store where you can kick back and enjoy your new purchases.
If you’re looking for a recycled outfit that no-one else is likely to be wearing, this is the place to visit. Box Vintage is chock full of retro and vintage delights for both boys and girls, as well as plenty of knick knacks to feast your eyes on.
Here’s one for the boys (perhaps a place to visit while the girls are shopping at Nook a few doors up — see below). Eric van Genderen’s boutique bike shop is filled with plenty of accessories, parts, clothing, books, magazines, DVDs and, of course, bikes (mainly fixed-gear).
Newly opened store Nook, run by West End local Michelle Gillies, is filled with an abundance of gorgeous treasures. Think of all the stuff you ever wanted to buy on etsy crammed into the one location, plus heaps more! There is so much cuteness here you simply won’t know what to pick up first.
You may not think the idea of visiting a shop full of discarded ‘garbage’ sounds appealing, but I can guarantee you’ll walk out with something, even if you don’t quite know what to do with it yet. Old bits of stationery, rubber and fabric off cuts, canisters, mannequins, chocolate moulds, bubble wrap, tiles, buttons — all you need is an imagination to create something special!
Trash Video is an independent store which has well and truly earned its status as Australia’s largest cult video store. All the stuff the local Blockbuster doesn’t have can be found here, with more than 12 000 titles to choose from (most of them on VHS, although many are now on DVD as well). If you don’t have a video player, don’t despair — you can hire one!
Fortitude Valley and New Farm:
Interior designer Anna Spiro’s New Farm store is constantly changing, with new collections of treasures constantly appearing in the windows — often with a mix of vintage and contemporary items. Anna’s Absolutely Beautiful Things blog has garnered a mention on websites around the world, including none other than Design Sponge.
If being mesmerised by gorgeous chandeliers is your thing, stop in at the ECC showroom on James Street. In addition to the tantalising light fittings, they have plenty of beautifully designed furniture, homewares and accessories to keep you browsing for quite a while.
Emporium is the place to experience fine shopping and dining, with lovers of fashion, homewares, books and jewellery all catered for. Highlights include the couture fabric collection at Alla Moda, Coaldrakes book store and cafe, and the range of home decor and accessories at Ollie & Lloyd.
Having started off as a small store in Elizabeth Arcade in the city in 1990, Thea Basilou’s Blonde Venus store now calls Fortitude Valley home. Thea stocks a range of designer mens and womens fashion labels, including Akira, Richard Nicoll, Six-Scents, Dr Denim and Linda Farrow.
Deanne Mayocchi creates instantly recognisable pieces with a focus on stunning Japanese fabrics. In addition to Deanne’s stunning designer clothing, the store also stocks a range of gorgeous accessories. Maiocchi also have fabulous sales several times a year where, if you’re lucky, you can often get hold of one-off samples at a bargain price.
Mod Cons stocks a huge range of fun accessories, from homewares and gadgets right through to jewellery and novelties. It’s also one of only a couple of places in Brisbane where you can buy Dinosaur Designs products.
This tiny little store in Winn Street carries a nice range of designer products from around the world, including clothing, books, magazines and jewellery. They also present the annual exhibition ‘I Used to Skate Once’, featuring skateboard texts turned into art — always a great show!
Lovers of great furniture design should not overlook Space Furniture. You can spend literally hours in here admiring the many gorgeous pieces, including many fabulous Kartell chairs and cabinets. Phillippe Starck louis ghost chair, anyone?
TBC (linking Brunswick Street and Chinatown Malls in the Valley) is Brisbane’s new centre for urban fashion, housed in the TC Beirne Centre constructed in the early 1900s. Today, the building is home to contemporary fashion and design stores, including Tokidoki, Gail Sorronda, Paradiso and Barcode.
City:
Archives
A word of warning: if you step foot into Archives, you risk getting lost for a few hours — the sign outside boasts that there are more than one million second-hand books inside! Hidden inside a gorgeous old building on Charlotte Street, complete with creaky old floorboards, Archives is a must visit destination for any literature lover.
Brisbane doesn’t have its own Camper store (yet), and Children of the Revolution is one of the only places in town to buy the wonderful Spanish footwear (as well as other brands such as Birkenstock, Kickers and Timberland). The place is actually run by a podiatrist, so if you have bad feet (like me) but still want nice shoes sans heels, look no further than this place!
Gallery Store/Gallery Store Modern
Just a short walk from the city centre over Victoria Bridge (and the soon-to-be-opened Kurilpa Bridge) are the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art (or GoMA to the locals). If you’re after stunning art books and limited edition pieces, be sure to visit their retail outlets. In addition to the extensive range of art books, magazines, postcards and exhibition catalogues, you will find an enticing array of jewellery by Australian and international designers, as well as contemporary design objects and art merchandise.
The Museum of Brisbane (MoB) Store is truly a celebration of local talent, with more than 250 artists represented in areas such as craft, design, jewellery and literature. Visitors are also allowed the rare opportunity to see artisans at work at MoB Workspace, which hosts resident jewellers at the Store.
Right in the city centre is the Queens Plaza complex, which opened in 2006. It’s the place to visit for more of your ‘high-end’ stores, including Tiffany & Co., French Connection, Aesop and Louis Vuitton, as well as Australian players such as Alannah Hill, Herringbone and Peter Alexander (maker of the world’s best pyjamas!).
On the first Sunday of every month, the markets at Southbank reserve the stalls for young designers. It’s a great place to get your hands on fashion, accessories and homewares designed by Brisbane’s up-and-coming artists.
Further afield:
Woolloongabba
If modernist furniture design is your thing, pop into Add Vintage on Nile Street. This is where you can find original retro, Danish and Eames-era items, right through from lounge suites and sideboards to vases and dinnerware. You’ll feel like you’ve stepped into a time machine and been transported back about 40 years!
Paddington and Brisbane City
Biome is chock full of eco-friendly products for everyone, including beauty, toys, cleaning, cookware, pets and even composting. Oh, of course, they also sell the range of Dagoba organic chocolate!
Paddington
If you’re looking for socially responsible and environmentally friendly fashion, visit Bliss Ecowear on Latrobe Terrace. Their materials include organic cottons and linens, hemp, recycled fabrics, bamboo and soy across their extensive range of men’s, women’s and kids’ clothing — right through from underwear to formal attire.
Mitchelton
As described by Bec, author of blog A Cup of Kitsch, Funky Fabrix is ‘a material-lover’s mecca’. In addition to their standard fabrics, they also sell a range of vintage Scandinavian textile for home decor purposes.
Virginia
If you can’t afford the original designs, visit Matt Blatt for a huge selection of replica furniture and accessories. The Virginia showroom on Brisbane’s north side showcases quality replicas of designs by Eames, Starck, Jacobsen, Saarinen, Wegner and heaps more.
Panda Pearls, Village Vintage and Sivad Designs
Nundah
Having recently moved into gorgeous new premises on Buckland Road, Panda Pearls is somewhere you can disappear for hours on end. This place is packed to the rafters with amazing little trinkets, homewares, accessories and, of course, pearls. Sivad Designs also creates fabulous wall art from vintage fabrics, with designs such as Marimekko and Florence Broadhurst.
Hamilton
As well as being the new home for Brisbane’s Dendy Cinema, Portside Wharf has plenty of fashion, homewares and great food. Ellia is well worth a visit, and Fresh N Wild Fish is renowned as one of Brisbane’s premier fish markets. Oh, and you can’t go past Movenpick for fabulous ice cream!
Sherwood
For crafty types, it’s worth a trip to Sherwood on the west side of town. Threads and More stock a huge range of high-quality yarns, threads, felt and craft books. They also run beginner classes on knitting, crochet and needlework, as well as ‘doctor’ classes for those stuck on a particular pattern or project.
Food and drinks
Brunswick Street, New Farm
The Alibi Room has become a Brisbane favourite — not only for the food and drinks (which are great), but also for the amusing display of retro toys on display. If you venture downstairs, past the tabletop video games, you will find the Tiki Lounge, full of bamboo, palm trees and, of course, tiki masks. The Alibi Room is worth a visit just for Taco Tuesday alone — tacos, burritos, nachos, tequila, margaritas and sangria!
Nundah
Mmmmmmm, bagels. Since Bagelos shut up shop in West End several years ago, Brisbane has been in dire need of a new bagel shop. In 2008, our wish was granted with the opening of C Word in Nundah, who make fabulous bagels for breakfast and lunch. Look out for their mascot — a big, green cactus with eyes.
Espressohead
West End
If you are in West End at breakfast time and super hungry, then you can’t go past Espressohead. They have a huge menu to choose from, and don’t skimp on the portion sizes. Both sweet and savoury breakfast options are well catered for, and you can be guaranteed to leave with a full belly.
Fortitude Valley and West End
Apparently Freestyle Tout serves lunch and dinner. I wouldn’t know this, of course, as I’ve only ever visited for a main course of dessert. Sadly the original Rosalie store is no more, but you can still visit Freestyle at Emporium in the Valley and West End for all the ice cream, cheesecake and pudding you can handle. The chocolate deluxe sundae is a winner.
East Brisbane
Since it was opened 12 years ago by Lein Yeoman, Green Papaya has earned a reputation as the place to visit for an outstanding Vietnamese dining experience. The restaurant is now owned by Vishal Sharma, and continues to serve Vietnamese as well as Indian cuisine. Word on the street is that the pork belly is to die for.
Ashgrove
The Grove Establishment is worth a visit just to sit in the dining room surrounded by Florence Broadhurst wallpaper. But, of course, they serve food too, which is absolutely fantastic (and the staff are also lovely). Downstairs, they have a huge bar and deck where you can enjoy a quiet drink (or three!).
Jam 4012
Nundah
If you want to visit Jam 4012 for weekend breakfast, get in early — sometimes the queue snakes along Sandgate Road. But the wait is worth it, with fantastic service and even better food. If you visit at lunch time, the burgers are to die for, as are the lamb and caesar salads.
New Farm
Jocelyn’s on James Street in New Farm is THE place to go for amazing pastries and other sweet treats. They do savoury too, of course, but who can go past a lemon tart? Not me. Jocelyn’s use only the best fresh ingredients, including local produce. Yum!
West End
High-quality organic ingredients and a drive to create great food result in a fine dining experience at Mondo Organics. With a passion for sustainability, the dedicated team is committed to sourcing the best local organic produce and promoting healthy eating. The food is delicious too!
Windsor
Northey Street is home to Brisbane’s only fully organic market (6.00–10.30am every Sunday), with plenty organic produce, dairy, meat and bread to get your hands on. Every other day, it’s full of dedicated people working on the sustainable farm only a few kilometres from the city centre.
Pearl Cafe
Woolloongabba
It used to be that places like this rarely existed outside West End and New Farm. Right near the start of Logan Road in Woolloongabba, nestled amongst the antique shops, is Pearl Cafe, owned by Daniel Lewis (former owner of the renowned Gunshop Cafe in West End). Pearl has earned a pretty impressive reputation since it opened, relying mostly on word of mouth. There can be a bit of a wait for weekend breakfast, but I’m assured it’s worth it.
Brisbane City
Although the old historic Shingle Inn has long been demolished, there are several places around town where you can still sample their tasty cakes. In the city centre, you can find the stores in Brisbane Square and Macarthur Central, as well as in various major shopping centres in the suburbs.
West End, Paddington and Newstead
Sol Breads began in West End in 1997 (in the basement of a restaurant), and the company remains Brisbane’s only totally organic bakery. Their breads are now distributed all over Australia, and can be found at countless health food stores and markets. The three Brisbane cafes all serve breakfast and lunch — I highly recommend the chocolate croissants.
Chermside
I didn’t think a business at a suburban shopping centre would make the list, but here it is. Sushi Sushi are responsible for arguably some of the best takeaway sushi in town. If you’re walking from the southern end of the centre, you don’t even need to walk through the busy food court to get your lunch!
Indooroopilly and Newmarket
Wray is a one-stop organic supermarket, selling fresh certified organic produce, dairy, meat, grocery items, beauty products, pet food and even wine! Both Brisbane Wray Organic stores also have cafes, serving breakfast and lunch using seasonal ingredients seven days a week.
