The James Street Food & Wine Trail is returning this weekend, running on Saturday 27 July, and the huge Market Day on Sunday 28 July, which closes down James Street from McLachlan to Arthur Street to transform the precinct into a huge urban picnic, filled with endless things to eat and drink.

This year’s Market Day line up has the highest number of participating food and bar venues to date, with new and iconic James Street venues like ēmmē, Sushi Room, James & Antler and Agnes Bakery  joining regulars like Gerard’s, Harveys and Hellenika out on the street. Between 10am and 5pm on Sunday 28 July, head on down to eat your way through bites like rooftop honey pork belly from Lobby Bar, wagyu skewers from ESSA, soft shell crab bao from Same Same and Agnes Bakery’s famous doughnut holes

With food in one hand, you’ll want a drink in the other, and there’ll be plenty of pop-up bars ready to supply one. Knock back Japanese-inspired cocktails from Sushi Room, palomas and tea highballs from The Nixon Room or charred pineapple mojitos from Sixes and Sevens, just to name a few. There’ll also be a live music stage and DJs scattered throughout the precinct and, as always, entry will be totally free.

Gelato Messina has of course come up with a limited edition treat for the special occasion, as they always do.  Introducing their Cinnie Bunstein—a doughnut gelato packed with cinnamon buns, peanut praline, baked cheesecake and brown sugar caramel that will be on offer all weekend. They’ll also be pulling out all the stops for Market Day, serving up Scoff It Down, a waffle cone filled with cheesecake gelato, chunks of baked cheesecake and biscoff spread; and the Only Crunch, Coco Pops-inspired gelato with milo fudge, marshmallows and coco pops covered in milk chocolate.

On the Saturday leading up to Market Day, some of James St’s residents will also offer one-off menu pairings, set menus and tastings, with Jocelyn’s Provisions, Cru Bar + Cellar, ESSA, ēmmē, King Arthur and The Lobby Bar serving up everything from loaded traditional lamingtons to four-course champagne lunches. 

You can browse the program for Trail Days and Market Day and plan your James Street Food & Wine Trail here. 

The Details

When: Saturday 27 July and Sunday 28 July
Where: James Street, Fortitude Valley 
Find out more here.

Following much anticipation since the initial announcement in 2022, Andrew McConnell and Jo McGann’s Supernormal will open in Brisbane on Tuesday, 23 July. As Brisbane’s dining scene continues to flourish, the Melbourne import pulls on the cuisines of international cities including Tokyo, Shanghai, Seoul and Hong Kong, all while celebrating the climate, produce and people of South East Queensland.

The move is the first interstate expansion for McConnell’s Trader House group (Cumulus Inc, Cutler & Co, Supernormal, Meatsmith, Marion Wine Bar, Gimlet, Apollo Inn and a slew of other high-profile Melbourne venues). And while Supernormal’s sibling venue Bar Miette – a Euro-inspired all-day diner with everything from Scandi breakfasts to Gildas and seriously strong Martinis – opened several weeks ago, Supernormal is the opening that gourmands in the Sunshine State have been most eagerly awaiting.

Both venues have been designed by ACME, who were in charge of the design behind Total Fusion Platinum and previously worked with McConnell and McGann on the interiors for Melbourne’s Apollo Inn and Gimlet.

Unlike Melbourne’s paired-back neon-lit and contrasting white surrounds, Supernormal Brisbane has taken on a more tropical brief, with warm tones, rattan details, green terrazzo and timber.

“It feels like the right evolution for Supernormal. Whilst the design sets the two restaurants apart, there is a DNA that runs through them that is grounded in the food, the service, the drinks and the sense of location,”  McConnell said in a statement.

Located on the riverside level, the grand dwelling has views to the Story Bridge, with both indoor and riverside dining for up to 150 guests, plus an upstairs private dining area for up to 50.

The menu is structured much like Melbourne’s — think whitebait and bug fritter;  whole steamed coral trout with brown butter and lime dashi; delicate spanner crab tossed through hand-rolled noodle salad with sesame; and rump cap with green peppercorn sauce. While many of the dishes are new, there are also a couple of signatures Supernormal fans will be familiar with, such as handpicked lobster on brioche rolls; golden fried vegetable dumplings with a crisp lattice; and scallop roasted in an ultra-umami kelp butter.

Supernormal is set to open on Tuesday 23 July 2024. Bookings are now open via the Supernormal Brisbane website.

Brisbane’s multi-billion dollar Queen’s Wharf precinct has named August 29 as the date for the first of its multi-stage openings with the long-awaited The Star Brisbane.

Nearly nine years after it was formally announced and two years past its original projecting finishing point, The Star Brisbane has announced it is finally opening at least some of its doors, with a series of restaurants, bars and public spaces launching through late August and September, starting from August 29.  

“We are thrilled to be commencing our phased opening to coincide with Brisbane’s biggest party, Brisbane Festival,” said The Star Brisbane Chief Executive Officer Daniel Finch.

“Fittingly, public spaces will be among the first areas to be opened and that includes the viewing platform on Sky Deck, Miller Park, and of course the Neville Bonner Bridge linking Queen’s Wharf to South Bank.

Finch said the 1440 seat Event Centre wolud be opening its calendar “from early September” and the 340 room Star Grand hotel would have “bookings to open very soon”.

Announced dining and leisure openings include the LiveWire live entertainment  venue, celebrity chef Luke Nguyen’s Fat Noodle, Japanese restaurant Sokyo, cocktail bar Cherry and a sprawling Sports Bar. Restaurants in the Sky Deck and The Terrace areas are reportedly under final fit outs and will open progressively through the remainder of 2024.

The main Casino floor and premium gaming rooms will also be part of the initial openings.

Areas to open progressively from August into September and throughout the remainder of 2024 as part of the first phase of a multi-staged opening include:
• Public Areas: 7.5 hectares of public space including Neville Bonner Bridge, upgraded Bicentennial Bikeway, Miller Park, Sky Deck viewing platform, Leisure Deck on Level Seven
• Newly created green space The Landing to open after Riverfire
• Sky Deck: Trio of restaurants will open progressively during first phase
• The Star Grand: 340 hotel rooms including four penthouses, three swimming pools, Sokyo restaurant (Japanese)
• Event Centre: 1,440 seat ballroom with pre-function bar, outdoor terrace and views to the Story Bridge
• The Terrace Dining, Level Four: restaurants will open progressively during first phase
• Level Five & Six: LiveWire, Sports Bar, Fat Noodle (South-East Asian), Food Quarter, Cherry, Main Casino Floor and Premium Gaming Rooms
• Leisure Deck: Gymnasium, more food & beverage outlets

Areas to open as progressively as part of the next phase of a multi-staged opening will include:
• Dorsett and Rosewood hotel tower
• Velo Café end of trip facility
• Luxury Retail destinations
• The Terrace Dining, Level Four: Ice-creamery, Asian dining and more geographical themed dining
• Heritage buildings: Activated with experiences, retail and food & beverage

The Queen’s Wharf project – delivered by the Destination Brisbane Consortium, a joint venture between The Star Entertainment Group and Hong Kong-based Chow Tai Fook Enterprises and Far East Consortium – hopes to be a revitalising agent for the Brisbane CBD and night-time economy.