For a long time, Brisbane played second fiddle to Sydney and Melbourne when it came to food. That conversation is over.
2026 has brought a wave of restaurant openings that wouldn’t look out of place in any world-class city — and the inner north is right at the centre of it. Whether you’re a resident of Newstead, Teneriffe or Fortitude Valley, your options for eating exceptionally well have never been better.
The One That’s Got Everyone Talking
+81 Sushi Kappo in West End is already one of the most talked-about openings of the year. Twelve seats. Chef Ikuo Kobayashi. A Japanese omakase built on precision, restraint and seasonality — Australian produce treated with the kind of meticulous technique that makes every course feel considered. This isn’t dinner. It’s a ceremony. Book well in advance.
259 Montague Road, West End.
For the Long Lunch Crowd
Aunty on Wandoo has arrived on Wandoo Street in Fortitude Valley — and she’s already earned her regulars. Modern Asian, Cantonese-leaning, bold flavours and plates designed for sharing. Open seven days from 11:30am till late, it sits close enough to James Street to feel part of the action but tucked away enough to feel like a find. The kind of place you bring people to impress them.
11 Wandoo Street, Fortitude Valley.
Bangkok Energy, Right Here in Newstead
Big Boy Bangkok has brought something genuinely different to the precinct — a neon-lit, high-energy Thai restaurant that channels the hidden street food bars you stumble into in the back streets of Bangkok. The decor draws from 1950s–70s Thailand, the food is bold and unapologetic, and the atmosphere is exactly the kind of weeknight energy Newstead does well. It’s loud, fun and worth every bit of the hype.
Newstead.
A French Bistro Worth the Trip to the CBD
The French Exit is Brisbane’s answer to the classic Parisian bistrot — housed in a grand heritage-listed century-old warehouse on the corner of Mary and Edward Streets. By the Anyday group (their eighth venue and arguably their best), it offers steak frites, duck à l’orange, escargot and soufflé served with genuine soul, and a wine list of over 500 bottles to match. Candlelit, clattering, full of atmosphere. The kind of place that makes you linger.
Corner of Mary and Edward Streets, Brisbane CBD.
The Precinct Effect
What makes Newstead and Teneriffe genuinely special isn’t just one restaurant or one bar — it’s the accumulation. James Street. The Gasworks precinct. The riverfront. The easy walk between all of it. As Brisbane’s dining scene continues to mature, this precinct absorbs the best of it first.
The cities people want to live in are the ones where the food is good, the culture is close and the weekend feels like it was designed for you. Brisbane is building that city in real time — and the inner north is where it’s happening.
