Curator’s statement
I moved to Brisbane from the US nearly three years ago, and like many expats who land here, I thought I knew what to expect: a city that is best understood as a gateway to the Gold and Sunshine Coasts. But Brisbane has a way of subverting clichés. As the upcoming 2032 Olympics cast a long shadow, the city is undergoing a striking transformation. There is a cultural and culinary evolution underway that’s redefining how both locals and visitors experience it.
Consider the recent launch of Bluey’s World—a family pilgrimage site devoted to Australia’s biggest cultural export—or the opening of Supernormal Brisbane, Andrew McConnell’s first venture outside Melbourne. Together, these speak to a broader shift: Brisbane as Australia’s next great global city—not just in 2032, but right now.
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Where to stay in Brisbane, Australia
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Things to do in Brisbane, Australia
Bluey's World
Howard Smith Wharves: Once derelict industrial land under the Story Bridge, this riverside precinct has been reborn into Brisbane’s buzziest playground. Breweries, restaurants, and wine bars spill onto the riverfront lawn. It’s home to some of the city’s standout venues like Stanley's, Yoko, and Greca.
James Street: This leafy stretch in Fortitude Valley is Brisbane’s answer to Bond Street or Abbott Kinney—a design-forward artery where boutiques like Zimmermann and Sir the Label sit beside local concept stores and cult coffee bars. It is easily the chicest stretch in the city.
Bluey’s World: For families (or frankly, anyone curious about the phenomenon), this immersive space is a full-scale rendering of the Heeler family home. It’s an oddly touching reminder that Brisbane is shaping cultural exports that feel global in their reach.
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary: Established in 1927, Lone Pine is the world’s first and largest koala sanctuary. It can be touristy, but also deeply charming—you’ll find yourself hand-feeding kangaroos or cradling a koala against a backdrop of gum trees.
Places to eat & drink in Brisbane, Australia
Central
Supernormal: Melbourne icon Andrew McConnell has finally brought his lauded Japanese-leaning restaurant north. Brisbane’s iteration feels more open, lighter—tailored to the subtropics. Order the lobster roll and wagyu flank.
Central: A newcomer staking its claim as the city’s see-and-be-seen dining room. The prawn spring roll will change your life (I think about it often).
Agnes: Occupying a converted warehouse, this wood-fired restaurant has become shorthand for Brisbane’s culinary coming-of-age. Everything from the charred flatbreads to the burnished meats is kissed by smoke. Last year, it won the award for Australia’s best restaurant.
Beccofino: An enduring Teneriffe classic, Beccofino has been turning out perfect thin-crust pizzas and unfussy pastas since long before Brisbane’s dining boom.
Mosconi: An often overlooked jewel box of a restaurant in New Farm. Mosconi is intimate, refined, and Italian at its core. The pasta is some of the best in Australia.
Short Grain: Chef Martin Boetz (of Longrain fame) brings his Thai brilliance to Brisbane with this sleek dining room and takeaway shop.
New Farm Deli: Part deli, part institution. Generations of Brisbanites have made a ritual of morning coffee and prosciutto rolls here. It’s as close as Brisbane gets to a Roman alimentari—family-run, bustling, and full of character.
Need to know
Brisbane is a city best experienced outdoors, so pack for the climate: lightweight clothes, sunscreen, and shoes you can walk in comfortably along the river paths that snake through the city. Public transport is reliable, but the city really reveals itself when you hop on the City Cat ferry—gliding along the Brisbane River gives you a perspective no Uber can. Time your visit with one of the city’s many festivals (Brisbane Festival in September is the big one, complete with fireworks over the Story Bridge). And don’t make the rookie mistake of treating Brisbane as just a stopover en route to the Gold or Sunshine Coasts—the city itself is worth lingering in for at least two or three nights.
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Alli Forde
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