Lady Lamington

Sitting smack bang in the grit of Brunswick Street is Brisbane’s rosiest new addition: an adorable bar and eating hall, Lady Lamington. Perched opposite Phillip Bacon’s Gallery, in front of the old Malt Street church, it’s one step from the madding crowds, and one glass-façade from feminine fancy.

The girly shades of Veuve yellow and rose seem entirely unlikely compared with the over-sexed décor of your typical Brisbane bar scene. The tones, however, certainly do their trick – it seems entirely inappropriate to sip anything but Veuve within these glossy white walls.

Owner, Jaye Ellam was a dream greeting us on Wednesday: all blonde tresses, wide smiles, navy apron and a Francophile striped tee. She willingly shared her favourite things in life – French champagne and French fries (love her already!) – which, beyond the dreamy décor, is precisely where Lady Lamington will lay her claim.

We fell head over heels for the bar stools lining the Brunswick Street window sills; each perch upholstered in resort-style terry toweling stripes. They are, quite literally, the embodiment of the Cote d'Azur.

And as if on cue, we discovered the sun deck. Broad, Cliquot-branded gold umbrellas shelter wooden tables just begging for an afternoon drink companion. Crain your head to the left and you can even catch a glimpse of the Story Bridge; sure to be a gorgeous vantage morning, afternoon or night.

And so, between the sips, stripes and stools, we inched closer to the Riviera – the perfect Wednesday aperitif.

Where: Lady Lamington is at 483 Brunswick Street in Fortitude Valley.