After work bevvies on Fridays, dinner-turned-drinks on Saturdays, or leisurely brunches melting into Sunday arvo rooftop sessions—there’s no denying that Brisbane/Meanjin’s cocktail game is strong.
Whether you stick to old faithful favourites such as espresso martinis, pina coladas, and spicy margaritas, or chase a flavourful adventure at the hands of your mixologist, these are the best cocktails bars Brisbane has to offer, thoroughly tested (and we mean thoroughly) by the booze hounds here at Urban List.
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Bar Miette
443 Queen St, Brisbane City
Image credit: Bar Miette | Instagram
While it would have been enough for Andrew McConnell to just bring Supernormal to Brisbane, the star Melbourne chef has spoiled us with a second venue upstairs: Bar Miette. Perched on an elevated point along the river, the Euro-inspired terrace bar boasts enviable views, elevated casual eats, and a tailored list of classic cocktails you’ll be craving the moment you step foot out of the office.
Cobbler
7 Browning Street, West End
Feeling frisky for whisky? Cobbler is your bar. With more than 150 variations of the spirit on offer, this is the place whisky lovers dream of—and the first of its kind in Queensland. But they don’t just offer the acquired brown sip. Mondays are well-known as margarita night, while the rest of the week cocktails of all kinds are shaken and stirred.
Maker
9 Fish Lane, South Brisbane
For a little bar (Brisbane’s tiniest, in fact), Maker certainly packs a big punch. The 20-seater den of black minimalism shakes and stirs an ever-changing list of cocktails, each presented like a true work of art. Stick with one from the seasonal menu or be bold with a bespoke cocktail—just tell the bartenders what you’re in the mood for—if you’re lucky enough to nab a seat. Pair your tipple with bar snacks that you absolutely won’t find elsewhere in town.
B-SIDE at Yoko
2/5 Boundary St, Brisbane City
Image credit: B-SIDE | Instagram
While dining at Yoko is a peak Brisbane experience, it certainly doesn’t give back-alley Tokyo izakaya vibes—however, the new little sister venue upstairs has that in spades. Taking over the upper level of the restaurant, B-SIDE is a 40-seater part vinyl bar, part dining experience that’s all about the good times. On the drinks front, expect a list of creative cocktails including Japanese highballs, revamped classics, and slushies (this is still Yoko after all).
The End
73 Vulture Street, West End
The epitome of everything West End represents, The End combines vintage furniture, 70s surf videos, bearded bar tenders, and tasty sips. A cool and cosy 60-seater space that welcomes four-legged friends too, the bar shakes up creative cocktails alongside a selection of craft beer and wines.
Frog’s Hollow Saloon
26 Charlotte Street, Brisbane CBD
A 12-meter Texan-inspired whisky bar might be the last thing you expect to find in a heritage listed building in the CBD, but Frog’s Hollow Saloon is no rundown honkey tonk—though the music might persuade you to dust off your cowboy boots. With a strong focus on bottled whisky (they have more than 400 behind the bar), you can order your sip on the rocks or in one of their creative cocktails from the menu.
Death & Taxes
38 Burnett Lane, Brisbane CBD
Image credit: Death & Taxes | Instagram
Taking cues from the underground bars of Paris and London, this whisky lovers spot comes to you from the team behind Dr Gimlette and Antico, and is hidden in a heritage-listed warehouse down Brisbane’s oldest laneway. With a sophisticated yet grungy vibe, Death & Taxes invites you through large double wooden doors, where you’ll find more than 1,000 bottles on display above the bar. Shaking signature cocktails like the Kath & Kim, Rick Dalton, and Margaret Thatcher alongside your classic faves, their 54 page menu is sure to keep you going well into the night.
Maya
757 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley
Float high above the heart of the Valley at MAYA–a restaurant and bar where the spirit of Mexico meets the decadence of rooftop dining. Featuring olive trees, cactus gardens, cabanas, a white marble bar, and intimate booths where you and yours can cheer to the good times, this light-filled sanctuary serves up a wide variety of cocktails—but it's the margarita menu that gets our vote. From mango jalapeno to lychee, and even ones with cinnamon sugar, hibiscus, lavender, and vanilla, you’re bound to want to try them all.
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Viscosity
11B/25 Connor Street, Fortitude Valley
An immersive experience of molecular mixology, Viscosity is a science lover's dream scene. Serving cocktails from a neon-lit bar, expect your order to be served in some form of beaker, test tube, and all kinds of other weird and wacky vessels. Viscosity’s drinks list is packed with fluoro-coloured sips, shots, and experiments that you won’t find anywhere else—that’s a promise.
Stan's Lounge
5 Boundary Street, Howard Smith Wharves
Image credit: Stan’s Lounge | Instagram
Perched above Stanley Restaurant, you’ll find yourself at Stan’s Lounge—a moody and sophisticated bolthole where the martinis are ice cold, the lights are turned down low, and vinyl DJs play vibing tunes most nights of the week. Here, they’re skilled at pouring the classics, but the bartenders are known for also trying something new on the spot. We’ll cheers to that.
Canvas Club
16B Logan Road, Woolloongabba
Located in the most fun (and hard) suburb of Brisbane to spell, Canvas Club is an eclectic little joint serving seriously good tapas alongside cocktails, a cracking boutique wine list and premium spirits. Churning cocktails like Queen Anne’s Revenge, the Great Escape, and Chubby Rain, these decadent creations are shaken, stirred, and served with a side of theatrics. Oh, and just a note: Canvas Club is also dog-friendly, with pooches able to join their owners in the rear courtyard. Best day out. Ever.
Bar Kazba
1000 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley
A nod to the vibrant nightlife of Tel Aviv, Bar Kazba serves up cocktails with a Middle-Eastern twist. Take a seat in their 1940s style lounge and try one of their signature cocktails—a smoked cacao and pomegranate old fashioned, an aleppo pepper margarita, or a Za’atar negroni. Whatever you choose—you’re in for a tasty time. As for what you’ll be nibbling, expect a menu of haloumi doughnuts with chilli jam, salt and pepper crispy tofu, and flatbread with dips.
Savile Row
667 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley
Image credit: Savile Row | Instagram
Hidden behind the orange door on Ann Street, you’ll find the dimly lit Savile Row— an opulent and vintage-style speakeasy lounge bar slinging some of the best cocktails in town. Step inside to discover a back bar with 1,000 spirits on show. From whiskies to gins, rums, and tequila, plus a few beers on tap and a good selection of wines, you’d be hard pressed not to find your go-to drink on the menu. With five different levels and hidey holes, cosy booths, couches, and cabaret-style tables and chairs, there’s plenty of places for you and your plus one to perch.
Finney Isles
702 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley
Step through the bright blue door into the 1920s—Finney Isles style. The cocktail, wine, and charcuterie bar serves up terrific tipples, gourmet grazing platters, and a jolly good time. A 50-seater space, Finney’s is intimate, but not intimidating, where leather sofas, gilded wallpaper, and parquetry flooring set the scene for what’s sure to be a decadent night ahead. Though the back bar is full of limited edition spirits, the cocktails are where the bartenders really shine.
Cielo
209 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley
Sex On The Roof? Don’t worry, that’s just the name of one of Cielo’s many unique cocktail creations. Sip their Italian-inspired concoctions on a rooftop with sweeping views of the city skyline while snacking on share plates of fresh oysters, hummus and baked focaccia, and kingfish sashimi—what a life. Be sure to take advantage of their bottomless margarita and margherita deal on Thursday nights for just $59.
LOS
46 James Street, Fortitude Valley
Image credit: LOS | Instagram
LOS, aka Land Of Smiles, stays true to its name, turning those frowns upside down with every drink. Upstairs from sAme sAme, this deep green Thai-inspired cocktail destination is a great vantage point for people watching. The cosy joint serves up cocktails inspired by South East Asian flavours, and a variety of tequilas—over 110 bottles of it, to be exact.
Antico
48 Burnett Lane, Brisbane CBD
The devastation of Burnett Lane’s iconic Super Whatnot’s closure didn’t last long when Antico came to stay. The moody and sleek bar is hidden behind a grungy exterior—but you’ll know you’re in the European-inspired joint as soon as you walk in. Dimly lit by chandeliers, you can sip on classic cocktails in a comfy leather booth. Mamma mia.
Babylon Garden
145 Eagle Street, Brisbane CBD
An oasis on the banks of the Brisbane River, Babylon Garden is an easy, breezy bar with two al fresco terraces overlooking the Story Bridge—making it the perfect place to perch for a pre-dinner cocktail or after work drink. Once you’ve found a comfortable spot, hit the 10-meter brass bar for a signature cocktail—there’s sips you’ve never heard of to try, alongside its sister venue’s most requested—the Babylon Turkish Espresso Martini.
The Nixon Room
3/181 Robertson Street, Fortitude Valley
Image credit: The Nixon Room | Instagram
In a former storeroom tucked up a laneway behind James Street, you’ll come across an unmarked brass door: welcome to Nixon Room. Serving elevated bar snacks in moody marble surrounds, this teeny 25-seater space serves up premium wines and spirits, with a focus on martinis. With no signage out front, it’s one of those in-the-know bars that’s high on the priority list for the cool kids in town.
Dr Gimlette
109 Edward Street, Brisbane CBD
Named after the war surgeon who came up with the genius idea to mix gin and lime cordial, Dr. Gimlette is not a bar to miss. Located in one of the oldest buildings in Brisbane, it’s a sophisticated venue specialising in gimlets and martinis, which you can watch being created in action from the 9meter long white marble bar.
Looking for more places to rendezvous? Head here:
- Brisbane's Best Breweries
- Brisbane’s Best Bottomless Brunches
- Brisbane’s Best New Restaurants And Bars
Main image credit: Savile Row | Instagram
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