From Long Lunches To Late Nights, Queen’s Wharf Has Festive Season Covered

If you haven’t dined your way through Queen’s Wharf yet, well, it’s about damn time. Brisbane’s newest lifestyle and dining precinct has been dishing up luxe staycays, long lunches, sky high cocktails and late night entertainment for over a year now, becoming a CBD hotspot for all that and more.

Even if you have stopped in for a stickybeak, it’s likely you got lost somewhere between George Street and Sky Deck without actually discovering just how many different dining options there are around the precinct. With festive season well underway, we think all those end-of-year catch ups and celebrations are the perfect time to properly explore—and treat your taste buds while you’re at it.

Here’s all the must-try restaurants at Queen’s Wharf to hit this festive season.

Aloria

Level 23, The Star Brisbane, 33 William Street, Brisbane CBD

Words cannot express how stunning the view is from this woodfire and sustainability-focused spot on Sky Deck. Aloria’s retractable roof means once the golden glow of sunset fades, you’re literally dining under the stars, watching the city lights twinkle as you feast on the likes of their signature smoked carrot tarts, beef tartare with crackers made of leftover sourdough and a dry-aged bistecca you’ll be dreaming about for weeks.

Make sure you request a table closest to the view for the best starry night vibes and don’t skip perusing their superbly curated Coravin wine list—they didn’t just receive three glasses in Australia’s Wine List Of The Year Awards for nothing.

Sokyo

Level 2, The Star Brisbane, 33 William Street, Brisbane CBD

This Japanese fine diner tucked away in the lobby of The Star Grand Hotel is a bit of a choose-your-own adventure kind of spot, with options for everything from quick pre-theatre bites in the form of a $55pp set menu to the intimate Chef’s Counter Experience. The latter will see you take a front-row seat at Sokyo’s sushi counter watching the chef’s create literal art in front of you, with the chance to chat to Executive Chef Alex Yu, the sashimi florist himself.

Good to know: you can kick things off with a cocktail and Sokyo snacks in the Lobby Bar right in front of the restaurant if you’re a little early for your booking—they even have live music on Friday and Saturday nights for an added vibe check.

Cucina Regina

Level 4, The Star Brisbane, 33 William Street, Brisbane CBD

Serious carb-loading awaits at Cucina Regina, a relaxed Italian restaurant perched on The Terrace with river views. Not that you’ll be looking at the view, because this spot is beautiful—it was even shortlisted for the 2025 Restaurant & Bar Design Awards. Beyond the gorgeous interiors though, the food is just as award-worthy, with handcrafted antipasti, pastas, pizzas and desserts. Must tries? The salted ricotta and roasted pumpkin agnolotti, diavola pizza and of course, the tiramisu for dessert, which comes scooped straight from the slab at your table.

Fat Noodle

Level 5, The Star Brisbane, 33 William Street, Brisbane CBD

Remember the iconic 20-hour pho from Treasury Casino days? The fiery laksa? The seafood Pad Thai? Well, they’re all still on the menu, just in Fat Noodle’s new home inside The Star Brisbane, along with a heap of new South-East Asian flavours.

Sip on a lychee lemonade and try to decide between the likes of wok-tossed pork belly chilli basil, salt and pepper tofu, Hainan chicken and slow cooked pork ribs—or take all the effort out and just opt for the $75pp banquet, perfect for big groups. Note: Fat Noodle is over 18s only.

Black Hide

Level 4, The Star Brisbane, 33 William Street, Brisbane CBD

Another Treasury icon that made the move over to Queen’s Wharf is Black Hide Steak; Seafood, which used the opportunity to reinvent itself as bright and airy Mediterranean-inspired spot with both indoor dining and an outdoor patio to catch the river breezes.

Marbled Angus and Wagyu steaks are still a staple on the menu of course, but they’re now joined with a hefty line up of seafood options, including cold seafood platters, lobster mornay and grilled Mooloolaba king prawns. Want to level up? Start your meal with a glass of champagne and a caviar bump—we do love a bite-sized baller moment.

Luc Lac

Level 4, The Star Brisbane, 33 William Street, Brisbane CBD

Coming to us from the team behind Donna Chang, Boom Boom Room, Iris and more, Luc Lac is the Ghanem Group’s ode to South East Asia, with a menu that delves into Vietnamese, Thai and Singaporean flavours—but with a twist. What that means is that you’ll be dining on dishes like lobster petite banh mi, crispy escargot and pork spring rolls and Vietnamese-coffee inspired tiramisu—see why we love it?

Do we even need to mention it’s all being dished up in jaw-dropping interiors that will have you snapping group photos left, right and centre? Be sure to stay for an extra cocktail at the stunning bar on your way out.

Azteca

Level 4, The Star Brisbane, 33 William Street, Brisbane CBD

Serving up Latin American and Asian fusion with a side of river views, Azteca’s surrounds match the brief perfectly, featuring hanging greenery, big terracotta brick-lined circular booths, a stunning geometric bar and an outdoor patio to catch the breeze. So what does Latin American and Asian fusion entail? Next level flavour that’s what. The menu has entire sections dedicated to ceviche, skewers, empanadas and more, as well as larger plates like their 24-hour braised short rib, pork tomahawk and achiote spatchcock.

Dark Shepherd

Level 4, The Star Brisbane, 33 William Street, Brisbane CBD

Another Queen’s Wharf restaurant from The Tassis Group, Dark Shepherd is a dark and moody Mediterranean spot with a very specific focus on slow-cooked lamb.

Different? Yes. Are we on board? Also yes. Lamb ribs, wagyu lamb pastitsio, slow- cooked lamb shoulder, lamb tomahawk—we'll take it all.

Don’t worry if you’re not a paleolithic lamb lover though, because there’s plenty more on the menu to entice, plus more than one banquet offering that will take off the stress of deciding what to eat. Worth noting—they offer up a $28 gyros lunch special if you need a break from your usual leftovers.

Pompette

Level 4, The Star Brisbane, 33 William Street, Brisbane CBD

Adding another international flavour to the mix of Queen’s Wharf restaurants is Pompette, a glam French eatery and champagne bar from Tassis Group, the team behind, Opa, Massimo, Fatcow and a heap more. Here, everything is chic, from the interiors to the menu to the lengthy wine list.

If we had to choose, we’d say grab a table out on the patio, where you can enjoy the sunset views with a glass of bubbles in hand before tucking into signature eats like steak tartare and the impressive boeuf filet en croûte. We’d also be remiss if we didn’t mention their banquets—from budget to bottomless, they’ve got a feast for every occasion.

Hua

Level 4, The Star Brisbane, 33 William Street, Brisbane CBD

Rounding out the list of cuisines on offer at Queen’s Wharf is some modern Cantonese from Hua, a sleek spot with a sizeable footprint—and some gorgeous private dining rooms if that’s on your festive bingo card. Start at the bar for a luscious Cantonese- inspired cocktail or two before digging into endless dumplings, prawn toast, duck pancakes, wok dishes and their signature roast duck crown.

Already late to the festive party? Find out more about the best bites on offer at Queen’s Wharf this festive season and book your table here.

Editor’s note: This article is sponsored by The Star Brisbane and proudly endorsed by Urban List. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who make Urban List possible. Click here for more information on our editorial policy.

Image credit: The Star Brisbane