Article Search

Everyone who’s tired of chasing Brisbane’s food trucks, listen up! This Sunday 22 March, some of Brisbane’s favourite tucker-trucks will be rolling into Downey Park’s lush landscape in a repeat of February’s absolutely corking food truck-a-thon!

Post-work drinks and precious hours of your weekends aren’t to be wasted in a dank sports bar in the ‘burbs—heck NO! After a hard week’s slog you owe it to your social life to find a Brisbane bar worth your patronage. Here at TUL HQ we take post-work drinks very seriously, and we’ve found a cracker of a CBD Brisbane bar right under your noses, which just happens to be giving away post-work cocktails and canapés to one lucky TUL reader and some pals! Read on for how to win!

We’ve hunted down three of the very best smoothie and acai bowl recipes—all are a cinch to make, totally #foodporn worthy, are packed full of good-for-you ingredients, and taste downright delicious!

There aren’t many cake shops in Brisbane that also do a mean high tea AND some of the best macarons this side of Paris.

Sandwiches and spandex aren’t two things we usually put together, but the arrival of new Brisbane restaurant, Wham Bam Banh Mi—the latest venture from Libertine’s Andrew Baturo—is a super addition to the lunch scene on Petrie Terrace.

For nine glorious days from March 21, bars, beer gardens and breweries across Brisbane will be uniting in celebration of a cold one, liquid gold, ales, pints, bevvies, brewksies. You know…beer. Last year, we were caught unawares. We were young and naïve. It was our first time. But this year, we’ve got Brewsvegas’ number. 

If there are two things Brisbane locals love, it’s heat and dogs. Thankfully somebody found a humane way of combining the two and, as legend goes, the hot dog was born. Lucky for us, Brisbane’s restaurants and bars have started serving up some mighty fine dogs of late, and we’ve put together this list to help you find the best of the best. 

Before a certain self-taught Sydney chef managed to put them on the foodie map, fritters were only a takeaway treat for after your fish and chips. But Bill Granger’s corn fritters with crispy bacon and avocado salsa have become the stuff of legend and everyone’s followed suit making them a staple on brunch menus across Brisbane.

You gleefully describe yourself as a “Foodie” in your Facebook, Instagram or Twitter profile, but which especially annoying kind are you? We have identified the major categories of irritating Foodies, and face it, if you think about food constantly, you can probably identify with a few of these.

Heading to Tokyo soon? You lucky thing. Dreaming of heading to Tokyo? Reading The Urban List guide to Tokyo might make you want to book your tickets ASAP.

Call us lazy, but we’re firm believers in the jeans-with-everything approach to getting dressed. We’ve teamed up with the black denim experts at Nobody to find out how to wear denim every day of the week, and get away with it.

Like something out of a low-budget 80s movie, Marie-Claire is springing from their glossy pages and into your waking reality! I know, it’s like your wildest fantasies are riding in on a sunset of pure chocolate.

With summer slowly fading away (sob!) and autumn hot on our heels, here at The Urban List, we’re gearing up to rock some awesome autumn beauty trends.

How’s this for a scary little fact? Christmas was TWO WHOLE MONTHS AGO. And, if you’re of the same vaguely lazy, usually hungry disposition as us, you’re probably still waiting for the right moment to start that detox you had planned for Jan. And Febfast? Forgeddaboudit.

We're suckers for pancakes; Here’s our guide to the best Chinese restaurants, serving up the best Peking duck pancakes in Brisbane.

The Jam Pantry is the brand new Brisbane cafe from loveable, kind-hearted chef and entrepreneur Naomi (Nims) Zavackas and her husband Gideon. You’ll remember Nims’ creative approach to food from her previous Brisbane cafe, Comfort at My Table in Milton. 

A kewl café by day—serving up Louie Louie Roastery beans, roasted onsite, plus delish brekky, lunch, and dinner—when the sun sets Thursday to Sunday, Hops Scotch and Beans kicks on like the hip-kid it is come night time.

I wish I could say that I wasn’t on first-name terms with the bartenders in every one of these Brisbane bars, or that they have all cut me off at some point. But I am, and they have. 

As much we love our digital day jobs, we’re big fans of occasionally ditching the desktop in favour of some old-school pen-and-paper action. But finding a stationery line that’s worth your chicken scratch is a challenge in itself—this is one occasion when Office Works just isn’t going to cut it. 

Golly gosh! Four days in to March madness and we are already in love. As we hail goodbye to summer (sad face), we look forward to welcoming the best of autumn with this season’s first Brisbane Market Calendar. Hurrah!

The first Friday Nite Snackdown event will see the delights of Danish street food versus tantalising titbits from Japan. Picture a Viking in wrestling ring, facing off against a Samurai, then transfer these characters into a kitchen and you get some idea of the food fight we’re talking.

Hidden down a very West End appropriate laneway adorned with twinkling lights and in a converted carpark, Brisbane Brewing Co. is the perfect combo of industrial-cool and comfortably casual. The beer is great, the vibe is chilled, and the food’s even better.

Motivated by the amount of organic veg I bought in January and failed to eat (kale, I’m death staring you) I decided to embrace one of the latest diets: the 5:2. The basic premise of which is, you eat ‘normally’ five days a week and fast two days per week eating a maximum of only 500 calories, can’t type this is making me feel anxious. It is meant to mimic caveman, result in longer limbs, longer life, and generally all round awesomeness. The French version of this tres hip diet includes wine, so of course it seemed the far more logical choice.

What’s with our laneways obsession? What was once a destination for skulking and general dodginess, lately it seems our taste for not-so-obvious venues knows no bounds, and the harder a Brisbane bar or café is to find, the harder we’ll work to get there.

After such a cracking start to the year, Brisbane’s eating, drinking, and doing scenes shows no signs of slowing down… even as we grapple with our dichotomising desire to be at once healthy and sated. This month basks in basted, deep-fried, inebriated wonderment with just enough raw kale to stave off the shame spiral. Here are some new Brisbane restaurants, bars, food trucks, and cafes that popped up like daisies, painting Brisbane’s ever-evolving metroscape with vibrant and scintillating hues. Get amongst it!

It’s a new month and the horrors of Febfast are finally a thing of the past. Luckily, we won’t see this kind of brutality again until dry July. To celebrate, here’s a selection of new and newish Brisbane bars to check out this month. 

Most people have a favourite alcoholic beverage they inevitably end up drinking on a night out (or a night in). You may think you make your choice of what to drink because you like the taste of it, or it was on special at Liquor Land, but in reality, there are a whole host of psychological and historical factors at play in the decision. Below we reveal what your preferred tipple actually reveals about you.

Mermaid, pastel, ombre, balayage, spotlighting, babylights blah, blah, blah. So many trends, so few strands.

In the wake of Febfast (and with Jan’s detox a fading, laughable memory) the arrival of March means we’re on the hunt for things to do in Brisbane like nobody’s business. From pool parties, to BYO degustations, shopping and champagne, to music festivals—hell, we’ve even got guilt-free ice cream— consider this your urban survival guide to the next 31 days. What are you waiting for? Get your butt into gear and check out all the rad happenings in store this month in Brisbane. That’s March sorted.

Keen to impress your #cleaneating clique? Grab a straw and hydrate yourself with one of 2015’s hottest health drinks!

As seasoned experts in the art of bourbon cocktail drinking, we know there are countless ways to enjoy this amber liquid in all its glory.

This cake is spectacular. A light sponge laden with lemon syrup that has your mouth singing ‘partaay’. And the candied lemon topping combined with edible flowers is so beautiful and impressive, it is sure to bring up your baking cred. The lemon poppy seed cake is a trans-seasonal fave, and this recipe by cake queen, April Carter is the business.

Needing some brekkie inspo? We went straight to the source – four of Australia’s best online recipe hotspots for their take on a DIY healthy breakfast. Now the only problem is, which one to tackle first?

Once the domain of bored soccer mums and hippies with easily dislocated appendages, yoga has become a multi-faceted, multi-fitness discipline suitable for every bendy-ness level—it’s not all ‘ommms’ and navel gazing anymore—and  these days Brisbane’s best yoga classes cater to all tastes and temperaments.

It’s no great secret, our massive love of Brisbane’s food trucks and cold frothies, so excuse us while we lose our proverbial sh*t over another exciting FREE festival happening in Brisbane this weekend.

For a city destroyed in World War II and broken apart during the Cold War, Berlin has risen out of its tumultuous past and today thrives as one of the coolest places for artsy soul searching and late night philosophising. Here is our guide to the best of the German capital.

There are two simple dishes in life that are unsurpassed in their excellence. These are sandwiches and ice cream. Bring them together and you've got a recipe for food porn like no other.

So much has changed since your gap year in Myanmar. All those dreams to heal the world were quickly buried in dreams of Lambos and pocket squares, but just because you work in an office doesn’t mean you can’t be hip like the rest of the kids. 

Discounting a few clumsy attempts at DIY beauty with pretty horrifying results, I’m a firm believer in leaving beauty treatments and skincare to the experts.

Romantic, delicious and boozy weekends away are some of our favourites, and Australia is lucky enough to be home to some of the best and most beautiful wine regions in the world.

The eagle has landed in Brisbane, folks, bringing with it Moet Ice Imperial—the first Champagne to be poured over ice—killer panoramic CBD views, live music, and a swanky new rooftop bar setting from which to enjoy it all.

Somehow I never got around to reading E.L. James’s 50 Shades books as I was busy watching ABC News 24 and browsing ASOS, so the movie version of the original novel was a great chance for me to catch up on the storyline.

The lunar new year is only days away and it’s time to welcome the year of the sheep, or goat, or ram depending on where in Asia you are, and we are always happy to start the New Year as we mean to go on by indulging in our favourite hobby—food!

From polish to primers, lipstick to liners, these Instagramming stars sure do give good glam! Sure, beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but we think you’ll ‘like’ every single one of these hashtagging hotties. Here are our picks for 10 of the best beauty accounts to follow on Instagram.

Shrove Tuesday is named after the word 'to confess', and we’re more than happy to spill our guts about how much we love pancakes.

Fess up, going to the gym can be boring and you know it. Even on a good day, sometimes motivation fails in favour of sitting on your arse on the couch. Don’t beat yourself up; we’ve all been there. When facing that age old issue of getting back on that fitness horse, the best gyms in Brisbane know how to get you out of your ‘couch potato’ rut, and it’s not just about fancy equipment and an impressive fit out.

‘Any time of the day is a good time for pie’ – Fabienne, Bruce Willis’ squeeze in Pulp Fiction, had good taste in men and food it seems. And with the plethora of American diners opening in Brisbane, we were spoilt for choice when picking the best dessert pies around.

Pack your bags, Listers. We’re off to Paris! Now in its 26th season, the Alliance Française French Film Festival 2015 brings the best of new French cinema to Australian shores this March.

Our predictably ace weather coupled with a new movement towards conscious consumption means Brisbane markets are always abuzz. Here are our picks for the best market stalls in Brisbane, saluting the growers, pickers, bakers, and makers that make our collective hearts swell with local love. 

Few other customs can winkle the wallflowers off the brocade like daytime drinking: a time-honoured tradition dedicated to curing boredom and finishing the weekend on an upswing. But stow your paper bags, and cease this frantic running to the local Bottle-O before close, Brisbane opportunists have turned the Sabbath into another excuse to drink, tan, and reflect on Saturday’s productivity.   

Coffee, beer and bagels: A beautiful, holy trinity in our humble opinion. Add cocktails to the mix, and lordy, lord, we are beside ourselves.

In between our bountiful power lunches and seven-course dinners, where are the quick bites at? Here’s a list of fifteen of the best cheap eats joints in Brisbane that’ll pick you up when you’re down on luck and money.

You can eat dinner in your undies. You can spend money on your self. And you can eat all the chocolate souffle you like. Best. Holiday. Ever.

The Institute of Modern Art in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane art scene’s too-cool-for-school equivalent of this annoying person we all know—and gallery terrible enfant—is turning 40 this year, and their perennial trendiness is still irrepressible.

Since when did it become so hard to pick a spot for a meal in Brisbane?! With all the choice on offer your list of places to try seems longer than ever, and there’s not enough time in the day to get though them all! Now, we’re certainly not complaining (the more food the merrier, we say) but to make matters worse we’re here to tell you to add another Brisbane restaurant onto your hit list. #sorrynotsorry

Coffee might be about to meet its matcha (sorry, couldn’t resist), because there’s a new green brew making waves on the cafe scene.

What would you eat if you only had one night left to live… in Brisbane? Or got rich quick overnight and had a hankering for one of Brisbane’s most decadent, big-ticket meals? These 24 eats are worthy of blowing out both your budget and your diet, which is a double win in our books. Without further adieu, Brisbane’s bucket list eats. 

Pull out your stretchy pants guys, ‘cause new food truck festival, A Taste of Harmony, is descending on Brisbane this Wednesday. 

How good are cheesy fries? Topped with beef chilli, melty cheese and whatever toppings you choose (jalapenos and coriander—do it), they’re the ultimate bar snack washed down with a beer or two, or a South American cocktail.

If you’re stuck for ideas to make Valentine’s Day in Brisbane extra special, here is a helpful list of TUL favourites that are only too happy to take the hard work out of your Valentines Day prep’. 

Can you believe it’s already February! This month’s Brisbane Market Calendar is loaded with the last of the seasonal summer fruits (fare thee well, beloved mangoes), cool pop-up bars and indulgent food stalls that will knock you clear off that health kick you’ve been on since January.

Before we hit the shops in another Argan-oil induced spending frenzy, we thought we’d ask the experts which products are really worth the hype. These are the cult hair products Brisbane’s best hairdressers use to get hot hair.

Not sure what to pack for the perfect picnic? We’ve got you covered with our ultimate list of picnic must-haves…ready for you to click and shop today!

Today, feline fancying residents of Brisbane, Perth, Geelong, Melbourne, and the Gold Coast are able to order kitten deliveries on demand as part of the UberKITTENS project, in support of local cat shelters in each city. 

It’s salty (no surprises) and sweet (another non surprise), but when the two tastes combine with a bit of fat for good measure there’s some serious food alchemy going on. The salty cuts the sweet, and the sweet cuts the salty, so the notion of ‘having enough’ of one is kicked the curb. Salt + caramel = addiction. Making it not too dissimilar to crack. Here’s where to feed your salted caramel addiction in Brisbane.

The life skills of yore have disappeared pretty dramatically in the last 50 years, and we think it’s a damn shame.

To help you put a smile on your dial, we’ve asked our favourite Happiness Guru, Jessica Groom, to let us in on five little happy hacks you can try today.

We're calling it: Brisbane's breakfast culture is one of the most vibrant and delicious in the world. Frankly, we rock at breakfast. But despite the range and options available to us in the schmorgasboard of a brekky town, there are some Brisbane cafes that have us coming back again and again for their start-of-the-day fare.

In this month’s edition of What’s New in Brisbane we’re playing catch up with all the awesome new Brisbane restaurants, bars, and cafes that have set up shop since the new year.

Baby, it's hot outside. We may only have one month of summer left to sweat through, but it feels like a marathon, not a sprint, until we can finally get our beauty sleep on a night below 20 degrees. We're seeking reprieve at Brisbane's coolest cafes. And we mean that literally. 

Ladies day is coming up at Brisbane Racing Club and we've got the ultimate 'Girl's Day Out Luxe Package' to giveaway!

Oh, hot damn! We've teamed up with Buffalo Bar to give you (valued Urban List readers), the opportunity to win 100 of their delicious wings!

Imagine, if you will, a glowing beauty utopia, where a mani-pedi costs less than your weekly coffee hit, a daily Swedish massage is a reality, and you’ll have change from $20 for an acupuncture session. 

Nothing screams ‘quintessential Australia’ quite like getting a group of your best pals together, settling at one of Brisbane’s best bars, cracking open a few craft brews and watching…the NFL Superbowl. Huh?

Rally some chums and head down to any one of these choice joints to kick off your week with some high-octane faux patriotism. Because in Brisbane nothing stops us from getting into the rowdy, sport-fuelled spirit…even if that requires cheering for a team you don’t know in a game you don’t understand. 

We have compiled a shortlist of nominees for Tony to pick from when selecting Knights and Dames next year. Let’s keep this wonderful tradition going strong by making the right choices, Mr Abbott.

Sick of staring at a blank wall? We’ve sourced high and low for some awesome desk accessories to make going to work that much more fun!

Over the last few years, we’ve stretched, contorted and downward-dogged our way through a plethora of yoga studios to test and report back on the best yoga Brisbane has to offer.

Luciano Pavarotti (large bearded Italian man with a stellar voice) once said, “One of the very best things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.” And good lord was he bang on the Euro there.

Sandgate Road doesn’t immediately conjure up images of peaceful relaxation and delicious breakfasts, but that’s exactly what the team at cheeky new cafe My Mistress are achieving. Branching out from the usual crowded breakfast hotspots, Natalie and Rihannon have set up a warm, inviting oasis of great coffee and fresh, simple food. 

By this point in January, chances are you’re well and truly getting over your clean eating obsession and are on the hunt for somewhere worthwhile to blow out at. While we’d never tell you to ditch your diet (cough) surely it can’t hurt to get your indulge-on at one of Brisbane’s best restaurants just this once, to see you through to Feb without cracking and making out with a bag of Doritos.

Here at TUL we don’t let a looming Monday morning spoil our fun, and on a scorcher of a Brisbane weekend, with the sun shining and some cracker company, you really can’t go past a cheeky weekend sesh at your favourite watering hole.

Sure, you may have just come back from a holiday, but we wont hold it against you if you happen to already be dreaming about your next escape.

While the majority of cooking may be done on the barbie, that doesn’t mean you can’t chow down on some patriotic sweet treats and here are some to buy in or make at home.

‘Straya Day. A cause for celebration. Long weekends, long hot days endured with cold beers and the opportunity to wheel out all the cliché ‘aussie’ elements from the bbq to the lamington.

If you’ve had an indulgent Summer break and embarked on a cleaner way of eating in an effort to a) get back into the clothes you wore pre-silly season and/or b) regain some of your dignity, then chances are you’re feeling apprehensive at the prospect of going out to eat with friends/family. 

What’s more Aussie than a sanga' and a cold beer. Nothing, that’s what, so we’re letting you know what’s open in Brisbane this Australia Day public holiday, and the best Aus Day events to check out.

If you’re looking to escape the hustle and bustle of Brisbane’s CBD, and keen to uncover something pretty fantastic that exists outside of the hotspots of the Valley or South Bank, you’ll be pleased to discover the Brisbane bar and brewery, All Inn Brewing Co, located in North Brisbane suburb, Banyo.

Now, we’re all for eating healthy and doing right by our livers, but staring into a bowl of boring salad everyday isn’t exactly our idea of eating well. If you hadn’t noticed, healthy cafes and juice bars have been popping up around Brisbane for a while now; every café in town has tried their hand at a protein ball and a detox juice! 

There’s something magical about a new app. The little button holds so much promise for a new, better you. Your body, your financial situation, your constant lateness, could all be fixed with a simple double tap.

Tom and John are just two lads who really love wings. They are dudes with a dream—a dream to bring All-American wingage to the good people of Brisbane—and we fully support their noble cause. 

New Year’s detox resolutions are like a shining, glimmering oasis when you are lost in the desert of Christmas gluttony; easy to make, but keeping to them is hard work.

It’s a pretty brave step opening a Brisbane restaurant specialising in American cuisine these days, given the amount of competition around town, but new Brisbane restaurant Blue Raven opened its doors two weeks ago with understated confidence.

Anyone who’s ever pondered an Emma Watson-inspired crop knows that there’s more to a good haircut than just hair. Your face can make or break even the best haircut.

As sure as it is that Taylor Swift will pen another hit song post break up this year, another diet craze is going to hit. And this is it. We’re all going to be Vikings! Raping, pillaging and overall violence NOT included.

I’m not one for venturing into the city. It’s a little too ‘busy’, and them city slickers walk ever so quickly. That said, I’m now making one tiny nook of the city a place I’ll willingly venture to. It’s 215 Adelaide Street to be precise, in the form of the brand spanking new eatery, Pando Café.

We hear you, Brisbane. You’re a week or so back into the new working year, and though some of you may have considered giving up coffee for 2015, right about now you’re probably thinking, who am I kidding? The reality is you need coffee just to be able to get your sorry self out of bed.

Just because your hols are over, doesn't mean the summer fun has to end. We're making the most of these last, precious, heady days of sweat mo's and sunscreen and brining you our definitive list of things to do in Brisbane before summer's really, truly over.

New Brisbane café The Dugout on Ernest has opened shop in a cute-as, hole-in-the-wall space in South Brisbane.

My body’s a temple. My body’s a temple. My body’s a… Oh, who am I kidding!? It’s only two weeks into the New Year and sticking to my new ‘get fit and eat well’ mantra is already proving harder than making eye-contact with a pack of Tim Tams and not eating the lot (in other words, the hardest thing ever).

Despite the foreboding death of the affordable night out in Brisbane, there are still deals to be found, so please don’t give up yet. You can still get happy on a mere fist full of coin.

If, like us, you failed to hit your fitness peak in 2014, fear not. 2015 has plenty of new fitness trends to keep you amused and sweaty all year long.

Time to get saucy, folks.

So you think you can food?

Today we’re counting down the best eaters on our screens. Because we’re hungry and because… it’s the holidays, alright?

The idea of a nude beach may cause you to giggle at first, but if you can think of a better example of freedom than standing naked on a white sandy beach and diving into crystal clear water then we’ll eat our hat. Best of all, no pesky tan lines from convoluted swimming costumes!

Holiday hotspots to add to your bucket list.

While we’d love to go to the beach in all our bare-faced glory, sometimes a gal needs a little sumthin’ sumthin’ in order to feel completely beach ready - that’s where our beach beauty guide comes in handy! Shop it all online now.

We’ve rounded up 50 of the best things do in Australia to add to your bucket list.

The year is ending, the holidays are approaching, that sun drenched deck chair is calling and distant Aunt Mildred has sweetly given you a book voucher for Christmas. So which page-turner will you choose?

Whether you’re globetrotting or road tripping, heading to the tropics, the slopes or simply up the coast, we’ve taken the stress and guess work out of packing and done it for you!

Move over quinoa, step down kale, and lest we forget our dear friend, the cronut: Here are our predictions of the food trends that will be on your plate, and in your belly, in 2015.

We’re not only good at telling you where to eat and drink, we’re also really good at providing you astrology tips. Who’da thought?!

Whether you call it the season silly or just downright party-time, it’s fair to say there's a lot of celebrating going on. So for the brave and courageous, or simply those desperate enough to do anything to get rid of that banging headache, here’s some ideas on how to cure a hangover.

What do you serve if you’re playing barman this New Year's Eve? We headed straight to the drink experts, the geniuses behind some of the nation’s finest bars, and got them to spill (ba-doom-chhh) three of the best cocktail recipes! Cheers!

2014 was quite the year for Australia’s dining scene. The quality of new venues we saw opening their doors in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane was insane, cementing our fertile shores as one of the hottest foodie destinations in the world. We’d shed a patriotic tear if we weren’t busy stuffing our faces at these fine establishments.

As this new and intrepid age of drinking creeps nearer, we’re kicking up the glittery dust of Bar-Openings Past to remind ourselves of everything we forgot in the liquor-soaked stupor of 2014. We’ve scoured the streets of Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane to bring you our picks of the best new bars of 2014.

From super cool swimmers and lightweight towels, to beach umbrellas and more, we’ve hunted down the best of the best beach bag essentials for summer.

While some may argue the only thing to be done with leftovers is eat them straight from the fridge with whichever sauce or condiment happens to be close at hand, there are those who prefer to get creative with their festive-season leftovers. 

It's Christmas Day, huzzah! And what better to go with your Christmas turkey and puddin', than some glorious, joyful Christmas tunes? Hit play, sit back, and eat the day away.

You simply cannot bear the brunt of the influx of relatives that Christmas brings without cake. A get-in-my-face cake. An I can’t hear you crap Uncle John, this is so amazing, I’m in a happy place kind of cake.

When it comes to packing for the holidays, it's about ‘minimum effort, maximum effect’ – creating a faaaabulous look without carting 14 t-shirts, 9 pairs of shorts, 5 dresses and more to your tropical locale. Here's how to pack smarter...and not pack everything!

The presents you receive on Christmas Day say a lot about who you are. A lot. The people who know you best are capable of peering deep into your soul and exposing it to the world on the morning of December 25th, whether they know it or not. Here is what your gift says about you:

To paraphrase Homer Simpson, pork is a wonderful, magical thing. So here are a collection of simple recipes for you to try during the festive period and help you channel your international gourmand.

These rum balls. They are rambunctious. And the best rum balls you can make this Christmas.

What’s that? You’re stuck in the sweltering paradise of Brisbane for the holidays and you’re on the hunt for things to do? You poor sweaty sausage. Let us help you out.

2014 was the year of the raw lunch. The year of the whiskey-and-apple-juice. The year we ate our body weight in sweet potato fries. Wasn’t it great? We’re counting down the food trends Brisbane embraced with open mouths in 2014.

Brining a touch of Tokyo-cool to the Valley is new Brisbane restaurant and bar Bincho Yakitori. 

With the pun stakes high, your wit can take the main stage because your Facebook check-ins just got a whole lot more hilarious.

You know what we love? A really swanky rooftop Brisbane bar. And the thing we love even more? A really swanky rooftop bar in Brisbane that puts on a luxe-as-you-like New Year’s Eve party, with no holds-barred. 

The one thing Rosalie was missing is that buzz that comes with an edgy bar, and that gap appears to have been filled by this new watering hole/restaurant, The Bounty. 

These handmade Christmas gifts are quick, easy and perfect for those on a budget.

To our dear Brisbanites, it’s not often that we’ll recommend you put down what you’re eating (even if it is a Tim Tam-flavoured cronut—yep, that’s a thing now), and stop sipping that coffee you’re drinking, but for this we require your undivided attention.

Dumplings are my kryptonite: I can never stop at just one (dozen... ahem). This is likely to do with the fact I can never choose just one type of dumpling. Should I have the pork and chive pan-fried gyoza? Or should I stick with my ol’ faithful: pork and crab xiao long bao? Ooh, look! There are noodles on the menu… And, so it continues.

This is a happy day for Brisbane's wing fans! Fortitude Valley favourite, Yard Bird Ale House is opening a second venue in Paddington today.

Ah, a day at the cricket… there’s nothing like it. When it’s time to head to a nearby hotel or public bar for a bite to eat and perhaps some more beers and rum and cokes and Sambuca shots, there's no need to argue with your chums. We’ve compiled a list of the best spots to hit up after the cricket.  

Hey, big spender. If you want to show them you really care, a sparkly something is the only way to go this Christmas. It’s go big or go home. Put a ring on it. 

To help you on your merry way to 2015, here are the best New Year’s Eve parties on in Brisbane.

Long time fave of the TUL crew, Watt Restaurant + Bar, is celebrating the end of the year with a rocking Caribbean Carnival! Get ready party revellers; throw on your best sequinned two-piece and rustle up a feather boa, cos those Caribbean folk really know how to throw a party, and this event is set to be one of the best New Year’s Eve parties in Brisbane!

New Brisbane bar Hop & Pickle is opening in South Bank tomorrow, bringing no-fuss fresh food and a short-and-sharp quality drinks list to Brisbane’s pub-loving hordes.

For the second-helpings haver, the novice chef, and the full-time eater, we have scoured the city for the best gourmet gift providores, kitchenwares stores, and edible stocking stuffers. Here are our favourite Christmas gift ideas for The Foodie. 

Come Christmas Day, the turkey is the centre of attention. No one cares about the salads. And, when it comes to glazed ham, you’ve had that sitting there all silly season. It’s about the turkey. It’s such a novelty and once a year occurrence. And, what’s more, the other pivotal components of your feast, stuffing and gravy, are intrinsically tied to your turkey. Their perfection depends on your turkey’s perfection.

The brilliance of this new Brisbane café is in the name, staring you right in the face. 

This time of year is stressful for a whole host of reasons (the last-minute shopping rush, the turkey terrors, the imminent arrival of your in-laws), but, for us, the bulk of the worry comes from having to look your very best, basically every night of the week.

If you are a resident of Brisbane, you’ll want to make sure you have done everything on this list. So here it is, the ultimate Brisbane bucket list, brought to you, with love, by The Urban List.

​Yeah, we know. You’re an adult and shouldn’t need to be told how to protect your liver, and avoid that all too familiar next-day feeling. 

Making the most of our cosy climate, and the whimsical freedom it gives us to prance hither and thither in pursuit of the perfect presents, here is our guide to the best local Brisbane areas to have a gander this Christmas shopping season…

Only a few short months ago, (WTF, it’s December already?!) we almost #broketheinternet by bringing you news of the very exciting Food Van Jam, food truck bash. 

I’m feeling particularly virtuous at present. Actually I’m feeling incredibly virtuous, for I’m sipping on an organic and cold pressed juice that’s as green as it gets—heck, it’s so green and dense I can’t even see through to the other side of the bottle.

If you’re the kind of person who embraces the festive season with open arms, egg nog and all, and is partial to the occasional pavlova face plant, the close proximity between Christmas eating, and post-Christmas beach holiday probably seems like a cruel and unusual idea.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Brisbane markets get all warm and fuzzy during the festive season, full of festive cheer, twinkling fairy lights… and lots of amazing food! From gourmet Christmas puds, mince pies and cookies, honey roast hams, turkeys, plus all your pantry needs, Brisbane markets will have you fully stocked for a family invasion come the big day.

If there was ever a time to venture to a new Brisbane bar, the silly season is it. At this time of year no one can judge you for being tipsy by midday, and eating non-stop for four weeks straight. No wonder we’ve been looking forward to it all year!

If you’re yet to organise your Christmas party, or fancy the idea of a pre-Christmas catch up with friends but have had neither the time nor inclination to actually pick up the phone and book a table, don’t stress. You won’t be stuck at Sizzler with only your boss and the unified hatred of your colleagues for company. Some of the best restaurants in Brisbane still have space available for you Chrissy do!

Now that we’ve hit December, we can all officially get excited about Christmas! This is the only time of year where over-indulgence is not only acceptable, it’s out and out encouraged! For those of us actively participating in Christmas-y festivities (and by participating, we mean eating copious amounts of food), listen up: TUL fave, Embassy Craft Beer Bar, are putting on their annual Christmas Banquet, as part of their dinner series, and it’s a goodie.

​Beating the bulge at Christmas time is usually put in the too hard basket, and reserved for New Year’s resolutions, when the festive season haze has disappeared. 

Master sommeliers, chefs, and winemakers weigh in with their vino picks for your next soul feeding.

Start spreadin’ the news, because a slice of the big apple has opened for business in the Fortitude Valley. New Brisbane bar New York Brew Company is the brainchild of the cool cats who brought you New York Slice, so you know we’re talking authentic New York.

Open Tuesday to Sunday from lunch ‘til late, Julius Pizzeria dwells in Brisbane’s latest scrubbed-up laneway, below the schmick new Aria development in Fish Lane.  

Bringing a dose of Brooklyn cool to the already burgeoning Eagle Lane, new Brisbane bar Brooklyn Standard looks set to shake up the CBD when doors open tomorrow.

Mary, you old dog. Saviour of the hung over, nectar of the tomato-y gods, the Bloody Mary is the perfect cocktail for day-drinking (it's basically cold soup, after all), and to get you back on the horse the night after the night before (we believe its restorative properties have something to do with the high Vitamin C content. We may have just made that up). Some like it spicy, some adorned with fresh veg, but whatever your Bloody Mary style, there's one in Brisbane to tickle your fancy.

Beauty products like shampoo, facial cleansers and even makeup can contain animal products, or, worse, have been tested on the little critters! Naturally, some vegans are super strict when it comes to makeup ingredients, skin care products, and even what their makeup brushes are made from! So here's our list of Brisbane's best vegan beauty product options for you to go and get your hands on.

Fans of Phillip Johnson’s cult Brisbane burger joint, Howzat Burger, listen up. Formerly only available at the Eat Street Markets and from its weekday home in e’cco Bistro’s bar, Howzat Burger has a hip new Valley outpost, The Triffid.

If you’re on the hunt for things to do in Brisbane of the face-stuffing variety, we may have a few suggestions for you. New Brisbane restaurants and bars have been popping up all over the joint this month, including new American wing bars, new pizzerias, new cafes, and new live music venues. 

For those of you lucky enough to be jetting off to some far away part of the world for a New Year’s Eve getaway, good for you. The rest of us will happily hold the fort and see what Brisbane has to offer. This year there’s no reason to be a sad sack at home watching the fireworks on the TV, because the best New Year’s Eve parties in Brisbane are right on your doorstep. And we’ve got 6 tickets to giveaway to one of the hottest New Year’s Eve parties in town!

Pull on your finest ‘Texan tuxedo’ and practice your best accent a la Yankie; new American restaurant Buffalo Bar is throwing open its doors tomorrow! From the fine folk that brought us Mighty Mighty—an American restaurant so food porn-y that it’s basically Brisbane’s version of breaking the Internet—the arrival of Buffalo Bar means we’re gearing up for all things smoked, battered, barrelled and fried.

When it comes to hairstyling, we are all lazy girls at heart, even if some of us disguise it better than others by—shock—actually putting some effort in every morning. 

Even though alcohol has been legalised and regulated to the point of , dive culture is still alive and well in Brisbane’s bar scene.

We love a café that impresses with its simplicity. New Farm café, The Gettin’ Place is a new Brisbane café getting it right.

Ok let's be real here, what could possibly be better than a food truck? It's a restaurant that comes to you! If it involves food, and it's mobile, we're so there! And with the food truck scene becoming more and more popular, it's no surprise that so many have popped up recently.

From Australia’s best restaurants, here are the food trends we’ve been noticing. Some we love, some we love to hate.

How many times have you wandered through South Bank’s beautiful parklands thinking to yourself how well a cold beer and some cheese would go down? 

Summer has well and truly arrived, which means ditching darker shades in favour of sun-kissed tresses, and losing some hair-weight, so you don’t melt. We asked some of the best hairdressers in Brisbane for their picks of the hottest hair trends that will keep you cool all summer long, as seen on some of our favourite mane-inspiring celebrity heads.

Not keen on cooking this Christmas Day? We hear you, so we’ve tracked down the best Brisbane restaurants open on Christmas Day in Brisbane for your feasting pleasure. These kind folks are ignoring their families so we can eat like kings this Christmas Day (and they’ll do the washing up!) and for that we are eternally grateful, and wish them bulk rum balls.

Fans of Newstead institution, Beccofino, prepare to lose your mind, because the talented team behind this Italian favourite are opening the doors to their new venue, Julius Pizzeria in South Brisbane tomorrow.

Check out these seriously stylish accessories to light up your home for the festive season.

Where everybody knows your name and they’re always glad you came. Nobody tell Ted Danson, but The Triffid is adopting this mantra as its own. Part cavernous music hall; part classic beer garden, The Triffid packs a double wallop as a shiny new addition to both the city’s music and bar scenes. 

We are at the pointy end of the year (did someone say Christmas?!), the festive season is hot on our heels, and as usual, it’s a love/hate kinda feeling. 

Here at The Urban List, we spend all day, everyday, tracking down the very best eats in Brisbane, so you can avoid the culinary riff raff and only waste your cals on the good stuff.

West End has dominated the Brisbane cafe scene for quite a few years now, yet, slowly, things seem to be expanding. Great coffee, delicious food and cool bars aren’t just confined to the main drag of Boundary Street anymore, guys, things are getting loco and new cafes and bars are popping up outside these well-known areas. 

Learning how to dress like a New Yorker is a delicate art. How does one master the knack of looking cool without trying? Attain native Manhattan status without having set foot in the place? One thing’s for sure – whether it’s the black on black on black vibe of the East Village, or the colour, print and fabulousness of the West Village, there’s no doubt that New York style has got it going on.

Nothing gets us fired up at TUL HQ quite like good food. As you may already have guessed, we have a soft spot when it comes to filling our bellies, so writing about our picks of the best restaurants in Brisbane comes easy. Even if we do pay a premium on our gym memberships!

The gang at Embassy Craft Beer Bar are nuts about good beer. As their name oh-so subtly suggests, craft beer is their lady jam. Bottle, tap, local or interstate, beer is the order of the day here, and is celebrated in a big way.

Where are the 'Sandwich Islands'? What is Miley Cyrus' real first name? Which came first—m&m's or Smarties? If you find yourself answering questions like these when everyone around you reaches for their pocket-sized conversation killers, you've got what it takes, kid. You could go all the way! 

New Japanese restaurant, Nikuya is the latest venue to open its doors in Fortitude Valley's M&A precinct. 

Fans of carbs and bumbling British chefs, get excited. Britain's most recognisable kitchen wizard has set up shop in the Brisbane CBD, with the arrival of Jamie's Italian on Edward Street this week.

Fried chicken is the ultimate litmus test for real Southern American cooking. (Elvis was a fan, and that's saying something, 'cause that dude knew his junk food.)

Wait, nobody wants to date you? And you don't know why? Let's try and get to the bottom of this together. Here are 50 possible reasons why you're still single.

Two little words. Festive season. It's enough to fill the health-conscious with dread. 

It's a truth universally acknowledged that Miami (Florida, not Gold Coast) is the center of the beach party cosmos. Amirite? 

'You can never have too much butter'. I remember watching the film Julie and Julia for the first time and nodding enthusiastically at this profound insight.

As summer starts to ramp up and the days get hotter, the temptation to bury your face in a mountain of ice cream increases. The struggle is real, guys. Rather than giving in to your sugar-fuelled, heat-induced urges, try an acai bowl instead!

If you're not feeling equal parts fuzzy, nervy and frisky, maybe karaoke's not for you. If you've got a rendition of Livin' On a Prayer ready to bust out, however, here are the best Brisbane karaoke bars where you can get your jam on. 

Everyone loves a free feed. But it's not everyday that one of Brisbane's best restaurants hands out a freebie! Read on, hungry readers, for all the deets on how to get your mitts on the hottest organic-freebie feed in town…

Let's thank our lucky stars that Obama and the crew are rolling into town this weekend for G20, so we get to spend this glorious G20 public holiday chillaxing, eating, and probably thinking about anything other than politics. We're just Putin in out there, there will be a lot of drinks involved.

Another year is coming to a close, and we know exactly what you need to kick off the party season. A year's worth of FREE WINE!

Whiskey has been, up until quite recently, the drop of choice for John Hamm types and cowboys. A man's-man's beverage, if you will. But whiskey's undergone somewhat of a cultural reinvigoration of late, and now the amber liquid is the cocktail ingredient de jour at the hottest bars, with even the staunchest whiskey haters coming around to its charms (heck, even the ladies have come on board).

With so many cool little suburbs full of great dining and shopping options in Brisbane, we think we're pretty lucky when it comes to looking for a great burb' to settle down in in our fair city. 

New Brisbane bar, Jahh Tiger is taking back the word 'jerk'. No longer will the term be exclusively reserved for people who pinch your sweet parking spot or thrust a trolley-load of groceries through the express check-out lane. Instead, put 'jerk' before chicken and you've got yourself a lip-tingling, mouth-wateringly good time. 

Peanut butter and caramel. In a biscuit. If Elvis Presley and the best dream we've ever had produced a love child, it would be this peanut butter caramel biscuit confection from epic bakers, Alistair Wise and Teena Kearney-Wise. Stop slobbering on your keyboard. Go forth and bake these beauties. Immediately.

Italian food is my all-time favourite comfort food. There, I've said it, and I know I'm not alone. Pizza, pasta, polenta…just picturing a bowl of fresh spaghetti makes my carb-crazy heart race!

Dear leaders of the world. You will no doubt have heard much about our twinkling city back in your homelands, and some of you may have even had the pleasure of visiting before. For those who are popping your (proverbial) Brisbane cherries, then let me say dobro pozhalovat' (welcome) on behalf of all the good Brisbanites (that's what we call the citizens of Brisbane [look, you're learning already!]).

When hip new Brisbane market Boundary Street Markets sauntered its way in to town this year, it instantly cemented itself as one of the coolest Brisbane markets yet. And what's not to love? Inner-city, industrial digs; awesome stalls from Brisbane's best local artisans; live gigs in big brother music venue, The Motor Room; a bangin' Friday night party every week (otherwise known as Factory Fridays); and a heap of oh-so-delish food trucks and vans dishing up scrumptious chow. 

I'm writing this with my leg stuck up on the wall next to me. It's kind of sitting in line with my head and at a 32 degree-ish angle. You see I'm doing this because I've just been to my first Lagree class, and owing to the amount and type of work I did, I'm certain I'll be a touch sore tomorrow — hence the leg up at an odd angle in the hope of stretching through (or missing) the pain. 

The weekend's here, so why waste this precious time at the same old bar drinking the same old drink when there are so many new Brisbane bars for you to check out this month. Whether you're after a laid-back location for drinks and good chow or somewhere more upbeat (shots?!), there's a new Brisbane bar for you and your crew.

Up until fairly recently, 'fine' dining had been a pastime for those of us not short of a bob or two. Crisp white linens, (overly) attentive wait staff, dozens of culinary tools scattered around one's dinner plate…it can all be a bit OTT, you know? Money, it seemed, could get you an awful lot of fuss and pomp, but leave something lacking in the ambience department… and don't get us started on portion sizes!

Brisbane music fans, brace yourselves! This weekend sees the official launch of Brisbane's newest music venue, The Triffid. Located in one of Newstead's historic WWII hangers, The Triffid offers a 800-person capacity concert space, and a new beer garden.

Planning a summer holiday? We’ve got the ultimate guide on where to eat, play and stay in Bali. Pristine beaches, delectable food and heart-pumping pursuits await!

The juncture of authentic Chinese food and good wine is a rare beast. Team those uncommon bedfellows with an affordable menu and a cool fit out and you're onto a winner. New Spring Hill Chinese restaurant and wine bar, Happy Boy, is a breath of fresh air in a saturated market of celery slops and BYO-beers.

What's not to love about a swanky new restaurant, smack bang in the heart of the city, with a scrumptious menu, and awesome bar to boot? Not much, we say. Well, lookout fans of classy, modern dining, 'because there's a new Brisbane restaurant ready to woo your tastebuds. We're already swooning hard over this one. 

It would be easy to stroll right past the timber framed shop front of new Ann Street cafe, Lost Boys, and let me tell you, you'd be pretty upset if you did because this rising star in the Brisbane café scene is serving up really delicious food and great coffee! 

We've searched high and low to find the best burgers in Brisbane. You're welcome. It's taken real gumption and commitment to chow through these suckers; our waistlines are showing it, and we've been picking teeny tiny sesame seeds out of our teeth for months. But, like true pioneers, we've done it! 

As a nation of self-proclaimed sports fanatics, we pledge allegiance to our team colours as we take our first breath out of the oven. We love watching sports. We love betting on it, playing it, talking about it—hell—we live and breathe the sporting stuff! So many of our favourite things to do in Brisbane revolve around the outdoors, so it's no wonder we have a serious soft spot for anyone and anything in a sporting jersey.

Warm weather calls for an endless supply of summer cocktails!

The cause of single men in Australia has been set back years, perhaps even decades, by the irresponsible actions of one boneheaded exotic dancer from Perth by the name of Blake Garvey. I'm going to skip the obligatory line where I explain who he is in case you haven't heard of him, because, even if you would have preferred not to, you have been hearing all about him for days.

Raise of hands who doesn't like coffee? Yeah, that's what we thought. Coffee is a way of life for us Aussies, ingrained into our daily routines. Breakfast just isn't breakfast without a creamy cup at one of Brisbane's best cafes, and don't even think about embarking on a morning meeting without your daily dose of caffeine coursing through your veins.

Katrina Meynink gives us her recipe for a salad so delicious we could swear off burgers for life (maybe).

We know massage is one of those touchy subjects (see what I did there?) that polarises people. You either love it or you hate it. While here at TUL HQ, we question the sanity of anyone that doesn't want all their worldly tensions eased through some expert muscle kneading, we do understand that finding the perfect massage in Brisbane can be a knot inducing task in itself! 

It has become an annual tradition at The Urban List to produce a comprehensive Melbourne Cup betting guide that is not only highly informative, but incredibly accurate as well.

The Urban List exists to support small business. Hopefully this isn't a surprise to you! If it is, we're sorry. We obviously haven't been sharing that incredibly important raison d'etre particularly well.

If the sudden arrival of summer has completely thrown you off, like it has us, chances are you're staring at your thighs right now and thinking that the beach escape you've planned for two weeks time was a bad idea. Before you cancel your plans and crawl inside a bag of Doritos, take a gander at our handy summer fitness guide. We've rounded up some of Brisbane's best personal trainers and gyms and sorted them by laziness level, so all you have to do is show up.

With summer knocking at the door, our much-loved Brisbane market scene is stocking up on the season's most delicious local produce. This month's November Market Calendar is all about the food; we're talking food trucks, artisan stalls, and pop-up stands—the Brisbane markets are a pretty damn delicious place to be right now! And now's the time to run amok at Brisbane's best markets, what with all this fantastic weather we're having! Check out this month's Brisbane Market Calendar, take your pick of the list, and get shopping!

Making its home in the shell of former Brisbane Japanese institution, Little Tokyo, new Chinese restaurant and wine bar Happy Boy has opened for business today in Spring Hill.

Tucked down an alleyway in Fortitude Valley is new Brisbane restaurant Longtime. Both a late-night drinking destination and Thai eatery, Longtime sits firmly in the chilled middle ground between bar and restaurant, which is exactly where we like them.

The best restaurants in Brisbane know how to get the atmosphere just right— that certain je ne sais quoi—usually a killer combo of so-good-it's-sinful food, in a casual yet elegant space with minimal fuss, and great service. When we stumble on a Brisbane restaurant that ticks all those boxes, and leaves us so at ease we can fly our inner greedy-pig-flag without fear of persecution, we think it's worth shouting about. When said restaurant has bacon ice cream on the menu, it's more like a scream.

The sultry blanket of December's sticky heat approaches, and with it two things that are more certain than the dawn: bountiful hours of sunshine, and the kind of thirst that even Tiddilick couldn't sate. Summer is coming… but don't panic Brisbane, you've got this. 

We're a bunch of culinary flirts. Sometimes we'll fancy donning a natty jacket and making our wallets bleed to put a bit of razzle-dazzle on our plates, to get the old tastebuds revving again. Other times, we find immense pleasure devouring a sweaty meat pie cooked in a plastic bag, and slathered in some kind of fluorescent coloured condiment. You just can't pick what we'll crave next.

Culture vultures, it’s time to pack your rucksacks and fly south – Hobart’s MONA FOMA is back for another year, bringing a beguiling mixed-bag of music and art to January 2015. Get ready to MOFO like there's no tomorrow.

We love cocktails, no doubt about it (though ask us on Sunday morning and we might tell you otherwise). But having the skills to whip one up ourselves? Not so hot.

We're just going to say it: Split ends are a b*tch… Yep, we swore, that's how angry they make us. A bad case of the split ends is enough to make a girl run screaming at the clippers. 

Let's hear it for the boys—The Bagel Boys! Their crispy, chewy, seedy, schmeary delights have found a permanent home in Brisbane's CBD at what is perhaps the most belly-satisfying and 9-to-5-acceptable bar in town. 

If you've got any semblance of a life, the looming prospect of having to dress up for Halloween is probably shifting from a pesky brain-gnaw to a full-blown feeling of panic right about now.

TED—the world-renowned talks form industry leaders, great minds, and inspirational speakers that regularly blow up the Internet—is coming back to Brisbane. 20 speakers will take the stage at the State Library of Queensland this December for Brisbane's second TEDx event.

There is nothing, NOTHING, better on a hot (read: sweltering) summer's day than taking a dip in a cool blue pool. A frosty beer in one hand, a good book (ahem, trashy mag) in the other, and we could happily waste a few hours doing a whole lot of nothing. The only thing missing is having a slave on hand to feed you endless Pina Coladas, a la Cruisey in the 1988 award-worthy movie epic Cocktail, and life would be on the up-and-up.

Of all the suburbs in our beautiful city, none sum up the relaxed, ever-so slightly bohemian vibe and chilled lifestyle of Brisbane quite like West End.

We've put our precious strands on the line while on the hunt for the best hairdresser in Brisbane, and after much foiling, snipping, fringing and a few tress-tanties, the results are in. 

For all you Heston fans worried about missing out on the ballot, here are seven things you can expect when dining at Dinner By Heston, the legacy restaurant The Fat Duck will leave behind in Melbourne.

Brisbane, you've done it! You've reached the zenith of cool, and in less than a month, US Prez' Obama—and 20+ other leaders of the free world—will be converging on our humble (river) shores to celebrate G20. 

The thought of adding hair to something that is so regularly waxed, tweezed and preened but newsflash, eyebrow extensions are totally a thing now!

So you've stuffed your face with more macarons than you can handle, dived head first into the cronut trend with unbridled enthusiasm, and pretty much have been showering in salted caramel for the past six months.

If you're a food-lover in Brisbane, there's a good chance you're a fan of Red Hill's Botanica Real Food—easily one of the best cafes in Brisbane, and one of our all-time faves for a healthy lunch or gluten-free treatie. And now Botanica's fans have a new reason to celebrate, 'cause they're now doing breakfast!