Brisbane's Best

The small bar culture that has become a fixture of Brisbane's inner city has spread its wings, with a small brave cache of funky drinking holes popping up in suburban shopping centres and outer villages of Brisbane.

Some of them are Cinderella bars – cafés by day that quietly morph into beer or cocktail lounges after sundown - while others are simply closed shopfronts that spring to lamp-lit life late in the afternoon as other businesses are shutting their doors for the day. 

Here's a sample of 11 cool bars you'll find if you venture out in the 'burbs after dark: 

Southside Tea Room – The quirky little neighbourhood bar on the Morningside shopping strip is a Grate place for an evening tipple, tasty bar food with a side of live entertainment and themed nights like pop-up supper clubs, beer and bagels and the Dum Dum Club. It also happens to be owned and run by Patience and John from indie band The Grates.

Cardigan Bar – Tucked away in a service lane in bayside Sandgate is this charming, cosy and ambient brick-walled haunt where locals hang out for conversation and craft beers, award-wining wines, spirits, cheese and crackers.  And when it comes to food, punters can bring their own, from home or local restaurants.

Retro Bar – Another laneway bar, this time in the western side of town: Retro Bar is a welcome retreat from the everyday and an unlikely find in Kenmore: a cool Jetsons style lounge that serves tapas, light meals, beer, wine and cocktails to a soundtrack of retro hits. And not just a pretty retro space, there's action to be had at Retro Bar too, with movie, trivia and music nights.

Junk Bar – Brisbane's first small bar is going from strength to strength since it set up in an unsigned corner hole-in-the-wall in the Ashgrove shopping hub, having recently giving birth to a small live gig room (The Skukum Lounge) through a door to one side.  Lamp-lit, wallpapered and adorned with taxidermy, music at Junk Bar is a strictly vinyl affair and you can order your own food from neighbouring takeaways.

Room 60 – Not just a funky small bar that serves great cocktails and bar food, Room 60 in Kelvin Grove Village is also a performance space and arts hub with movie nights, live music, stand up comedy, a literary salon with novel readings and trivia nights amongst the flurry of activity.

Toro Bar – By night the darkened semi-vacant shopping centre on Milton Rd, Auchenflower looks void of human life but light filtering from behind venetian blinds of one shopfront is a clue that there's some action within. Step inside to find a vintage Euro style tapas, wine and cocktail lounge with great share plates and excellent cocktails and the odd dose of live music.

Hyde Out – Having recently sprung up unexpectedly in the depths of Yeronga, Hyde Out is another great café by day-turned rustic bar by night – a top place to hang out and have a drink, graze or dine on seriously good food. The succinct drinks menu features craft beers, boutique wines and house cocktails with a twist and in Sundays comes with a side of live music.

Shady Palms – A colonial timber shop in the heart of Stones Corner has been converted into a sprawling tropical Queenslander style café bar, (from the creators of local iconic café Lady Marmalade, no less) complete with back yard and plenty of space to chill out and enjoy some great nosh, beer, wine and gastro bar food.

Timber Cabin – Another coup for the night life in Stones Corner was the recent opening of The Timber Cabin and Coffee House which inhabits the site of the old Green Door Café. From Thursday to Sunday nights kick on at the saloon style log Cabin with lures like superb sangria, wilderness mojitos and daily specials like Shepherd's Pie.

Artie & Mai – The Swedes have left the building and now the most gorgeous brick terrace in Albion's main stretch is home to a spiffy café bar that makes the perfect casual drop-in for top notch food and drinks. From 3pm (craft beer o'clock) the tapas and pizza menu kicks in, and for the rest of the evening it's both ambient bar - with spirits and cocktails on the menu - and restaurant too.

Ya Ya Bar – Samford's Ya Ya bar is like a piece of city that has landed in the country, a tiny main street affair that keeps the locals from fleeing to the big smoke too often as here they can get top notch tapas and share plates, cool cocktails and craft beers and a touch of great live entertainment. As for the Sunday sessions, they've been known to leave unsuspecting day trippers looking for overnight accommodation.