The best new restaurants in New Farm and the Valley

New Farm and Fortitude Valley have long been renowned for the breadth and abundance of food offerings. Among them, some hallowed institutions that have helped define Brisbane’s foodie culture. It can be hard to tear yourself away from these cornerstones, but well worth it to get to know the latest restaurants and cafes that have popped up in the Valley and New Farm.

This itinerary will cover a weekend’s worth of eating out, brought to you by only the freshest restaurants in New Farm and the Valley.

Saturday

Breakfast

An early start might be the last thing you’d want to do on a Saturday morning, but it’s so worth hauling yourself out of bed to get to Agnes first thing. This brand new bakery popped up in the back streets of Fortitude Valley and has since garnered a cult following.

Every morning of trade you’ll find a queue of bleary-eyed locals waiting outside to buy them out of daily tarts, loaves, and their famous basque cheesecakes. The operation is led by chef Ben Williamson, of Gerard’s Bistro fame, who deftly halted plans to open Agnes as a woodfired restaurant when the pandemic restrictions took effect.

Coffee

Loaded up with baked goods, head down to Paradise to banish any remaining sleepiness. The cafe is on the corner of Alfred and Constance Streets, just a quick ten-minute walk from Agnes, and features specialty coffee Padre Coffee’s Noosa roastery as well as a full breakfast menu if you slept through your alarm. 

Lunch

Howard Smith Wharves is the brand new waterfront precinct delivering some of Queensland’s most memorable food experiences. Head down to the other side of the rocky cliffs on the farm side of the Story Bridge and see what all the fuss is about. For today’s lunch, you’ll want something light and refreshing to harmonise with the riverside breeze, that’s why Yoko Dining is your best bet.

A purely modern izakaya, Yoko offers signature cocktails, ultra-fresh seafood from their raw bar, and plenty of shareable mains. Outsource selection to the kitchen with the eight-course Izakaya Set to take you through the smash hits of the menu. If you want to curate it yourself, start with a plate of karaage and a sashimi plate and let your palate guide the rest.

Dinner

Nothing screams fancy dinner louder than steak and oysters. For the fanciest, most refined surf and turf you’ll ever eat, head to SK Steak and Oyster. Located in the palatial Calile Hotel, SK is a beautiful fusion of classicism and modernity.

First things first, kick off dinner with a plate of freshly shucked oysters, sourced that day. If you’re not much into oysters, try one of their revamped seafood cocktails.

Next, select your protein from the raft of signature steaks SK offers, or dip into the seafood mains, and round out the table with a constellation of side dishes. These side plates are what make steak dinners such a joy, and SK ensures all the classic sides are featured alongside some fresh takes like the Moreton Bay Bug mashed potato.

Of course, if you want something a little messier and lowkey, check out Baja Modern Mexican on the corner of Alfred and Brunswick Streets. Serving up delicious, gourmet tacos and mezcal margaritas, Baja’s Mexican feasts meld perfectly with Brisbane’s warmer weather, making it feel like a SoCal taco bar. And ideally located if you’re looking to kick on to explore Brisbane’s nightlife. 

Sunday

Breakfast

Today you’ll want a late start, so a hearty brunch is in order. New Farm was Brisbane’s original brunch hotspot, a tradition proudly continued by Mary Mae’s. Located right on the water downstairs at the Powerhouse, Mary Mae’s brings together the best of America’s west coast and southern cuisine for an all day menu spanning bacon and egg basics to zesty and refreshing fish tacos. Make it boozy with a take on Mary Mae’s signature cocktail, the Bloody Mary.

*Bonus: for great coffee and the best views, head to End of the Line Cafe next to the ferry terminal at the far end of New Farm Park. Then take your brew for a wander through the rose gardens.

Lunch

New Farm has never been starved of quality Italian cuisine, but the postcode was still impressed when Mosconi came onto the scene. Their menu is constantly changing to reflect the market haul, so expect fresh and seasonal dishes every visit.

But come by on Sundays and you’ll be treated to their long lunch. It’s hard to predict what you’ll see on the menu, but some immovable aspects that will never change are fresh pasta, perfectly cooked proteins, and refreshing twists on classic flavour profiles. Naturally, their wine list is a vitally important aspect of the dining experience so make sure you have a decent chat with the somm before uncorking a bottle of something special. 

Dinner

Valley lifers will remember Longtime: a modern restaurant boasting elevated Thai fusion from a Valley laneway. This operation pulled up stumps last year and moved to the centre of James Street to be reborn as sAme sAme. As you can guess, this restaurant offers the same punchy Asian flavours in a series of inventive, uptempo dishes spanning noodles, curries, and impressive proteins. Your table can opt for a full-blown banquet, or dial it back with a selection of their bar snacks - the perfect way to maximise flavour with minimal impact at the end of a foodie weekend.

After dinner drinks

On a Sunday evening you can’t be expected to walk too far, especially not after dinner. That’s the beauty of LOS Bar. An acronym for ‘land of smiles’ this joyous waterhole sits upstairs as the sister venue to sAme sAme, and makes a darn good nightcap. The bar stocks a decent range of natural, organic and biodynamic wines, but it’s the tequila people come here for. LOS has 140 bottles of premium tequilas, often put to work in their Thai-inspired cocktail menu. You can even get a few snacks off sAme sAme’s bar menu if the mood strikes.