Queen Street mall:
Eat & drink
Shopping is a sport requiring skill and stamina and its athletes need fuel to stay sharp and keep going. Take a well-deserved pitstop between gift-finding, bargain-hunting and wardrobe-updating at these cafes, restaurants and fast-food joints servicing Queen Street Mall shoppers.
Want to know where to shop? Read our comprehensive guide to shopping along the Queen Street Mall.
Restaurant dining
Before you begin your big day of shopping, you might like to plan ahead and book at one of The City’s best restaurants near Queen Street Mall.
Head up the escalator at Hyatt Regency Brisbane to find Lennon’s Restaurant and Bar – a casual and contemporary eatery that has been a Brisbane City institution since 1884.
Venture down the mall and take a right into Hilton Brisbane above Wintergarden to find Vintaged Bar & Grill, a modern Australian restaurant that specialises in steak but also caters to vegan and vegetarian diners with their extensive menu. Towards the bottom of the mall, located on level one of QueensPlaza, is the popular Longtime Dining. The Cantonese restaurant takes a unique spin on traditional yum cha, winning a legion of fans in the process.
Funny Funny in Burnett Lane is an upbeat Korean restaurant and bar with a lively vibe offering classic rice and noodle dishes. Hit up Longwang on Edward Street to enjoy delicious modern Asian cuisine from award-winning chef Jason Margaritis. Nearby Edward Street, head down Rowes Lane for burgers and share plates at Miss Demeanour Laneway Bar. Step inside the Heritage-listed Rothwell building on Edward Street and try Rothwell’s Bar and Grill for a long lunch, evening cocktails or intimate dining moments. A short stroll from Queen Street Mall is The Wolf, a European-inspired restaurant, bar and deli.
In The Star Brisbane you’ll find Luke Nguyen’s Vietnamese restaurant, Fat Noodle. Elizabeth Street runs parallel to the mall and here you’ll find upmarket Chinese diner Donna Chang, welcoming tired shoppers with pink velvet booths and dumplings galore.
Cafe delights
To start the day, why not grab a spot of breakfast and a caffeine hit to start the day.
Some of the mall’s best cafes are tucked just out of sight but most definitely not out of mind. Open from early until late, Stanton Brasserie Bar and Pizzeria is a classic café and restaurant on the top floor of QueensPlaza. Classic tea house Room With Roses also enjoys an elevated position, serving high tea and elegant lunches from the top floor of the historic Brisbane Arcade. In Tattersall’s Arcade, Italian-influenced Marchetti café serves a short menu of refined dishes, espresso coffee and cannoli that tastes as good as Nonna’s.
Venture down Burnett Lane, which runs parallel to Queen Street Mall, and you’ll find Felix for Goodness for healthy salads and nourishing eats and Brew Café and Bar for a quick meal and a brew – either coffee or beer, depending on the time of day.
Strauss Café sits in a quaint laneway off Elizabeth St and specialises in tasty salads, sandwiches and soul-warming coffee. Speaking of coffee, if you need a quick caffeine top-up, look to Edward Specialty Coffee on Edward St or hunt out Foster & Black Speciality Coffee in Uptown.
Rest stops
Smack-bang in the centre of the mall, Jimmy’s On The Mall is open 24/7 and serves a wide-ranging menu with a side of The City’s best people-watching. This two-storey venue is the perfect location for resting weary legs, watching sports or relaxing with a refreshing beverage. It's also a great central spot to meet friends on your lunch break or after work for dinner.
If you take the escalators downstairs at QueensPlaza you'll find two hidden gems: New Shanghai for dumplings and Chinese cuisine and Kinn Imm Thai Hawker Food for Thai street food.
Quick serve
Get back to pounding the pavement in record time by grabbing a bite to eat at one of The City’s many quick-service restaurants. Drop in without a reservation for a quick lunch with a touch of class.
Experience some of The City’s best Asian fusion dishes, fluffy bagels and bubble tea in Elizabeth Arcade with its mouth-watering selection of fast and fresh lunch options.
Albert Lane runs from the centre of Queen Street Mall, a little street that’s home to the two-storey Italian hideaway, Vapiano, and dumpling diner, Harajuku Gyoza. On the upper level of Wintergarden lies Grill’d to satisfy those burger cravings or indulge at Red Hook in Gresham Lane who does a mean Brooklyn Cheeseburger (be sure to add waffle fries and a cold beer).
Food court fare
On a shopping mission with no time to stop? Grab a quick, cheap lunch on the run at one of the many food courts in Brisbane City. Uptown, Wintergarden, QueensPlaza and MacArthur Central all have epic food courts located on the basement or lower levels of each centre. Or you can try The Food Quarter located on level five of Queens Wharf that has sweeping views of the Brisbane River. Choose from a wide variety of cuisines and styles that cater to all appetites and tastes as you grab and go on your way to explore more of Queen Street Mall.
Post Office Square sits off Queen Street opposite the GPO and is the go-to for nearby city workers. Head underground to grab a quick bite in the food court or choose from one of the quick-service restaurants such as Isles Lane Bar and Kitchen on the square. If you have time to stop, pull up on a patch of grass on the lawn for an impromptu picnic.
Sweet treats
Come 3pm, you may be craving a sugar fix to keep your energy levels high. Dello Mano’s Brisbane City Cake Shop in Wintergarden will have you drooling over its cakes, cookies and world-famous luxury foil-wrapped brownies. In Tattersall’s Arcade, Italian café Marchetti’s Nutella roll is one for the bucket list.
Over on Adelaide Street, the Noosa Chocolate Factory’s pick ‘n’ mix selection of artisan chocolate-covered fruit and nuts is perfect for a quick fix.
Bar tabs
Friday night is late-night shopping in The City with most stores trading until 9pm. Whether you want to kick things off with an espresso martini or end with a nightcap – we’re not here to judge, just inform. Jump in the elevator at Hyatt Regency Brisbane and head to Hibiscus Room which overlooks Queen Street Mall. Sixteen Antlers Rooftop Bar is perched atop the Pullman Brisbane King George Square hotel, offering a bird's-eye-view of the surrounding city while sipping on something from its extensive drink’s menu. For more exquisite views to pair with your drinks, head to The Star Brisbane where you’ll find Cherry and Livewire in the Casino.
Venture down to Burnett Lane, where you can partake in a self-paced bar crawl from Death & Taxes Bar to Antico Bar. On the corner of Charlotte and Albert streets, The Croft House Town Kitchen and Bar is just the place to rest your feet and relax with a glass of wine in hand. A short walk away on Queen Street is The Gresham Bar, an award-winning whisky and cocktail bar.
