A hidden gem! My favorite spot while visiting Brisbane. Love the creativity of the cocktail menu, I…read morereally enjoyed my drink. Service and ambiance is great, can't recommend this place enough.

Cool bar with dark themed cocktails. They have a huge selection of gin and whiskey. Unfortunately…read morethey need a liquor list / menu if you're an aficionado as you can't see all the bottles. Staff were friendly, made suggestions and were quick. We had some simple pours but next time can see trying their signature cocktails. A bit steep at $21+ but could be worth it once in awhile.

Okay, while this place is strictly a whiskey bar, and I tell you what, they have a huge selection…read moreof whiskey as well, if the bar is anything to go by, they do also have options of non-whiskey drinkers like me. Yeah, basically you can get a beer here, and it is pretty decent beer as well. However, this is one of those places you come to if you like whiskey. Still, I personally quite liked the bar, since the atmosphere, and the beer, was pretty good.

Cobbler is a new comer to the bar scene in West End. A gorgeously appointed space, lit with candles…read moreand Edison globes, the sweet sounds of French Chill and Trip Hop greet you, and welcome you in. The ground floor gives way to a grand timber bar, and an impressive wall of over 175 whiskeys, with barmen greeting punters and mixing some stunning cocktails, under the gaze of the vintage penny farthing adorning the bare brick walls. Cobbler has become my favourite midweek haunt for a quick cocktail (or three) with friends, and it just does not disappoint. The staff are gifted when it comes to their craft, and are gracious in recommending a new drink, or trying a different mix of an old favourite. It's a strictly BYO Food affair, but it only adds to the charm of the space. There's an upstairs lounge with recliners, and a internal deck that overlooks the space below. With drinks named like 'The men of the night's watch', and the 'Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster' it's clear Cobbler doesn't take itself too seriously, and it leaves it up to its drinks to speak for it. Parking is a challenge, but hey, welcome to West End. If you're up for a quiet drink, or a fancy yourself a whiskey enthusiast, I challenge you to find a more enjoyable place to sip, contemplate the world, or just people watch.

Tucked away near an alley, The Bowery is a bar that offers the best drinks around Brissy. It's…read moreinterior is a bit dark and mysterious, and a bit reminiscence of what one would picture a something in a U.S. 20's scene, though not quite. I think it's just that it reminded me of Bourbon and Branch in San Francisco, which takes on a speakeasy atmosphere and serves amazing cocktails and drinks. When I was there, they had a band, which was a bit loud for how big the place was, but it was fitting for the atmosphere. The drinks don't come cheap (about $20 a pop) and isn't much of a party atmosphere, nor is it good for dancing, but it's definitely a casual classic bar for a close group of friends.

My first visit to The Bowery was a great one but since then, each time has been subsequently less…read moregreat! I agree with all the reviews that there is no place to dance but the music is great and makes you want to dance. In addition, I waited ages for drinks and then on my way back to the table, other patrons ran straight into me knocking 1/2 of the concoctions out of the glasses. :( I basically paid for 4 drinks and ended up having 2.5 drinks to give to my friends. That's really terrible. If they could expand the space between the bar and the benches, everyone would be a lot happier. If you can find a booth or seat to chat with friends, it's great but if not, making space can be a bit tricky. I like it but I don't think it's my go-to in the Valley especially after my last experience.

This is a cute little cocktail bar with a delightfully hipster outdoor courtyard - complete with…read morefairy lights, recycled signage and street art scrawled on adjoining walls. They have a decent list of cocktail concoctions here, or you can do as I did and ask for a 'blank canvas' to get your own creation to suit your taste. My "nothing bitter/creamy and partial to dark rum" brief was met with a fun tiki cup of rum and apple deliciousness. A nice spot for groups to enjoy the weather, or there is indoor seating if Brisbane is being less favourable than usual.

Of course this swanky cocktail bar full of swagger would find it's home in the Woolloongabba Logan…read moreRoad precinct that is well and truly reclaiming itself as one of the coolest places in Brisbane. And you can see why. Walk into Canvas and you almost instantly forget your are in Brisbane. You could be in Melbourne or a European speak easy when you're at Canvas. Friends and I visited Canvas on a lazy Sunday afternoon and after settling in to our booth we made firm friends with our bartender for the day, Andrew. Our tapas plates (don't deny yourself the Brie. It is worth every calorie!) were exceptional. My firm favourite was the meat balls. We felt like queens with the world out our feet and were blown away by the affordability of our hours spent wiling away the afternoon ($87). Canvas have a Sunday afternoon cocktails and Jazz program that I for one cannot wait to check out. This is a place I could easily see myself becoming a local at.

Well, it just happened that the one time I decided to check this place out just happened to be that…read moreone time when all of Queensland descends upon a certain stadium to watch two teams battle it out. So, you can probably guess that this place was pretty packed. Still, ignoring that one day of the year that I just happened to be here, this bar was still pretty cool, and they even had some decent beers on tap as well.

What a fabulous first experience at Brewski! My friend and I decided to venture here for a catch up…read moredinner and drinks and boy did we make the right choice on a Tuesday evening. We rocked up and grabbed a table not knowing if we were to order at the bar or if staff would bring us a menu. FYI: You just order at the bar! We grabbed menus and they had quite the beverage list with beers available on tap (which you can also sample if you ask nicely). The food menu was one page and had a handful of entrees but the rest of the menu was pizza! They had your traditional ones with ham and pineapple or margarita but I was eyeing more of the interesting pizza like 'Wil Feral' and 'Mad Man Chilli Spank' and we decided on the chill spank and then a prawn pizza to even it out. Since it was Ten Bucks Tuesday, we decided to order a couple of pizzas to share and get to chatting. When our pizzas came out, they were the same Vampire Mad Prawn except one was with the death (spicy) sauce. I explained to our server how we had ordered the Mad Man Chilli Spank and he told me that two prawn pizzas were written on his order form. Before I could reply, the lady who took our order asked what was the situation and corrected it immediately by saying they would make another pizza right away and apologized for the inconvenience! Talk about great customer service! No fuss and immediately took care of the situation. She even offered to box up the other prawn pizza for takeaway! The Mad Man Chilli Spank is NOT for the faint of heart. There might have been some tears at the table but I rest assure you not from me. The pizzas are super thin with a nice crispy crunch and the toppings were tasty as well. The salami for the chill spank was tasty and I am so glad it was on there to diffuse some of the heat. The porter beer was a huge hit and they also had little creatures IPA, white rabbit white ale, and pip-squeak apple cider on tap. Great place to hang out with friends, catch up with someone special, or have dinner and drinks. They were super friendly and I will definitely come back!

This pub wasn't all that bad, though once again, considering its location is probably isn't one of…read morethe best in the area. However, you do tend to get that with pubs that happen to be located in entertainment districts such as Fortitude Valley. In a way, it was pretty much just your standard pub, though the service was friendly enough, and the atmosphere was also pretty good. I didn't mind it, but unfortunately, with the other better ones out there, it really didn't compare all that much.

With so few pubs around The Valley offering good pub food, The Flying Cock is a sight for sore…read moreeyes. I've been frequenting this place pretty regularly since its opening a few years ago, and have rarely left disappointed (besides the one burnt parmy like 2 years ago). The fitout is spacious and unassuming, with the walls plastered with pieces of Australiana - even the table numbers bear faces of notable Australians (my girlfriend, being the ALP supporter she is, had to request a different number to the John Howard one we were originally given). The food is a broad range of pub classics, with steaks, parmys, burgers and all that you'd expect, alongside some more inspired dishes like tacos and ice cream sandwiches. They also offer a $40 chook pack that comes with a slew of accoutrements that will definitely leave 3 people walking away feeling very well sated. There's also a bunch of great weekly deals like 2 parmys for $19.99 on Wednesdays, and the smuggler's bar up top has a great vibe and regularly hosts events like trivia. Definitely a place to check out for good quality, modern pub food that won't break the bank, unlike a few of the other places nearby.

I'm in no way Irish, I'm asian. But I could join the Irish club if I wanted to for $44 a year…read more For this, the kind Irish gentleman informed me, I could get a free meal and drink on my birthday, and discounts to city parking and other things around the place. That was pretty cool I said but I was with friends and wanted to try out the food. Plus, I was hungry. The Bunratty Bistro was where we sat our 4 weary bums down and the food we got there was something else. It was a Tuesday night and it was Steak Night for $7. That was pretty good being in the city, where else would you get that... 200g guaranteed Rump or Sirloin? Not many places bar the backpackers let me tell you. And you're not even sure what part of steak you're getting there (sometimes it's very stringy and questionable). If you're not into your steaks, there are $7 toasted sandwiches, chicken burgers, and other things from the menu that will set you back $18-$20 like the Guiness Beef Pie or the Beer Battered Barramundi (pretty juicy). But for $17.50 for a seafood basket for 1, it's pretty good value. And it's hearty damnit!

I do love me an accent. And an Irish one is forever my favourite. So surprise and delight awaits…read moreyou if you're like me and you're also thinking of heading along to the Irish Club. Guys and dolls alike who work here have a thick Irish lilt that lulls you into a nice daze and has you nodding without conscious thought as you order drinks. They have some pretty swanky function room areas upstairs that I've found are great for gigs and live music. Downstairs you'll find your true Irishmen and Irish enthusiasts and, as you can probably assume, this area gets a little wilder as the night wears on. Keep your wits about you and you'll be fine. Also, they were serving $5 pints of Corona when I was there. A pint guys, for $5. That's pretty excellent value so I'll pay that. Get the best of Irish culture when you come here and enjoy a cheap pint.

If you didn't know this place was here, I doubt you would find it. And that's part of the appeal…read more Walk into the very unassuming doorway under the simply lit "BAR" sign, wander down the dimly lit stairway, and all of a sudden, you're in a whole different country. Brooklyn Standard is a very cozy underground bar, themed (as per the name) in a very American way. Having just come back from a 3 week holiday in America, this place just totally appealed to us in just the right way :) It has a very casual feel to the place, and you can easily sit at the bar, or hideaway in a booth. They've got a good selection of beers including our personal favourite American Beer - Blue Moon. Some on tap, some in bottles. They've also got a very interesting selection of cocktails, one that even includes root beer, which is absolutely delicious! To make things even better, they have live music every night from about 7.30pm, and serve free pretzels. Beers are about $8.50, cocktails range from $14-$16. Note though, and this has also been mentioned in other reviews - those pretzels are the only food that you will find here. This is purely a drinks and cocktails bar. Still, I rate this 5 out of 5, and will definitely be back.

What better location to stay out a looming storm than a bar that instantly feels like everyone…read moremight know your name? Brooklyn Standard is classier than Coyote Ugly but not the type of place to have an exclusive guest list, this "blink-and-you'll-miss-it" venue gives the CBD a cool and classic bar to enjoy a few brews (or cocktails) with a live band playing. It's frills and whistles are few but, you know, when you're the cool kid you just are. You don't need to do a song and dance about it. And that's Brooklyn Standard. It was a grand spot to catch up with a girlfriend and we enjoyed table service. There is no food menu - it's a bar in the truest sense and the most you'll get to devour is a bowl of tasty pretzels. Between her beers, my one cocktail and a cider we left satisfied and surprisingly not a lot poorer. The prices are reasonable and not about to skin your purse alive. The underground cavern is cosy and there's table & chair dining or booths for the more romantic gestures. Of course, it's early days but I can't wait to return. It's the friend you don't have to pretend around - you can just be yourself.