This place is great. Diverse nightlife suited to a variety of different scenes. 6 bars with 5…read moredifferent dance floors. You can get into everything from house, pop, rave to RnB and back. They're also one of the few nightclubs that still stay open until 5am. They have shows games and a variety of competitions almost every night. Cover charge is reasonable and you can get in for free until 1030 most nights. They also have a free bbq on Sunday's around 630-7 which is great. If you've never been, you should give it consideration. You'll be in for a good night out.

So I've read some pretty bad reviews about The Beat but I've gotta say, I was pleasantly surprised!…read more Being open to new things, I was stoked that my three friends who attend the beat on the regular asked if I'd want to come to "the best gay club". Arriving before 11pm on a Friday night meant half price drinks and of course we couldn't pass that up. The line was fast moving and we got in with no cover charge (about 10.45 pm). Music was great, but very loud. PSA there are stairs upon stairs inside this night club. I made the mistake of wearing platform heels which later in the night lead me to "gracefully" tripping over one of the smaller staircases and falling down completely, made a pretty sweet recovery though. The bartenders on both the top level and the bottom level were great! There was some great energy going around. The drink prices were the best part. We all ordered vodka lime and bitters which didn't exceed $4.50 each. The bathrooms were decently tidy and the lines weren't obnoxious. I loved that the photographer made it a point to take multiple photos of almost everyone in the club and also showed them to us for approval (a girls best friend). After leaving and then coming back around 2 am, there was a cover charge. I think about $5? But don't quote me because I don't remember. I do remember though, the drink prices stayed consistently low even into the wee hours. Overall, I had a blast at The Beat. Great energy and awesome staff and fellow club-goers. I won't hesitate to make another fun night out of this place.

With more levels than you can keep your eye on, The Met is a club where you can lose yourself and…read morehave a night of carefree fun. In saying that however, I rather now see it as a venue for 18 year olds who want to get really drunk and find someone semi-attractive to grind on for a night. I used to enjoy coming here with friends for a dance, and honestly, The Met does have an amazing dance floor with music that resonates in your ears for hours afterwards. Unfortunately, at $20 for an entry fee, I don't really see the point. I'd rather invest my $20 in a few beers or ciders than waste it in one transaction. For $20, I'd have to really love the place. And the juice isn't really worth the squeeze for me when it comes to The Met. I used to love getting lost in the multi-level layout of this place back when I was a fresh-faced 18 year old. Sigh, nostalgia. But now when I want a dance, I just habitually mosey to Rics. I feel like a night at The Met requires more investment than I'm willing to give: high cover charge, excessively tight dress and excessively high heels, an open mind about music, and the acceptance that at least three people will want to grind on myself or my friends. Forgive me, but I'm not keen enough. It's not The Met's fault, we've just grown apart and want different things now. It's not The Met, it's me.

The Met - expensive, but an experience so incredible you won't believe what's happening. It has…read morefive levels - VIP, middle eastern style lounge, two dance floors, and a smokers deck, and a normal bar area. Bars are everywhere so there's never a line. It's so awesome. You'll never wait more than three minutes for a drink, and the bartenders are really nice. I don't believe it serves food but it is a nightclub, so that's normal. It's got great security so it's a very safe club with nice college age students who are the normal clientele, so it isn't super sketchy. That being said, it's good for all ages!

This review is likely a little higher than it may normally have been since I came here for a…read morespecial event - Riverfire. The lounge is very cool with an open layout and different couches and settings thoughout. I think I was hyped because you had to get tickets and be on "the list". The balcony was perfect for watching the festivities of Riverfire including the helicopter/jet flyovers, boats on the water, and other people below. The bartenders somehow kept up with demand, and at the start, before it got too busy, they were quite the showmen! The only drawback is that since smoking is allowed on the balcony, the servers with food weren't allowed to serve there so we had to dash back inside when we saw food trays going around and then bring some back for our table. Not great. (Maybe it's a local regulation?) Overall though, a fun experience and a very cool venue!

As Sunday sessions become an increasingly iconic day of the week, there is an increasing amount of…read morecompetition between bars and pubs around Brisbane. Want to steer clear of the seedy pubs, and instead enjoy a quiet, tasty cocktail? Then head to Shadow Lounge (hidden above Jade Buddha). True to Sunday session form, the Shadow Lounge offers cheap drinks - $7 mojitos and Mai Tais. And man, they can concoct one damn tasty Mai Tai. Or grab 3 mates and share a bucket of Coronas for $20. Take your liquids of choice and recline al fresco style in soft wicker chairs, gazing out over the river to Story Bridge. Better yet, nab a large cushion and nestle inside around a game of Connect Four, Battleship or Jenga. Somewhat harnessing a 1960's vibe, grab a skewer and tuck into the complimentary fondue fountain. This place really has a homely, community feel; where the crowd is young, chilled and merry - as are the bar staff. The perfect way to ease you into the working week. Shadow Lounge is also open Friday and Saturday nights, and during the week for private functions.

Family was the only negative experience that I had in Brisbane…read more It's a lot of hype, and full of a bunch of blokes. You have to wait in line 30-40 minutes. While I was waiting in line I'm like, "why am I doing this?"... waiting in line to go into a place sucks... Hype. Blokes. Pretentions people that are full of themselves including the bouncer. There are way cooler places to go to in Brisbane than this one.

Ah, there's nothing like a good Sunday Session. Especially one involving copious amounts of…read moreglitter, bright lights and even brighter spandex. The Family on Sunday nights transforms into an all-singing, all-dancing powerhouse of all things joyfully gay. Live acts and guest DJ's often frequent the place (such as the UK's Luciana) which always pulls a crowd. Though, to be honest, I'm fairly sure the mainstay drag queens (Kitty Glitter and Decoda Secret) pull the largest crowds, putting on several shows throughout the night. None of those old washed-up has-been drag queens here - these gentleladies have phenomenal hair that would put Patsy from Ab Fab to shame, and seamlessly choreographed dance moves. Definitely a sight that must be seen, at least once! If you're one of those lucky (or not so lucky, take your pick) soles who works in the hospitality industry, entry is just $10 ($20 for general admission). Drink prices are a tad expensive, as they usually are on a Friday and Saturday night at Family. But it's well worth it for the gay old time you'll have - straight or gay!

It is a very good looking Venue (love the lights hanging from the ceiling)…read more The Live music was great, Brooksy always does a great job! It is a bit disappointing how rude and unfriendly the majority of their customers are but other than that I do like the place.

found this place awful. Super trashy with pretty bad music and vibe. We had some drinks and a…read morelittle dance then got the hell out. Wouldn't recommend to anyone.

Upstairs we waited in a typical pre-Summer Brisbane, sweltering in 35+ degree weather. Led down a…read moreshort stair-well and entering into the dark, we appeared to leave Brisbane and be transported to a prohibition 1920s Speakeasy of exposed brick, corridors and a long wall adorned with men with moustaches. This is important to note for reasons unknown. Once underground your modern-day dress almost felt out of place and more akin to an Evelyn Waugh novel. Perhaps you'd be sitting across from a Mitford sister, or some other Bright Young Thing. It all felt a little bit Midnight In Paris when Woody Allen's script sends Owen Wilson's character back to the roaring days of Hemingway. The Walrus Bar (you'll have to visit to answer the question, "Why Walrus?"), headed by Krystal Hart (recently crowned Diageo Reserve World Class Bartender for 2013) and with support behind the bar from some of this town's finest (including a few familiar faces from Canvas), is home to some 300 spirits; rum; cheese and charcuterie and 30 Cuban cigars. As well as my usual cocktail friend (Southsides), I happily sipped on an Indian punch (Panch Phora Punch) which was a rich and seductively easy to drink. This is a rum bar primarily and the majority of lighting within the bar is from the glass cabinets containing every rum you could imagine. Of course, it is never wise to enjoy such decadent drink on an empty stomach and The Walrus have you sorted with a menu of small plates. The Walrus Bar has to be seen to be believed so rather than me waffle on any further - just visit this underground lair which you'll forget resides underneath The Regatta.

What could be better than an underground, intimate bar that has one of the most ridiculous rum…read morecollections going as well as the ability to make just about any cocktail known to man ? An underground bar that feeds you massive bowls of free popcorn and cashews laced with what can only be a combination of sugar, Tabasco sauce and unicorn tears - that's what! Wear your snazzy gear because you won't bet let in otherwise. Bring your friends, devour the cheese and charcuterie selections. Drink things. Test the bar staff. Be impressed with their skills and cocktail nerding. Do it. Do it all.

Nice place good beers, hidden away lots of soccer games on…read more Not much more to say, not a soot I'll make effort to patron however, nothing wrong with place.

Conveniently nicknamed the 'dub dub' by my friends back in our clubbing days, there are memories…read morethere that we will always remember for the rest of our lives. This is a backpacker joint. Jam-packed with people of all ages from all the countries the beautiful world has to offer. Only catch is, you can only get in if you're a traveller or student (ID/Passport required) and if you're a girl. Although we have snuck the odd guy in with a bunch of girls with much success. It helps if you know the bouncer. They play music with the likes of Love Shack, Horny, Addicted to Bass and a lot of songs popular all over the world with the kids in the 90s era. They do go back to Dancing Queen and Mr Wendal as well and boy can you boogy to the tunes of this place. Be prepared to have some form of alcohol spilt on your fancy clothes every time you go there. Be prepared for people dancing on tables (even though they've banned it). Be prepared to body squish your way from the dance floor to the toilets and then back to the dancefloor with very willing body squichers - usually from Braz-eeeel (Brazil) and write a note on the wall to your ex-lover in the toilets and pretty much throughout the whole bar, on the walls, on the furniture... everywhere. Leave your memory here for free. This place will always hold a special place in our hearts, yes it's not posh, it's rather backpackery... but that's how we would like it to stay. Join in the songs with your hearts and hands and sing and dance to the wee hours to an awesome DJ with various glow in the dark articles through his hair. People have fun here, and that's what being young and travelling the world is supposed to feel like. Footloose and fancy free.

This is the third time I've been to Crowbar and I'm in love…read more My first experience was a Saturday night. They had a stellar line up of girl bands on downstairs and upstairs was starting to get busy. We grabbed a mix of cocktails and spirits a were lucky to nab the last table. The crowd was the expected mix of hipsters, punks, rockers and general awesome humans. We had a mix of cocktails and Jack's cans ($10? Why, thank you, sir) and grabbed the last table upstairs. Downstairs was filling up quickly with people there to see the all girl live music line up for the night and I was a little saddened by the fact that my friends and I had plans so we couldn't head downstairs and rock out. The second time I went to Crow bar was for the secret and impromptu gig for #keepcommunityradio, featuring Smith Street Band and Violent Soho. First off, they managed the crowd so freaking well. The gig was announced at about 12.30pm and they opened to doors at 3pm. It was at capacity by 3.10pm. From a logistical point of view, they completely nailed it. From a line up point of view, it was killer. The vibe was outstanding and everyone was just there to have fun and support their community. Also, the accoustics in that venue our outstanding. I popped in for a quick drink before I met a friend on Wednesday night was met with the great surprise of a movie night. The crew open the doors and put on pizzas and a movie for free from 5pm every Wednesday. This week they were showing the Pussy Riot film and I grabbed a seat the bar, sank a drink and enjoyed the movie until it was time for me to head off to meet my mate. Every time I've been to Crow bar the staff and the clientele have been freaking' awesome. Helpful, relaxed and inviting, they break every stereotype that a metal venue would unfortunately have. If you head to Crow Bar, be ready for your expectations to be blown out of the water. My next visit will definitely be on a Thursday for ladies night. $4 drinks, bubbles on arrival and I need to try their toasties.

One of my favourite live music venues. Metal, hardcore, punk, indie even cooking demonstrations!…read moreIt's a great intimate venue. Local bands usually on a Friday night costs a meagre $10. Great value. Lots of recent renovation means this bar has a lot to offer that sets it apart from other venues: A camera that livestreams the stage to the back of the venue onto wall TVs behind the bar so that you can watch the band. Handy for short people like myself! A small kitchen - Crowbar have recently partnered up with Bread and Meat Co to offer $3 sliders! The staff here are super friendly and no one is judged here! You'll find young and old alike here. Come here after bands on Saturday night for a go at Crowieoke/karaoke and sing in front of strangers.

This is a nice spot for a luncheon bar. Many locals from various backgrounds come for the lunch…read morespecial. Don't expect top-notch service--it's a bar. First come, first served. They do show NFL games, which I appreciate. The bartender and servers are helpful. Food is average; I got the steak on their lunch special. I ordered it medium, and it was, but the meat was very chewy, and the salad garnish had seen better days.

The beer garden upstairs is great but far too noisy for after work drinks if you want to chat with…read morecolleagues. But we keep going back so it can't be all that bad...or it could just be that it's across the road from work... If you hang around for a few hours you will be treated to free live music. fancy drink promos and sport projected on the wall of the building next door.

I saw a photo of Greaser online of its creepy back area, a concrete and fluroescent light dungeon…read morecovered in menacing graffiti, and made plans with friends to go there immediately. Greaser's shtick is, well, a 50s American greaser bar. Think of the kind of place James Dean and the Fonz would have a beverage. It also serves greasy (hehe) American food like fried chicken, burgers, fries and hot dogs. Greaser's front bar area is not a creepy dungeon at all, and quite elegant and cosy under the dim lighting. Between all of us, my group of friends ordered everything off the menu. I ordered the fried chicken. The coating was KFC-like but with interesting spices in it - I think it may have been dukkah. Unlike KFC, I didn't feel sadness and regrets afterwards - it was really delicious. Our meals came with onion-y "red eye" gravy and smoked chipotle mayonnaise, which I quickly became addicted to and mopped up with chips. There's a few interesting beers on tap but I had the special that night - whisky with freshly-made apple juice, straight from the juicer. PLUS the bar played some fun rockabilly and 80s tunes that got us chair-dancing over our burgers. Greaser is pretty cool. I hope they hold events and gigs in the future because it's a rad little space.

This place is absolutely fantastic. Hands down the best bar in Brisbane I've been to in years…read more Greaser is bang on trend in the way that only a place opened once a trend has settled down can be. Serves generally American food and drinks? Check. Craft beer? Check. Much edgier barstaff than you are? Check? Down an alley? Check. Johnny Cash on the stereo? Check and check. I wanted to go because I wanted to try it but with some recent rock bottom experiences with other bars in this vein I kept expectations set to low. There is nothing particularly original about Greasers. American food stopped being a revelation a while ago, and frankly is starting to grate a little. Bloody Marys and Picklebacks are having a real moment right now so people are slinging them at you anywhere you go. And craft beer? You can now actually get it with breakfast some places. The fact that these are everywhere does not in any way diminish their appeal. I like burgers, I love bloody marys, and I enjoy brine more than is entirely reasonable. And these offerings are made all the more appealing by Greaser. The space itself is lovely with ample couch seating and booths, elegantly low lighting that isn't seedy and the mid-century music that is curated rather than cloying. Special mention must be made of the staff. During our visit they were uniformly incredibly polite, attentive and very very pleasant to deal with. Knowledgeable about the drinks behind them and able to mix an excellent cocktail. These are the sort of staff we should see more of and who should be clutched like rare diamonds by bar owners. Special shout to the woman with the tattoos and undercut. She mixed what is easily the best bloody mary I've had in Brisbane. Served on bourbon with plenty of hot sauce, this was living and this was living well. Greaser also has a top flight tequila selection which is really great to see. It's wonderful that more places are experimenting with tequila and incorporating it into more than shots, which is a really barbaric way to treat a drink of such complexity. One of our group hailed from Mexico City so this was a blessed relief. My ex is Mexican and nothing says 'Australians are completely clueless about soft racism' than taking someone's national drink and letting bogans punch it until they fall over Here the reposada is served in appropriate glassware and all is good. The troubles with on-trend establishments are just like the troubles of any other establishment, poor staff, wrong price point, sub-par offerings etc. The problem is when a venue is also tricked up there can be a gloss over it that keeps people coming back for no particularly great reason other than to be seen to enjoy themselves. Greaser suffers for none of this. This is a bar that is serious about being a bar. All venues need an edge. But as more and more venues in Brisbane slide from creative to kitsch it is deeply refreshing to see a venue like Greaser that maintains an interesting point but does it with a laser like focus on great service, great décor, great drinks and great food. It's a real credit to the group behind this venture. I'll be back. A lot.