A Design Lover’s Guide to Brisbane, Australia

When it comes to Australian tourism, there are two cities that can’t be beat—Sydney and Melbourne. But oft-overlooked Brisbane, once thought to be a barren city lacking significant cultural and artistic scenes (it was nicknamed Brisvegas in the ’90s to poke at its philistine nature), is undergoing rapid change that’s quickly making it a worthy destination in its own right. Brissie, as the city is known to Aussies, has long been the gateway to Queensland, home of famous beaches of the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, and Whitsunday Islands, not to mention the Great Barrier Reef. While it’s certainly still a convenient transportation hub for these destinations, you should consider leaving the airport to experience all the exciting new offerings in the city. Over the last several years, more than a dozen boutique and luxury brand hotels have opened their doors, as have numerous dining and drinking establishments and boutiques and shops. Read on to start planning your itinerary for your next trip to Brisbane.

Things to Do

Queensland Art Gallery & Gallery of Modern Art

Known by their shared acronym QAGOMA, the Queensland Art Gallery (QAG) and Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) are the two premier art institutions in the state, and they’re the anchors of the South Bank Cultural Precinct along the Queensland River. While their holdings comprise several centuries of works by international artists, the collections highlight modern and contemporary Indigenous Australian and Australian artists. QAGOMA also hosts the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, on view now through April 28. qagoma.qld.gov.au

Art and Architecture Walking Tours

Given Brisbane’s tropical climate, a great way to see the city is to take a walking tour. For art and design lovers, you can’t beat Walk Brisbane’s Art + Design itinerary, where a knowledgeable local guide will take you to and teach you about about commissioned outdoor sculptures, street art murals, and famous architectural sites. You can also book private tours with specialized programming if you want to blend two themes together—say, art and a cocktail bar crawl. walkbrisbane.com

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

No visit to Brisbane is complete without a trip to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, where you can actually hold one of the cuddly creatures (don’t worry, the koalas are very carefully monitored to ensure their well-being). To get there, hop aboard the Mirimar cruise for a scenic ride down the Brisbane River, during which you’ll learn about the history of the region. The sanctuary is also home to a number of famous Australian critters, including kangaroos, wallabies, Tasmanian devils, dingoes, and platypuses, among many others. koala.net

Where to Eat

OTTO

The first thing you’ll notice when you walk into OTTO is not the smell of the southern Italian dishes coming out of the kitchen, but the swirling skirts of the Artemide “Les Danseuses” ceiling lamps hanging over the dining room. (Restaurateur Leon Fink purchased them himself at the 2015 Venice Biennale.) Of course, the food is the true star of the show—start with one of the many spritzes, a perennial summer favorite in Brisbane, before moving on to the house-made pastas. The restaurant is located on the top floor of an office building along the riverfront, offering prime views of the Story Bridge. ottoristorante.com.au

Honto

Don’t be surprised when your cab drives down a backstreet and drops you off next to a parking garage—Honto is a speakeasy-style Japanese restaurant that’s accessed through a nondescript door in a gritty alley. But inside, you’ll find a sultry space with an intimate bar area and a sprawling open-plan dining room, decorated in all black with elaborate crystal chandeliers. Dishes range from Japanese-style tapas to wagyu beef to sushi, and while you can order à la carte, we recommend going with the chef’s tasting menu to sample a little bit of everything. honto.com.au

Hellenika

This Greek restaurant at the Calile hotel in Fortitude Valley, sister to the original outpost on the Gold Coast, opened just last fall, but it’s already become one of the most popular dining venues in the city. Decorated in neutral hues with plenty of natural wood, the minimalist space is a great lesson in indoor-outdoor dining, with some of the most coveted tables situated poolside. The à la carte menu impresses, but if you can convince your whole table to go for the banquet-style tasting menu, we suggest you do so. Come hungry, though—there are quite a number of dishes to get through, and each is more delicious than the next. hellenika.com.au

Where to Drink

The Gresham

For the best cocktails in Brisbane, head to the Gresham in the CBD. While the bar opened in 2013, it’s housed in the former Queensland National Bank building, built in 1881, and its interiors are a nod to a bygone era. The bar is also a nod to the famous Gresham Hotel, once one of the grandest in Brisbane and located down the block from the bar, though it was demolished in the 1970s after it was irreparably damaged by a flood. thegresham.com.au

Mr. Percival’s

Designed by Brisbane’s own Anna Spiro, Mr. Percival’s is the aperitif hotspot in the new Howard Smith Wharves development, a sprawling area dedicated to food and drink along the waterfront. The space feels as if it could be at home equally in Scandinavia as in California—pastel hues and funky patterns abound inside the gazebo-esque space, which houses a DJ atop a central bar. While the interiors are gorgeous, you’ll find many patrons sipping aperol spritzes on the terraces over the water in the afternoons, then dancing to live music in the evenings. mrpercivals.com.au

The Terrace

Enjoy Brissie’s beautiful climate and ever-changing skyline from the open-air rooftop Terrace at the Emporium Hotel in the trendy South Bank neighborhood. The swanky space features an all-white look, save for a living wall behind the bar, with white onyx tiles that light up in an elegant version of a disco dance floor and tufted barstools. The Terrace is open to non-guests every night of the week, but if you want to take a dip in the adjacent infinity pool, you’ll have to book a room to get access. emporiumhotels.com.au

Where to Stay

Calile

Fortitude Valley has exploded in popularity as a major shopping and dining destination, so it’s no surprise that hotels have followed. The chic Calile hotel by local architecture firm Richard and Spence makes a bold minimalist design statement with a pale pink and mint green palette, textured cork and concrete walls, and midcentury brass elements. While the 175 guest rooms are beautiful retreats, the biggest draws are the Palm Springs–esque pool scene, the trendy Lobby Bar, and the popular Hellenika restaurant. thecalilehotel.com

Ovolo the Valley

Ovolo the Valley, the second Brisbane property for the design-focused Ovolo Hotel Group, opened at the end of 2018 in, as its name suggests, Fortitude Valley. Designed by architecture firm Woods Bagot, the 103-room hotel has playful decor, with punchy patterned wallpapers, quirky furnishings, and many custom works by local artists. For the most luxurious stay, pick one of the Rockstar Suites, inspired by famous personalities like David Bowie, which feature great living-dining spaces for entertaining. The hotel is also home to French café Société and a rooftop pool. ovolohotels.com.au/ovolothevalley

W Brisbane

The W Hotel brand has a reputation for its Vegas-style, party-hard atmosphere. In Brisbane, the W embraces that character with its buzzy WET Deck pool area and a robust in-room bar that certainly isn’t mini. But it also takes a design-forward approach, incorporating details that represent the Queensland scene, like the undulating patterns drawn from the Brisbane River and abstracted in the spirit of aboriginal designs, as well as wall decor that nods to traditional Queenslander architecture and a farmhouse-style tub that recalls life in the outback. The hotel is also home to Three Blue Ducks, the newest outpost of the popular paddock-to-plate restaurant. marriott.com

Where to Shop

Living Edge

Fortitude Valley is home to a growing number of design boutiques and showrooms, including an outpost of the Australian furniture giant Living Edge, which sells all sorts of furnishings by top international designers and brands. Though shipping furniture back home might be a bit of a pricey endeavor, drop by to tour the beautiful two-story space and perhaps pick up an Eames elephant or two. livingedge.com.au

Jardan

Melbourne-based furniture and homewares company Jardan has a beautiful store in Fortitude Valley with a design inspired by traditional Queenslander architecture—it features key characteristics like timber shutters and big windows that let fresh air into the space. The products, which range from plush sofas to sophisticated sculptures, are made locally in Australia. jardan.com.au

Artisan

The nonprofit Artisan champions Australian craft and design, hosting exhibitions, workshops, and other events in its Fortitude Valley space, which is also home to a shop featuring the products of more than 100 local artists and craftspeople. Peruse jewelry collections, textiles, ceramics, and other handmade goods—save room in your suitcase for your new purchases. artisan.org.au