Brisbane: Extravagance in “The Valley”

Fortitude Valley, that is!

Overview

Fortitude Valley, more affectionately known as The Valley, was Australia’s first dedicated entertainment district. It is a hive of activity, packed with nightlife, bars and brunch spots. There’s an unusually conflicting array of venues such as dive bars, mellow live music venues, rooftop cocktail lounges and pumping dance clubs. You’ll find everything from upmarket European restaurants to Indie record stores and Bohemian art galleries. A walk in the district will take you past street art and modern architectural designs on one corner, and old heritage-listed buildings on the next. If you’re a fan of contemporary arts, be sure to check out the Judith Wright Centre! Just to cover all bases, there’s also an impressive Chinatown precinct. It’s really a place you could devour over many weekend trips. Here’s my suggestions for a fun and ever so gluttonous weekend that covers nearly all!

Highlights

Check in at Ovolo The Valley Hotel
Saturday Long Lunch: Deer Duck Bistro
Evening Predrinks: Za Za Ta
Dinner: Stanley / Howard Smith Wharves
Dancing: Cloudland
Sunday Brunch: The New Black / Bakery Lane
Afternoon Poolside: Ovolo The Valley
Story Bridge & Kangaroo Point

Check in: Ovolo The Valley

Arriving at Ovolo The Valley was a dream. This funky hotel resembling a concrete jungle in Brisbane City is a part of the Emporium complex, a precinct of upper market restaurants, retailers, clothing stores, internal home decorator stores and hipsters bars. I arrived at the front counter to be told:

“Welcome to Ovolo. Everything is already taken care of, here are you room swipe cards, here are you free drink vouchers, the free mini bar is fully stocked and awaiting your arrival (what??? did I hear right??) and we will take care of your car in our valet parking”.

Er, ok. If I must!

With some slight hyperdramatisation on my behalf, I eked open the hotel room door in grand anticipation of what was on the other side and walked into a large bright room with an eclectic retro vibe to it. Before me the king sized bed was dressed in the same Sheridan sheet set that adorns my own bed, with plush pillows atop. White and pink tie dye curtains created a subtle pink glow in the room with the midday sun filtering in. There was a faux-bamboo woven desktop setting, robust kitchenette with a fridge containing the free minibar (Green Beacon Grappler Lager, R!ot Sparkling Cuvee Sparkling Chardonnay Vintage and various other offerings), Loot Bag (Red Rock Deli sea salt crisps, Timtams and a lemonade flavoured Chuppa Chup), Nescafe varieties, a Dare sparkling cold brew and a variety of T2 tea bags.

The room comes complete with Alexa, your technologically savvy friend who is voice activated. If you haven’t heard of Alexa before, it’s a technology that allows you to ask any question and then follows your command. My first requests naturally involved asking Alexa to play every type of music I could ask for in the 15 minutes I had before leaving for our lunch degustation menu. It was a chore to leave the room as I was having so much fun bopping around to the deluxe 90s dance mix!

Saturday Long Lunch: Deer Duck Bistro

To be fair, this quaint little restaurant is not actually in Fortitude Valley but it’s a short 5-10 minute Uber ride away.

DDB will have you feeling like you’ve just entered your grandma’s living room, with plush velveteen sofas, quilted cushions, wooden decor, as well as a taxidermy deer head on arrival in the front reception room. The banquet menu had us properly excited and along with a bottle of German Gewürztraminer, the conversation between both new and old friends was abounding as we devoured some incredible food:

• Venison amuse
• Charred cos, speck vinaigrette, anchovy crumb
• Orecchiette paste, confit duck , cauliflower, truffle, pomegranate
• Smoked beef rump, broccoli, blue cheese, raddish
• Mocha panna cotta, dark chocolate, coffee gel milk sponge, biscotti

The old style wall paintings had us feeling as if we had stepped into the back gallery of a European museum and it was a heavenly afternoon being waited on with courses spelled out in delicate French accents by the waiters.

Evening Predrinks: Za Za Ta

After a wee nap, it was time to get glammed up again and head down to the dimly lit, romantic Za Za Ta, the on site Ovolo bar.

Inspired by the vibrant Tel Aviv bar scene, this bar and restaurant specialises in middle eastern food. It also has an impressive list of colonial-inspired rums and cocktails. The focus is on the use of spices that are traded in middle eastern market places, fused with Queensland’s seasonal citrus and indigenous botanicals. We enjoyed an introductory prosecco and a round of espresso martinis in the back room which was decorated in a formal lounge room style and were then ready to move on.

Dinner: Stanley

Stanley is a two-storey Cantonese eatery set over two levels on the stunning banks of the Brisbane River by Howard Smith Wharves. After he finished at a renowned Hollywood restaurant, head chef Louis Tikaram has been a mainstay at Stanley and his dishes will stun, infused with flair and flavour. The 400 bottle wine list is an impressive touch, backed by head sommelier Thibaud Cregut, previously of Nel in Sydney.

The banquet menu is generous and has a dessert that will leave you speechless.

• Betel leaf, Mooloolaba king prawn, pomelo, peanut & mint
• Roast duck & winter vegetable spring roll with plum sauce
• Fraser isle spanner crab & lobster dumplings with spicy vinegar
• Cucumber & snow pea salad, enoki & sesame dressing
• Honey glazed free range BBQ pork Char Siu
• Steamed coral trout with ginger, shallot & white soy
• “Stanley Special Fried Rice” prawn, Cantonese pork & baby corn
• Local baby pineapple, coconut gelato, lime sago & tropical ice

Dancing: Cloudland

After a gluttonous few hours, it is time to hit the dance floor and burn off some of those calories. I’d heard of Cloudland as being one of the most visually stunning clubs going around. I’m not actually big on attending such venues but I do love a good dance on occasion and the vertical gardens, chandeliers, swinging chairs and waterfall will really have you wondering what exotic universe you stepped into. Combined with a hollowed middle and central dance floor, each level can look down at what is happening below. It’s loud, pumping and the live DJs play some great sets.

Once you’ve sufficiently boogied your hardest, you’ve definitely earnt your Uber back to the hotel for a well earned rest.

Sunday Brunch: The New Black / Bakery Lane

From Ovolo, Bakery Lane is a short walk up Ann Street, perfect for some fresh air after a big night. It showcases The Valley quite accurately: a hipster, industrial part of the city which has a subdued feel to it after the craziness that the nights bring in this precinct. This walk takes you past a plethora of restaurants, night clubs and interestingly past the glam showrooms for cars such as Lexus, Lamborghini and BMW.

Bakery Lane is an alleyway dedicated to the innovative design industry where boutique incubator studios are available for lease. These are largely on the upper floors and on the ground level are a mix of restaurants, bars and even an interesting cake shop.

I stopped at The New Black for a recovery brunch. The food is to die for and the coffee possibly even better. The main entrance is from Ann Street but the overflowing customers are seated outside at wooden tables in Bakery Lane itself. The menu is available by scanning the QR code and offers choices such as:

• Slow cooked sweet and smokey brisket
• Pork mille feuille
• Brioche and malt waffle
• Fried chicken benny
• Chilli scram
• Build your own option

After a soy latte and magnificent plate of poached eggs, mushrooms and haloumi on sourdough with fermented chilli oil, I was ready to head back to the hotel with a satisfied and full tummy.

Afternoon Poolside: Ovolo The Valley

After a truly luscious weekend, it’s time for some R&R poolside. Ovolo The Valley is a modern and quite fun hotel and the signage leading to the pool is no exception…

The best part about Queensland is that in the middle of winter one can sit on a rooftop poolside in a tshirt and not feel cold! It’s a great escape from the chillier states of Australia during the winter months, or of course from overseas. The rooftop pool at Ovolo The Valley has great views across the heart of Brisbane with adjacent plush sunbeds and pillows to cosy up in, as well as a sauna and shower.

A great way to finish a truly fabulous weekend!

Alternate afternoon option: Felons Brewery, Story Bridge walk & Kangaroo Point

If you’re not a fan of poolside relaxation (it’s okay, some people were born with a lot of energy!!) then this might be the ideal ‘choose your own adventure’ alternate option for you. This is a worthwhile option if you’re keen to capture some mesmerising panoramas.

Felons Brewing Co. is a huge inner city brewery with sprawling grounds on the Brisbane River, beneath the Story Bridge and with its own elevator to take you down the cliff. It’s a relaxed but hipster vibe under the massive corrugated iron shed which sits on the long wharf with its long pylons extending into the river and framed by stone cliffs. Complete with its own Noah’s Ark, Felons also offers a great menu as well as brewery tours. This is the perfect Sunday afternoon destination!

After some refreshments, it’s time to ascend the lift and traverse Story Bridge. You’ll see the river stretch out before you on both sides and is truly breathtaking.

On the opposite side is Kangaroo Point, also a destination in its own right.

Story Bridge Hotel or Main Street Bar & Eatery for a late afternoon drink

Once you’ve hit Kangaroo Point, the most well known pub with a punch is Story Bridge Hotel. The slightly more upmarket version is Main Street Bar & Eatery which has a gorgeous leafy and tiled interior. Have a beer or glass of vino here and then make your way back on the opposite side of the Bridge to which you initially came.

Unfortunately it’s time for the weekend to come to a close but not without a few last snaps of Brisbane in the evening …