Brisbane:
Best wine bars

18 JANUARY 2023

It doesn’t matter if you’re a wine novice or a seasoned sommelier, there’s a wine bar in Brisbane ready to welcome you. From premium champagne houses to interesting independent winemakers, Brisbane’s abundance of wine bars is sure to fill your cup.

South City Wine Bar 

Visit a quintessential European neighbourhood wine bar in the heart of Woolloongabba’s vibrant South/City/SQ lifestyle precinct. Its worldly wine list is sourced from renowned local and international vineyards and served in an elegant venue, tastefully furnished with oil paintings, dark timber panelling and emerald-green marble tabletops. 

Butler Wine Bar 

The intimate and cosy Butler Wine Bar is a South Brisbane neighbourhood bar driven by community, comfort and conscience. Wines are sourced from across the world with a strong focus on independent, low-intervention and boundary-pushing labels. The solid timber bar and fit-out make incredible use of the tiny space. 

Maeve Wine 

Maeve’s dynamic and ever-changing wine list champions smaller producers from all corners of the winemaking world. Wines are available by the bottle or glass – making it easy to try something new – and two wine lists offer approachable everyday drinks and special occasion reserve wines. Head up the stairs off Grey St. at South Brisbane and pull up a chair at the bar for a European-style experience.

Wineology 

Taste almost 100 globally sourced wines at Wineology, a unique cellar and wine bar experience in Brisbane City. Using state-of-the-art dispensing machines, you can sample premium, rare and unusual wines by the glass, selecting serving sizes from 30ml to a full glass.  

Wine Experience 

Rosalie’s Wine Experience Bar is a coy 13-person wine bar serving unique and hard-to-find wine and small share plates, cheese and charcuterie. Wine Experience also hosts a range of events and tastings throughout the year including winemaker takeovers, masterclasses, food and wine pairings, pop-up dining experiences and tasting flights. 

After Dark Wine  

It’s a novel concept but After Dark Wine is best described as a permanent pop-up wine bar. The vino venue takes over Newstead’s Masters Street Coffee after-hours, pouring 20 or so wines by the glass, paired with cheese and charcuterie.   

Exhibition 

Hidden underground, experience this intimate 10-seat wine bar adjacent to Exhibition’s exclusive restaurant. Housed in a historic former theatre in a grand 130-year-old building, the bar serves an evolving short list of wine as well as a specially curated bar menu with freshly shucked oysters, cured meats and caviar.  

Two couples dining at Otto, cheering their wine over their food.
OTTO Osteria, South Bank

OTTO Osteria  

OTTO Osteria embraces Brisbane’s al fresco lifestyle with a prime waterfront location, open deck and expansive views across the river. Enjoy a casual bite to eat from a bar menu inspired by the regions of Northern Italy while you take in the view. The wine list pays homage to Italian varietals and is filled with local curios as well as classic and esoteric Italian wines.  

Cardigan Bar 

Cardigan Bar is Sandgate's neighbourhood laneway watering hole and a great place to listen to live music over a wine or two. The boho atmosphere is complemented by folk, jazz and blues music nightly from Thursday to Sunday. There are often food trucks on-site or you can BYO food.  

The Lodge Bar & Dining  

Melding fashion, food and wine, The Lodge offers a truly memorable experience. Its heritage Queenslander building houses two bars: a ground-floor corner bar with banquette seating and a stylish bar with a spectacular wrap-around balcony that allows for panoramic views of the James Street strip on the upper level. Master Sommelier Cameron Douglas has curated an expansive wine list with New Zealand wines at its heart.

Niky

Niky is an ultra-compact wine bar in Newstead encouraging casual walk-ins and neighbourhood hangs. The interior is cool and colourful and the wines are fun, fresh and perfect for sharing with friends.

Lina Rooftop  

Lina elevates all-day lounging to new heights. The South Brisbane poolside bar sits high above the city with frangipani-shaded tables, banquette and booth seating and Mediterranean-style day beds aplenty to soak up the sun and the spectacular views with a glass of its signature Whispering Angel rosé in hand.  

Proud Henry Wine Bar & Ginoteca 

This boutique Fortitude Valley bar may be known for its 280-strong list of gins but its other great love is wine. Proud Henry stocks a small but carefully curated list of boutique wines from around the world. Its mission is to support small winemakers and its considered range of biodynamic, organic, natural and quirky wines pairs beautifully with a delicious selection of cheese and charcuterie.

City Winery 

City Winery has brought the art of winemaking to the heart of Fortitude Valley and Brisbane City. Enjoy boutique Gerler wines straight from the barrel and paddock-to-plate food at City Winery’s industrial space on Wandoo St. in Fortitude Valley. If you’re in The City, sample handmade artisan blends at its Edward St. cellar door. For a luxe experience, browse Edward St’s high-end fashion retailers then pair a wine tasting with a cheeseboard for a mid-shopping snack. 

Cedar & Pine 

Wynnum’s local wine bar is beloved by locals and Bayside visitors alike for its selection of predominantly Australian wines, share plate-dining style and commitment to supporting the local live music scene. 

CRU Bar + Cellar  

CRU Bar is a Brisbane favourite and not just for its prime James St location. Home to an award-winning wine list of over 450 wines, you will be spoiled for choice whether you try an indie low-intervention number, indulge in a sumptuous cuvée or order a bottle of your favourite go-to drop. 

Bar Alto 

Sit on the deck overlooking the river at the Brisbane Powerhouse and enjoy starry skies and a gentle breeze as you peruse Bar Alto’s wine list. Enjoy a pre-performance Pinot Gris or pair your pizza with an Italian barbera as you soak up the beautiful views and buzzing vibe. 

La Lune Wine Co.  

Stylish, social and inventive, La Lune Wine Co. stocks a lengthy list of national and international wines, perfect for an after-work or pre-theatre drink. Overwhelmed with choice? La Lune’s experts will help you choose a wine to match your palette.   

Brew Café and Wine Bar  

Brew Café and Wine Bar is The City's oldest laneway bar. This well-loved local haunt offers great coffee by day and great wine by night. It’s open until late seven days a week and serves hearty meals and bar snacks. 

BYO Bottle Shops 

If DIY is your thing, pack a feast or assemble a lush cheeseboard and pull up a bar stool at one of several Brisbane bottle shops offering BYO dining options. Browse and select a bottle of wine and self-cater the snacks at Common Ground Cellars and Malt Traders, among others. 

An image of some European dishes with hands holding the food and glass of wine.