West End:
Eat & drink            

18 JANUARY 2023

A fusion of cultures and a lively vibe give the inner-city suburb of West End its own unique charm. The choices are endless at West End: you can stroll through the weekend markets where aspiring designers peddle their wares amongst organic grocers, bakers and coffee houses; groove at the many live music venues; or feed your hunger for delicious dining, drinks and coffee.

Multicultural dining 

Boundary Street is the pulsing hub of the suburb, with its high concentration of restaurants, bars, pubs and cafes. A melting pot of cultures, West End offers a variety of cuisines – from Greek, Vietnamese, Chinese, Italian and more. 

West End is particularly well-known for its Greek food and there is a plethora of options to choose from. Try Little Greek Taverna on the corner of Browning and Boundary Street – a longstanding family-run business that offers traditional Greek fare. In addition to their a la carte menu, The Greek Club's Nostimo offers a hearty banquet option that will let you sample all the favourites without any pressure to decide what to order. Brisbane institution Lefkas offers simple, tasty food combinations inspired by gorgeous Greek memories. Try the grilled saganaki cheese as an entrée; you won’t regret it. Combining the flavours of Thessaloniki with the vibes of West End is Yamas Restaurant, offering elevated seafood-oriented authentic Greek fare.

Affordable dining is easy to find in West End – a suburb that doesn't take itself too seriously. For fantastic Japanese try Bird's Nest Yakitori or Izakaya Goku. Just a few doors away from each other, Trang and Quan Thanh compete for the title of West End’s best Vietnamese food, while Chop Chop Changs and Mr Hong offer interesting Asian fusion flavours. 

Pop to Beirut Bazaar at West Village for modern Mediterranean food and traditional Lebanese mezze and grill. Turkish restaurant Caravanserai is another popular foodie paradise offering a candlelit ambiance and charm with stunning views of the Brisbane River from the back deck.

Breakfast time

The original Gun Shop Cafe is a West End institution offering a mix of classic and creative café meals alongside their famous potato and fetta hash cakes. Head to atmospheric Morning After, spruiking a menu of healthy, fun and indulgent options for brunch and lunch (and coffee of course!). Pop into Picnic, offering arguably one of the most interesting all-day brunch menus in Brisbane, and round out your must-eat breakfast list with and Alphabet Café’s small but perfectly sufficient menu.  

Calling for coffee

Coffee plays a big role in defining the precinct’s image and there are a number of cafes serving up different brews and beans. Coffee afficionados will be in seventh heaven at local roasters Blackstar and Veneziano Coffee Roasters. West End Coffee House is a popular hub for locals as is Black Milk, serving coffee brewed from their beans freshly roasted just down the road at Seventeen Mile Rocks. Head to hidden gem Lonelys on Montague Road where you can get your caffeine hit and some artisan pastries under the high ceilings of their industrial warehouse space.

Quaint and cool 

If you’d like something a little unique, neighbourhood-style eatery and bar Lokal + Co serves Nordic-influenced modern seasonal plates crafted from local produce. Situated in an unassuming spot on Hardgrave Road is Mama Taco – the ultimate spot for top notch contemporary Mexican eats and drinks. Just around the corner is intimate pizza bar West Side Pizza. Don’t be misled by their tiny shopfront and kerbside seating; the food is truly tantalising.  

Sweet eats 

Whatever the meal you’ve just enjoyed, it’s always a good idea to finish off with a sweet treat.  

Hit up cult international gelato store Anita and lick your way through their 150 flavours of freshly made gelato. Another fave with gelato fans is La Macelleria, famous for bringing their fresh Bologna-style gelato to Brisbane.  

If pastries are your treat of choice, you can’t go past super-cool Superthing, or European-inspired Kürtősh where you can feast on their house specialty – Hungarian pastries called kürtőskalács. 

Coeliacs will rejoice at the delicious selection of donuts at Nodo where everything on the menu is gluten free and baked using artisanal methods.  

Bars and nightlife 

Complementing the dining scene, West End’s bars and pubs are always popular. Read about nightlife, live music and the bar scene in West End here. 

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