Laneway bar crawl in Brisbane City

Laneways are cool. Bars are cool. Laneways bars? The coolest, obviously. Bar hop your way down Brisbane’s best original back alley Burnett Lane. Running parallel to Queen Street Mall, this narrow city lane is home to awesome bars from speakeasies to Spanish tapas spots.

There’s hardly any walking involved, but if you still have stamina after the first five – we’ve added extra laneway bar recommendations down further to kick on. 

Brew

Kick off at Brew, one of Burnett Lane’s originals. Set in an old car park, this inner-city secret keeps its dive bar feel with a casual vibe and anything goes attitude. Drop in for a coffee (if you need it) or head straight for a local beer or wine. There’s also a menu of tapas, snacks and simple eats.

Super Whatnot

A laneway bar filled with personality, Super Whatnot packs a punch with its rotating range of craft beers, unexpected boutique wines, and classic and original cocktail list. Add American snacks with a gourmet twist and you’ve got a split-level small bar worth a visit.

Death & Taxes 

From the masterminds that brought us Cobbler, Savile Row and Finney Isles comes this new-to-2019 speakeasy comes with a huge reputation. Step through giant wooden doors into a moody lounge bar with low light, leather couches in the back room and more shiny bottles of liquor than you’d dare ever dream of. This is the place for cocktails, don’t skip it.

Alba

“Jamon, hip-hop and sherry” is how owner Jamie Fleming described his bar in an interview with Broadsheet. From 12 till 12 you can graze on tinned fish, pintxos and three types of Spain’s famous jamon ham. Wash your snacks down with a Spanish-leaning wine list or sherry based cocktails, all to the backdrop of that killer hip hop soundtrack. Buenas noches. 

El Matador

Keeping it more traditional and with a focus on food, Burnett Lane’s other Spanish tapas bar kicks from morning ‘til late. Drop in for coffee and pastries or tapas and cocktails. Patata bravas, croquettes, beef cheek empanadas, slow-cooked octopus, paella to share and more feature on the menu that’ll take you straight back to the Mediterranean summer.

Crawl beyond Burnett Lane

Everything in the city is only a few blocks away, so if you’ve got the stamina and the appetite, wander beyond Burnett Lane to these spots.

John Mills Himself, Charlotte St

This teeny tiny hidden laneway bar keeps the focus on local. The drinks list features all local Brisbane beers, Queensland wine and liquors, with details about each including the “food miles”. Yep, you’ll know if your beer was brewed 12km or 50km away. Makes you think about your footprint. Cool, huh?

The Gresham, Gresham Lane

This fair dinkum whisky saloon oozes old-world charm with an eccentric touch. Walk through the large doors and into a time warp thanks to the soaring seven-metre-high pressed-metal ceilings,  leather Chesterfield couches and antique touches. Behind the wooden bar is where the magic happens – chat to the bartender and find out why this bar scooped up national awards.

Red Hook, Gresham Lane

Taking inspiration from the street vans spread throughout New York City, Red Hook combines burgers, rad tunes and craft beers under the stars. If you’re hungry by this point head here and sink your teeth into a burger and loaded fries.

Brooklyn Standard, Eagle Lane

Enjoy a slice of Brooklyn cool at this laidback live music venue. Located underground on Eagle Lane, Brooklyn Standard hosts live music six nights a week specialising in jazz, funk and blues – all accompanied by a well-stocked bar of whiskeys, American ales and classic cocktails.