The Best Bars On The South Bank Brisbane

You have spent the day visiting South Bank’s top attractions, the Queensland Museum, the GOMA and the Wheel of Brisbane, and you’ve even cooled off in the afternoon at the Streets Beach infinity pool. But where exactly can one seek after-dark libations in Brisbane’s South Bank precinct? We profile the coolest bars, pubs and secret hideouts scattered around on the left side of the river.
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Soleil Pool Bar

Celebrate the sun in the newly refurbished Bacchus pool bar, now christened Soleil Pool Bar and glamorously clad in gold, white and timber. The emphasis is entirely on soaking up the summer at this rooftop pool bar. Customers can tan on the deck or lounge around the main bar while local DJs spin discs and the team of mixologists behind the bar serve up cocktails such as ‘She’s A Daydreamer’ (Belvedere pure vodka, lemon and vanilla syrup, raspberry purée and lemonade fizz over a scoop of vanilla ice cream). With the poolside party lasting from sunrise to sunset, the eventual food cravings can be taken care of by the in-house snacks provided by Bacchus, including pizzas, charcuterie and cheese boards.

The Sangria Bar

Sangria with fruit, ice and mint in glass.

Hop And Pickle

Hop and Pickle call their style ‘Hop Culture’, signalling their brazen mission to remind Brisbane’s South Bank what the heart and soul of a truly great pub should be. Certainly, they’ve attempted this quest with aplomb in their Little Stanley Street nook that retains the feel of your local. Craft beer is served on tap, and on Saturdays Hop and Pickle pay homage to the ‘Pub Classics’. Expect plenty of parmas, bangers and mash and greasy sliders. Sundays are roast lunch days, and the regular bar nibbles menu is quite daring, try the braised octopus with romesco sauce or the Asian glazed pork belly with cucumber relish.

Hoo Ha Bar

Hoo Ha Bar doesn’t need to be told it’s cool, it just is by sheer virtue of its unpretentiousness and refusal to conform to mass appeal. Situated off the main tourist throng on Tribune Street, Hoo Ha is an authentic local hangout, but friendly and relaxed enough to cater for newcomers. Four craft brews are constantly rotating on tap, such as the current Brewcult ‘Buggin Out’ Black IPA and Croft Biscuit Brown. Playfulness is also abundant in Hoo Ha’s cocktail menu which is onomatopoeia-themed. You’ll be exclaiming ZING! at the concoction of Hayman’s gin, lychee, fresh coriander, lime juice and sparkling wine.

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Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

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