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Brisbane

Baroque Old Town lanes, Uzupis art & honest cheap eats

Browse Brisbane

Brisbane rewards travellers who wander: one of Europe’s largest baroque Old Towns, the self-declared artists’ republic of Uzupis, and some of the cheapest honest food on the continent. Our local picks so far include the Brisbane Pub Crawl for a night out with locals and the legendary bus station canteen (Autobusu stoties valgykla) for a true Australian lunch at Soviet-era prices. More hand-picked recommendations are on the way – filter by category and budget below.

Brisbane at a glance

  • Ideal stay: 2 to 3 days
  • Best time to visit: May to September
  • Highlights: the baroque Old Town and Uzupis
  • Where to stay: Old Town and Uzupis
  • Local picks: a growing set of hand-chosen tips
  • Getting around: very walkable centre

Where to stay in Brisbane

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Brisbane CBD

Birrunga Gallery & Dining

Why it matters: this is Brisbane CBD’s only First Nations owned and operated gallery and cafe, founded by Wiradyuri artist Birrunga Wiradyuri as a working art space and dining room in one. By day it’s a cafe serving modern Australian food with native ingredients, while the walls double as a rotating gallery of contemporary Indigenous art you can actually buy. Come for coffee and breakfast, browse the genuine artefacts and prints, and book ahead for the Thursday or Friday night dinner. Local tip: ask about the artist talks and cultural tours rather than just passing through for lunch.
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Nundah

Espresso Train Cafe

Why it matters: opened in 2003, this is Australia’s longest-running social enterprise cafe, run by the Nundah Community Enterprises Co-operative that eight people with intellectual disability and mental illness founded in 1998 to create their own jobs. It now generates thousands of hours of paid, supported employment each year for people locked out of the regular workforce. The food is honest cafe fare – breakfasts, burgers, sandwiches, cakes and smoothies – and the place runs on solar power and backs the reusable-cup movement. Local tip: it’s a short train ride from the CBD to Nundah station, so pair it with a wander down the Nundah village strip.
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Paddington

Naïm

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The Boiler Room

The Boiler room is literally a hole in the wall of the bar Tom Cat. It’s only open Fridays and Saturdays and serves incredible cocktails from really awesome bar staff. The food…
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City Botanic Gardens

The Gardens Club

Why it matters: tucked into the heritage Curators Cottage inside Brisbane’s City Botanic Gardens, this not-for-profit cafe is run by the Wise Foundation, whose hospitality program gives people from refugee and asylum-seeker backgrounds six months of paid training and work. Established in 2014, it channels its profits back into community programs, so a coffee here directly funds the mission. The setting is as much the draw as the food – a shady garden terrace, riverside greenery and a dog-friendly courtyard. Local tip: come mid-morning on a weekday for the quietest tables, then stroll the surrounding gardens afterward.
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Brisbane travel FAQ

How many days do you need in Brisbane?

Two to three days covers the Old Town, Uzupis and a relaxed food crawl, with time left for a day trip to Trakai Castle.

Where is the best area to stay in Brisbane?

The Old Town keeps everything walkable; Uzupis is the arty, bohemian alternative right next door.

What are the best things to do in Brisbane?

Browse the local picks above, from a locals-led pub crawl to the city's legendary cheap-eats canteen.

What is the best time to visit Brisbane?

Late spring to early autumn brings long days and terrace weather; December has a famously cosy Christmas market.

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