NOW EXPERIENCING:Our favourite al fresco drinking spots in Brisbane
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Our favourite al fresco drinking spots in Brisbane

Read time 4 Mins

Posted 26 Sep 2022

By
Hilary Simmons

Spritzes by the river in Brisbane at Fiume

Brissie’s best bars to soak up some Vitamin D with a drink in hand.

With winter finally beating a retreat and temperatures already north of 20 degrees in Brisbane, it’s time to take your socialising outside. The amount of sunshine in Brisbane is good all year round, but it’s this time of year when the fantastic weather really starts to show itself. Get around these beautiful, sunny days at the city’s best outdoor bars and restaurants. Put ‘em on your Brissie bucket list and tick all five off before winter rolls back around. 
Rooftop at Agnes Wine Bar in Brisbane
Agnes Wine Bar is home to a magnificent alfresco terrace upstairs. Enter through the outrageously popular Agnes Restaurant to find the downstairs wine bar, order an aperitif and snack, then climb a short flight of stairs to enjoy the stunning views across the CBD and Fortitude Valley. If a downstairs wine bar sounds poky, rest assured, this one isn’t. Agnes is housed in a refurbished warehouse and the carefully curated wine cellar runs to 1,500 bottles. The alfresco terrace is the jewel in its crown on a warm, sun-kissed evening, and the bar’s by-the-glass wine list mixes European regional varieties with smaller, artisanal and eco-friendly drops. A slick cocktail list complements the tasty bar snacks straight from the restaurant menu.
Fiume is a buzzy rooftop bar that’s difficult to pronounce but very easy to settle into for the evening. As it so happens, ‘Fiume’ is Italian for river, and the tall stools and bar counters are arranged right around the perimeter of the terrace to maximise river and city views. Place your order via a tabletop QR code, enjoy a casually spectacular Brisbane sunset, and try to guess who around you is on a first date and who is a hotel guest. Fiume is part of Crystalbrook Vincent, a sustainable five-star hotel, and while you don’t need to be a guest to take the lift up to the rooftop bar, it never hurts to call and book to ensure you’re not stuck waiting for a table. Great at accommodating groups, Fiume does an amazing grazing platter in veg and meat-led iterations, and is known for counting the ‘climate calories’ of everything they dish up. Head to Howard Smith Wharves, hit that lift button, and check out the supersized Queensland terrace. 
Rooftop at Fiume in Brisbane
Wine at Noir in Paddington, Brisbane
Looking for something a little more casual? Check out Noir: the Paddington neighbourhood wine bar housed in a heritage terrace with two alfresco areas. Whether you nab a chair on the footpath to watch the pedestrian traffic or nestle into a timber banquette down the side beneath a handy retractable roof, you’ll find yourself perfectly situated to settle in for a spring evening full of fine wine and quality snacks. The wine list is ever-changing, so each visit offers a different blend of new-school drops and well-loved classics, and the food menu heroes locally sourced charcuterie along with artisan cheeses and Riser sourdough. A place that welcomes regulars, Noir is cosy and unpretentious with a great range of beers on tap and rotating seasonal beers and ciders by the bottle. The staff won’t wank on about limited-release and little-known vinos – they just want you to enjoy your night out. And if that involves recommending a perfectly ripe, runny brie to enjoy in the primo weather, so much the better.
On a balmy night, Death & Taxes has you set with its laidback deck overlooking Brisbane’s oldest laneway, Burnett Lane. A cocktail bar with an old-world vibe and more than 800 different whiskies, it also stocks some 70 gins, 40 to 50 rums and other premium spirits. Indoors is great with its sumptuous furnishings, crystal chandelier and 100-year-old polished floorboards, but outdoors is the place to be during the warmer months with a lovely ambient deck on which to sip custom cocktails, wine and craft beers.  
Where to drink al fresco in Brisbane
Brisbane
Agnes Wine Bar
A portal to the highly sought-after offerings of Agnes Restaurant, Agnes Wine Bar is also a lure in its own right, its line-up of well-crafted drinks backed up by knockout snacks.
Brisbane
Fiume
The only rooftop bar at buzzy Howard Smith Wharves, Fiume is a stylish, breezy spot. Order a cocktail, take in a sunset, then watch Brisbane city light up as darkness falls.
Brisbane
Noir
Noir is the new black. Unassuming yet stylish and perfect for all occasions, you’ll find a juicy mix of off-the-wall, and on-the-wall wines here, plus artful, well-curated snacks.
Brisbane
Death & Taxes
When things are this dangerous, dark and devilishly hard to resist, it’s wonderfully easy to lose yourself behind Death and Taxes’ panelled double-doors.
Brisbane
Purple Palm
Minimalist gin bar Purple Palm channels Palm Springs for sunny inspiration. The indoor-outdoor  design makes the most of the balmy Brisbane weather and its back bar is exclusively Aussie.
Brisbane
Casa Chow
Come to Casa Chow for the bar’s meticulous cocktails powered by pisco and rum. Stick around to soak up the bouncy beats and enjoy the oh-so-snackable Chino-Latino eats.
Authour image
Hilary Simmons Hilary Simmons is a Melbourne-based writer, copywriter and editor whose work has appeared in Time Out, Urban List and Buzzfeed.
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Drinks DirectoryMeal and a bevOutdoor areaRoundupA+ spirits listTop notch wine listBrisbaneRooftopGood for groupsKiller cocktailsSpecialty BarAfter work drinksDate nightBarCasual catch-up
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