And he’s not done yet,with Tassis Group then set to open two venues on the Kangaroo Point green bridge,Bombora andMulga Bill’s. Bombora,named after the Indigenous term for an underwater rock shelf or reef (as in,a coral “bommie”),will be the more elevated of the two and,like Longwang,have a big seafood focus;Mulga Bill’s (named after the Banjo Patterson poemMulga Bill’s Bicycle) will be an all-day-dining spot,with steak,seafood and pizza,and coffee and pastries for the commuter crowd.

In March,Happy Boy and Snack Man owners Cameron and Jordan Votan will unveilPetite,an 80-seat bar and restaurant serving a menu of French-inspired small plates they’ve been road testing next door at Mini (Mini will continue to operate as is until Petite’s opening). The venue is taking shape on the corner of East and Ann streets,the Votans knocking down a wall between two existing tenancies and installing a large mezzanine. The brothers are relatively quiet achievers on the Brisbane food scene,but their venues fill most nights of the week with diners drawn by a well-pitched combination of keenly priced food and terrific small-producer wine (Snack Man won a coveted Wineslinger award in 2022) – expect Petite to do the same.

Also in March,former Greca head chef Tommy Tze Lian will openEmme,his first venue as owner,in the old Spoon Deli space on James Street. This will be an all-day affair,with Tze Lian using wood fire and seasonal produce to cook a breakfast menu that favours Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavours,and an evening set menu priced about $90 that could be anywhere between four and eight courses,depending on what arrives at the kitchen door that day. For drinks,Cuttings Wine’s Marin Mamata is helping Tze Lian compile a punchy 50-bottle list. In charge of Emme’s design is Barbara Albert of Alkot Studio – Tze Lian says to expect a simple fit-out with plenty of Italian stone,tile and timber.

The delayedSupernormal Brisbane is now a solid bet for a mid-2024 opening. This will be a slightly different beast to star chef Andrew McConnell’s enormously popular original,swapping Melbourne’s Flinders Lane for knockout views of the Brisbane River through floor-to-ceiling windows. Diners will sit across two floors,with the upper level available to be booked for private functions. For food,expect the dumplings,noodles,bao,salads and of course the lobster roll that has made the original so iconic,but also a bunch of new dishes inspired by Queensland produce.

Scheduled to begin trading in Woolloongabba on August 1 isThe Wright House,an expansive 300-seat brewpub from The Talisman Group,creators of Sasso Italiano,South City Wine,Purple Palm and Casa Chow. This mid-century-America inspired giant (the name is a reference to iconic architect Frank Lloyd Wright) will become the engine of the group’s already buzzy South/City/Sq collection of venues. The beers will be produced by Northgate’s Aether Brewing and delivered daily,with a pilot kit on-site for small-batch brews. For food,exec chef Gabriele Di Landri will use a hand-made parrilla grill and wood-fire hearth to prepare a menu that mixes US and Australian influences. The venue will be fitted out with plenty of timber,stone and Lloyd Wright-style textile blocks.

The long-awaited Queen’s Wharf precinct will also begin to open in August and bring with it a stack of food and beverage venues. This is The Star,so expect a mix of the exceptional and the average – we’ll have to pick through them at the time – butFat Noodle and cocktail barCherry (which already has a home at The Star Gold Coast) are onboard,as is Italian restaurantCucina Regina,a Brisbane instalment of the Gold Coast’sCucina Vivo and Sydney’sCucina Porto. Up on the much touted Sky Deck will beAloria,a Euro-inspired wood-fired restaurant;all-day dinerBabblers;and open-air barCicada Blu. On the independent side,Black Hide by Gambaro will move into the new development,with an expansive restaurant with river views.

Scheduled to be unveiled later in 2024 is a refurbishedNaldham House,the heritage-listed beauty on the corner of Mary and Felix streets in the CBD previously home to the Brisbane Polo Club. DAP&Co (Walter’s Steakhouse,Popolo and The Gresham) is planning an ambitious lifestyle and entertainment hub to occupy the building’s 1500 square metres,with further details to be announced closer to the opening date.