Featuring: Noir, Green Space, Timmy Kemp’s Chow House…

WHILE the high street of Paddington, in Brisbane’s inner west, has a moody new bar called Noir, it’s all sunshine and greenery on the other side of town. Two vibrant new venues, The Green and Sunshine have recently opened on James St, but more on that later.
Noir occupies a small and thoroughly maximised space, formally a design studio and fashion boutique, with a cosy mezzanine and almost hidden basement space as well as a breezy terrace out to one side of the bar.
Moodily lit with scrubbed wood tables and a mix of stools and armchairs, the vibe is very ‘inner city’ chic. Tables of local business suits file in for afterwork drinks vying for tables alongside local residents sipping cocktails and the result is a convivial hum over the sultry soundtracks.
Behind the tiled bar is a wall of ‘harder to find’ wine varieties that favour minimal intervention during the winemaking process.
Pours by the glass or bottle are accompanied by charcuterie and cheese selections – the cheeses supplied by Brisbane wholesaler Fino Foods with delicious, cured meats and salami supplied by Saison Salumi.
As well as a curated selection of Australian and international wines, there’s a clipped but enticing range of craft beers and ciders and a small selection of cocktails, such as the Little Dove, a heady mix of tromba blanco tequila, rosemary, agave & grapefruit and the Jungle Bird, Goslings black strap rum and campari muddled with fresh pineapple & lime.
It’s standing room only (appropriately socially distanced of course!) on Friday evenings and weekends when the place opens at 2pm and runs until late. Drop-ins pre- and post dinner reservations at the numerous popular restaurants along the strip mean that tables turnover promptly and that’s a good thing as walk-ins are the only way to go – bookings are not accepted. Noir, 216 Given Terrace Paddington; phone 0458 964 937.
Across the city in the inner north, in the restaurant and shopping precinct of James Street, it’s all about Sunshine, luscious greenery and vibrant Lebanese fare.
Simon Gloftis, the restaurateur who used to rule the Gold Coast (Fish House and Hellenika) has now made this precinct his own with two of the city’s most popular haunts – Hellenika on the pool deck at the Calile Hotel, and SK Steak & Oyster also in the hotel precinct.
Now he is turning his attention away from slow cooked lamb shoulders and prime cuts of steak and shining some sunlight on an all-vegetarian offering in the space formerly occupied by Timmy Kemp’s Chow House, next to the Palace Cinema.
He’s teaming up with Theo Kampolis and Kelvin Andrews to create Sunshine, a breezy all-outdoor dining space that champions a plant-based menu and serves delicious numbers like stuffed peppers, silky eggplant dishes and more mediterranean flavours that will take you cruising the Greek Isles without the jet lag or fortnight in quarantine.

Fresh lemon iced tea, organic and biodynamic wines and fresh juices are on offer as is a colourful condiment table heaving with chillies, specialty vinegars and oils to complement the menu. Open daily from 10am until 10pm drop-ins and take-aways are encouraged as are leisurely times spent under the dining pagoda on James St, overlooking the hotel. Sunshine, 39 James Street Fortitude Valley. (No phone.)
As leafy as James Street is, it’s about to become that little bit more green.
Angela Sclavos and Christina Habchi are the pair behind the pandemic pop-up nursery Green Space in a renovated shop on the corner of James and Robertson Street.
In a cultural nod to their collective heritage, the pair are re-branding and expanding the concept to include a Lebanese inspired restaurant, deli and homewares store within a new permanent space (formerly an art gallery) just behind the ever-popular Harvey’s Bistro.
Enter The Green, a cool, industrial space with concrete elements and raw design juxtaposed with the softening effect of abundant lush greenery and warm red tones reminiscent of Lebanon’s famous cedar trees. The design has an impressive pedigree – internationally renowned designer Borhan Grofrani worked with Craig Channon from Channon Architects to create the multipurpose, industrial/luxe fit-out.
Well known chef Warren Turnbull (Banc and Assiette) is behind the menu inspiration and the burners alongside chef Shaun Langdon. Giving traditional dishes a contemporary twist is the plan; think green shakshuka with smoked labne, swordfish skewers with chickpea miso and fermented vegetables, and Ranger’s Valley short rib coated in a pomegranate glaze a few of the flavours you can expect from breakfast through to dinner. Enter The Green, 27 James Street, Fortitude Valley. (No phone.)