The top 10 unexpected (and seriously fun) things to do in Brisbane

Skip breakfast and bring your appetite in preparation for the full-day Kiff & Culture ‘Brisbane Artisan Food & Drink’ tour. This immense day of indulgence is designed to shed light on some of the city’s emerging culinary haunts, not to mention the creative purveyors behind them. On your foodie journey you might experience Southside’s Kiki Kiosk bar, where the flavours of East Asia are revealed over a flavourful banquet lunch with dishes like drunken scallops and truffle spring rolls – paired with matching wines. It’s a fitting entree to City Winery, one of the few places in Australia where you can sip wine while seeing it made…. in the heart of a capital city.

The afternoon reveals more of Brisbane’s brewers and distillers, with either a visit to Stone and Wood Brewery or Granddad Jack’s distillery. The former makes a mean Pacific Ale, and Davidson Plum and Berry Seltzer, while the latter is known for its moreish gins flavoured with the likes of tea, strawberry and musk sticks.

Once you’ve finished your tour, it’s a short journey to FV Brisbane by Peppers in Fortitude Valley, where you can make the most of one of the city’s sleekest pools, in a neighbourhood known for its stellar food and drink offerings.

Don’t know what sukhino is? You’re probably not alone… This is actually a type of yoga, created and hosted by yogini Nina Lee on the dock of Howard Smith Wharves. Let your body bend and your mind wander while you stretch and salute the sun in a dreamy space overlooking Story Bridge.

For something a little more offbeat, Felons Brewing Co within the Howard Smith Wharves precinct hosts beer yoga on the lawn every Wednesday at 5pm. BYO mat, and sip your way through a sunset session.

Aside from the brewery, there are plenty of places to refuel in this buzzy district. Try Yoko Dining, for cuisine straight from a Japanese izakaya; Greca Restaurant, serving Greek food with a twist; and La Mexicana, a colourful pop-up fuelled by margaritas and tangy tacos.

Hot tip from Cook & Creative influencer Jessica Ngyuen: I love Stanleys at Howard Smith Wharves; it's a gorgeous Cantonese restaurant. Their lunch special is amazing: $25 for a sampler plate, which gives you a little taste of signature dishes. It means you don't have to spend a lot of time here, although a long lunch is always nice. There's also yum cha on Sundays. 

You’re within easy reach of Mantra on Queen Brisbane, where accommodation comes in the form of traditional hotel rooms as well as one- and two-bedroom apartments. Perfect for a travelling family or group of friends. 

By the end of your walking tour with guides at BlackCard Cultural Tours, you’ll have a new appreciation for the significance of Aboriginal culture and art within Brisbane.

Wander along the Brisbane River and pause under the Merivale Railway Bridge to gaze at Matt Adnate’s oversized mural, Bella. Or step inside the wondrous Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art, with its permanent collection of Indigenous works and roving exhibitions.

The group’s newest experience is the three-hour ‘Cultural Tour and Weaving Session with Bush Tucker Tasting’, which combines the above with the chance to try your hand at traditional Aboriginal arts.

It gets even better, with a delicious spread provided by Fig Jam & Co – think emu san choi bao, wattleseed and date slice, and a bush jam drop with lemon myrtle cream.

Your tour ends within easy reach of Novotel Brisbane South Bank, known for its rooms with a view and perennially busy Spice Central Kitchen & Bar, the perfect place to refuel after a day of Indigenous culture.

River to Bay promises that the oysters you enjoy on the company’s ‘River to Bay Champagne and Oyster’ cruise around Moreton Bay will be the freshest you’ve ever tried. It’s a big call – but they may just be right.

Over the course of three hours you’ll glide across the bay, enjoying bubbles, charcuterie and oysters freshly shucked from the waters below. All the while, your guide reveals fascinating stories about how these tasty molluscs are farmed, and why they thrive here.

Returning to Brisbane as the day ends, casting the bay aglow? It doesn’t get any better than this. 

Make your way to Mantra Terrace Brisbane for rooms and suites just steps from the river, which means easy access to docks (your cruise departs from Northshore) as well as central shopping precincts.

There are ice-cream parlours, and then there’s Ungermann Brothers, purveyors of some of the tastiest (and unusual) sweet treats you’ll have the pleasure of eating. Everything in the ice-cream is made from scratch, and most flavours are grown, foraged or created by the team as well.

Opened by Ben Ungermann, 2017 MasterChef runner-up and renowned ‘King of Ice Cream’, together with his brother Danny, the Brisbane burger joint dishes up decadent diner-style fare – burgers, waffles, sundaes – as well as their incredible range of ice-cream.

If you’re a fan of traditional flavours, there’s chocolate swirled with raspberry, or perhaps lemongrass with tropical fruit. If you want to step outside your comfort zone, order a scoop of sesame oil and wasabi ice cream with miso caramel; or bacon, salted caramel and Belgian waffles.

Hot tip from Jessica Ngyuen: My new favourite place for gelati is Milani Minus Eight Degrees, an unassuming stall at Market Square in Sunnybank. The gelati and dairy products here takes home global awards, and there's a lovely back story. It was started by a Chinese migrant who makes everything himself. His creme brulee flavour won an award this year, but other amazing flavours are black sesame, white peach and durian.  

The journey from ibis Styles Brisbane Elizabeth Street to this diner is worth it. Back at your accommodation, enjoy rooms decorated with plenty of colour, all within easy reach of the river. 

You don’t need to fly to Venice to enjoy a gondola ride – it turns out, Brisbane’s waterways are just as conducive to this relaxing style river ramble.

Alight your Golden Gondola – aka limousine of the water – and experience a romantic dinner while gliding along the Brisbane River; your chariot is travelling at a slow pace, so it’s practically impossible not to exhale and do the same yourself.

Enjoy a seafood platter piled high with king prawns, crabs and oysters, sip a flute of bubbles and let the lights of Brisbane transport you into the night.

Pullman Brisbane King George Square ups the water ante with one of the best pools in the city. Rooms come with stellar views, and you’re just a short stroll to the departure point for your gondola ride.

Lovers of gin will not want to miss the chance to make their own at Brisbane’s only registered Gin School, within Brisbane Distillery Co. This is a hand’s on and informative experience, and one that takes you on a journey through more than 180 botanicals – some traditional, and many out of the box.

You get to create a one-of-a-kind bottle flavoured to your taste, and also sit down to a cocktail and food pairing, to discover how different gins match perfectly with different snacks and meals.

Mantra South Bank Brisbane offers spacious rooms and apartments within walking distance of some of the city’s major cultural attractions. It’s also just a hop, skip and a jump from the distillery…

Brisbane is proudly multicultural in its cuisine, whether you’re a fan of Vietnamese or Sichuanese, Italian or French. The latter is best sampled within the luxurious confines of the Sofitel Brisbane Central hotel, where joie de vivre is celebrated from the minute you step into the lobby.

Make your way to Suzette restaurant for a full immersion into France, with this legendary restaurant known for its dishes that transport you to a pocket of Provence – or Paris, perhaps.

Order seasonal specialties like duck breast with grilled stone fruit, asparagus, parsnip mousseline and jus; or coq au vin, featuring a tender chicken thigh fillet, bacon lardons, mushrooms and root vegetables. Be sure to end your meal with signature crêpes Suzette, the light-as-air crepes topped with Grand Marnier, cardamom-infused orange butter sauce and Cowch bourbon vanilla ice-cream.

Stroll from Suzette directly to your room at Sofitel Brisbane Central, replete with glam décor in a jewel tones like gold and ruby. There are plenty of other dining options to sample over the course of your stay…

Over the past decade, the network of laneways in Queensland’s capital has transformed into a place where the city’s culture comes alive. Strolling here now you’ll find everything from hole-in-the-wall cocktail bars and record shops to boutiques and warehouse walls decorated with eye-popping street art.

From Fish, Burnett, Bakery and win lanes, use this as your guide to the city’s hidden alley haunts.

Mercure Brisbane King George Square is the perfect central perch to explore Brisbane’s inner-city laneways. You adjoin the Pullman, and are able to use facilities at both hotels.

Ok, this one's a bit of a cheat as not strictly in Brisbane (you'll need to travel about 48kms to Moreton Island), however If you like the nightlife, you won’t want to miss a chance to explore Moreton Bay by night. Join Sunset Safaris to explore the Tangalooma Shipwrecks after dark, gliding over brilliantly coloured coral and fish, sunken shipwrecks, turtles, wobbegongs, rays and other nocturnal marine life in a fully transparent kayak, fitted with LED lights illuminating the ocean.

You’ll think someone has switched on a TV under your feet, and will never look at the sea the same way again.

The Sebel Brisbane Margate Beach sits pretty overlooking the waters of Moreton Bay. Head to the rooftop pool to splash about before your evening adventure over the water.