Chef Marcus Turner at new rooftop bar Eagles Nest in Kangaroo Point. Photo: Richard Waugh Source: News Limited
IF there’s anything Brisbanites love more than a glamorous new bar, it’s a glamorous new bar on a spiffy rooftop, with bird’s-eye views of the city skyline and Story Bridge.
Eagles Nest is a stylish eyrie that’s 12 storeys up on the roof of The Point Hotel in inner-city Kangaroo Point. Previously reserved for functions, the lofty new destination is decked out with white leather cube-style seating and a custom-built Moet et Chandon Ice Imperial bar.
Eagles Nest will open to passing trade for Sunday sessions only, the first of which kicks off on Sunday, February 22.
A clipped bar menu has been created by in-house chef Marcus Turner, former long-serving kitchen head of Era Bistro, South Brisbane.
Turner presently rocks the pans at The Point’s in-house Lamberts Restaurant and says he’ll be keeping the Eagles Nest bar snacks simple and pitched towards Moet Ice Imperial and a shortlist of cocktails that will be on pour.
“The emphasis will be on the Moet, so dishes will be light – oysters, Manchego croquetas with a quince paste, panko-crumbed Mooloolaba prawns with prawn aioli – some tomato and bocconcini arancini … an antipasto platter,” Turner says. “We make most things in-house – although not the ciabatta, but I’d like to make that too, if we had room.”
Half-a-dozen oysters with seaweed and cider vinaigrette, for example, costs $12.50, with a dozen on offer for $21.50. A cheese platter for two is a reasonable $22.
While Eagles Nest debuts as a strictly once-a-week affair, staff say there’s potential to extend hours if it proves popular.
WATERSIDE MALT
THERE’S a fresh new licensed cafe-bistro in the pipeline for inner-city Newstead. Nick Pinn, owner of Malt Dining, Brisbane, and co-owner of Aquitaine Brasserie, South Bank, is bringing Malt Pier to Mirvac’s upmarket Pier development at Waterfront, Newstead, in a space formerly occupied by cafe French Twist.
The glass bifolds will be hauled back in April, if all goes to plan. Cian McKay, current Malt Dining sous chef, has been earmarked to head up the Malt Pier team, with Sarah Sullivan as 2IC.
Pinn says the Newstead venue will open initially for breakfasts and lunch, but he hopes to expand the hours down the track.
“The menu will cater to the more serious diner, as well as cafe-goers. But the price point will be more cafe,” Pinn says.
“There’s only a limited amount of good-quality dining in the area, as most places focus on coffee and craft beer. This will be another destination for good-quality meals and good wines.”
Pinn is also busy overseeing the development of a new Malt Traders outlet at Emporium, Fortitude Valley. The new boutique bottleshop-deli will slot in on the old Ollie & Lloyd homewares site beneath Emporium Hotel. It will have a craft beer focus.
As with the city’s Malt Traders on Market St, Brisbane, Emporium will sell also boutique wines and ready-to-heat meals and the like.
MARKET TREATS
THE inaugural twilight Fig Tree Farmers Market kicks off tomorrow at Lone Pine Sanctuary, Fig Tree Pocket, in Brisbane’s western suburbs.
It’s a joint venture by Lone Pine Sanctuary and Moggill Markets and will
run every Wednesday, 2pm-7pm, in the car parking areas beside the koala sanctuary. There’s no admission charge for the market.
Moggill Markets co-founder Erica Parkerhopes there’ll be about 70 different stalls pitching up, including some supplying hot dinner treats. The onsite sanctuary cafe is licensed. “It will give people the chance to go shopping after work, have a meal and go home,” Parker says. “There’s parking for about 200 cars.”
FRESH AT FREESTYLE
FREESTYLE tOUT at Emporium, Fortitude Valley, has changed hands and is now trading as Freestyle Cafe. The new owner is Kelli-Ann Ashton of Fresh Events & People, a Bowen Hills events and hospitality staffing company. It’s her first cafe venture.
“We’ll keep all the old favourites and slowly add our own twist on things,” Ashton says. “It’s a great location.” Former pastry chef Ryan Harris is still on staff, so familiar sweet treats will remain on menu. The new head chef is Matthew Ostrenski, former head chef at Townsville’s A Touch of Salt.
HORSING AROUND
GIDDY up. Racecourse Rd, Ascot, in Brisbane’s inner-north is set to soon score its first craft beer bar.
The Stables Craft Bar & Kitchen will slot in beside French bakery-cafe Le Bon Choix in the upmarket suburb mid-month, if the schemes of owners Marcus Tanzer and Daniel Ward are realised.
Tanzer is an ex-head barista at The Corner Store Cafe, Toowong, and a former employee of coffee roastery, Fonzie Abbott Espresso; he now works in the finance industry. He says The Stables plan is to offer micro-brewed beers and local wines and spirits, plus a simple “micro-seasonal menu”. “It’s just a small space for 60. We want to create somewhere relaxed that people can come before or after dinner; we’ll also be doing breakfast at the weekend,” he says.
There’ll be some larger items for those who want to dine as well as drink. A chef is yet to be appointed so details are still fluid. The fitout will be “stylish industrial” withOliver Burscough’s hip Woodsters custom-building the interiors. “There’s never been a craft beer bar on the northside before so we’re pretty excited,” Tanzer says.
RENEWED SPIRIT
Spirit House, the award-winning Thai restaurant at Yandina on the Sunshine Coast, has pulled down its shutters and won’t reopen again until Wednesday, February 25. That’s when it’s due to emerge from a speedy renovation, sporting a new menu and beefed-up wine list.
The kitchen is being improved and expanded and the restaurant’s front veranda is being extended out over the water. The cooking school will remain open throughout. Co-owner Helen Brierty says the refurbishment is just part of a bigger plan. Phase two will happen next February, when the team adds a new bar and snack-style menu to the mix.
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