Located on the site of Brisbane’s international cruise terminal in riverfront Hamilton, Portside combines apartments, shops, cinemas and restaurants. This formerly ugly, heavy-industrial site has been transformed.
There are a few dining options at Portside, all of them with direct river views from outdoor seating. When a cruise ship is docked, the view and atmosphere is busy and lively. Once you’ve finished browsing through the clothes, gift and shoe shops or seen a flick at Dendy Portside, consider what you'd like to eat.
There are some of Brisbane's best dining options, in one compact area. Most of them have some form of outdoor dining to take advantage of the riverfront location.
Restaurant Manx seats approximately 100 people both inside and out. This is the second restaurant for Paul MCGivern – the man behind the very popular Restaurant Rapide. The menu is European influenced and they offer smaller meal options on their bar menu.
Wilson’s Boathouse (with a sister restaurant at Manly harbour) offers diners a fine seafood selection. From 12pm daily you can enjoy the oyster and beluga bar that has a wide range of freshly shucked Australian oysters. There is something about sitting beside a body of water, even if it is the Brisbane River, which inspires people to eat fish or prawns. Strange but true.
A more casual seafood option is to pick up fish and chips at the Fresh n Wild Fish shop at Portside. There are the usual fish, calamari and chips meals and you can also buy fresh seafood. There aren’t a lot of outdoor public seating options at the Portside complex to eat your take away by the water, so best to sit at the communal timber tables.
For a warm and decadent dining experience, go to Byblos Bar and Restaurant. The menu is a fusion of Lebanese and Mediterranean cuisines and there’s a dramatic looking bar as well as velvety lounges.
For a traditional Japanese experience, you must try Sono. If the name rings a bell, you're probably thinking of Sono in the Tattersalls Building in the CBD - and yes, the Portside restaurant is owned by the same people.
Choose cafe fare from the extensive menu at Chez Laila or choose an icy dessert from Movenpick ice cream.
If you are organising an event, such a wedding, there is Gianni Events, tucked away upstairs with uninterrupted river views.
From Portside it's is a ten minute walk to the Kingsford Smith Drive end of Racecourse Road – where you’ll find more dining options.
If you're thinking of driving, there's undercover and curb side parking for 260 cars.
Portside is also easy to get to on the City Cat. A footpath along the riverside connects Portside to the ferry terminal, about five minutes walk away and there's a bus stop close by. See Transinfo for the public transport options.
