A warm weather sojourn to Brisbane, Noosa & surrounds.
Where to dine and what to wear, according to Harrolds.
5 Minute Read
When the Celsius drops, some of us will embrace heavy-duty outerwear and yearn to layer up in cosy cashmeres, while others may long for a bit of reprieve in the form of a quick stint up north. If you’re the latter, the likes of Brisbane, Noosa, and their many surrounding pit stops could be the sun-doused, chic and tropical answers to your winter blues. A quick top-up on warmth, gelato and cocktails by the pool will have you glowing in an instant, and Harrolds has the year-round occasionwear (and resortwear) to have you feeling your White Lotus best.
The sun-doused, chic and tropical answers to your winter blues.
Here, we’re rounding up some of the most restorative locales in Brisbane and Noosa to serve you a road-tested guide to eats and stays in Australia’s most sunshiney pockets. If you’re a Noosa novice or have debated a stay at Brisbane’s The Calile for too long, this one’s just for you.
BRISBANE
The Calile
Hellenika
The Calile
Hellenika
Stay
The Calile is a widely-renowned accommodation spot for a reason, boasting a covetable and luxurious cabana-like feel from the expansive lobby to the stripey poolside loungers. If you book off-season, you’ll easily nab one of those daybeds, but rumour has it: summertime is a free-for-all fight to secure your horizontal reading and cosmo-drinking spot. Securing a stay between school holidays and outside of calendar long weekends will stand you in good stead for a vibey but comfortable experience — one in which you can hop on a treadmill (in their glamorous gymnasium) with ease.
There’s even a meticulously-decorated reading room, and the most ridiculous litany of baked goods, shopping spots and lavish eateries along James Street. Just be sure to order an espresso at the people watching haven that is the Lobby Bar first! Remember, the sun rises early in Brisbane. We haven’t even noted the romantic, pink and gold details that adorn the hotel room interiors, but you’ll have to wait and see those for yourself.
Eats
Dinner at Bianca —The most superb Italian restaurant, coloured in rusty peach hues everywhere. This outrageously aesthetic dinner spot supplies pasta in swathes, and little puffs of cloud-like dough for entrée in their ‘Pizza Bianca’. Harrolds approves Bianca’s Paccheri al pomodoro with stracciatella and the spinach tortellacci, spliced with spring greens and soaked in burnt butter (otherwise known as liquid gold). We doubt any order could be a miss.
Lunch at Hellenika —This is perhaps the most revered lunchtime spot in Brisbane, contained within the outdoor oasis (and overlooking the pool) at The Calile. You don’t need to be staying there to dine in, but it’s such a lazily swan down to lunch if you are residing upstairs. The dream! Hellenika specialises in delicious Greek cuisine, namely mastering the art of good saganaki, a fresh and robust Greek salad that rivals all others, the most filling Moussaka you’ll find on the market, and seasonally fresh seafood for days. You can peruse an extensive wine list or match the mood with a well-crafted cocktail. Open for brekky, lunch and dinner, there’s only one thing you must remember when booking in: regardless of the time, it’s certainly 5pm somewhere.
Something smaller at Agnes Bakery — A James Street stalwart. Even Jessica Nguyen recently approved of this quaint coffee and pastries hub. A small walkway gives way to a large wall lined with flaky croissants, twists and other irresistible delicacies. They certainly know it’s hot cross bun season, too. Everything is executed to sheer perfection, and the devil is certainly in the details.
NOOSA
@noosasurfclub
@banditamexican
@noosasurfclub
@banditamexican
Stay
The beauty of Noosa is its microcosm-like feeling. Everything is on your doorstep on Noosa’s quintessential Hastings Street, and that’s including the main beach, the restaurants, the shopping, the coffee, and the trail up to the National Park walk. Be sure to go for a trot (or a hike) up there to kickstart your mornings, taking in pristine natural beauty and sending your step count way up. Post-sweat, you’ll want to dive straight into the teal stretch of water that taunted you for the last 10 kilometres, and you can! Follow it up with an iced latte to combat the humidity, and check in to Maison Noosa.
This luxe accommodation pick offers waterfront bliss and prime access to immediate morning beach swims — mind you, nothing is too far away if you’re staying in the vicinity of Hastings Street. Another strong contender is the Sofitel Noosa Pacific, allowing guest-only access to its streetfront Noosa Beach House Restaurant. This is the ultimate spot for a glass of wine, assortment of snacks and the appetite to watch Noosa’s ‘who’s who’ walk on by.
Eats
Dinner at Bandita — Inspired by local landscapes, growers and producers in Noosa (and surrounds), Bandita is a seasonally-driven modern, vibrant, date-night spot with a Mexican twist. Expect a relaxed atmosphere with a beachy feel and chameleon-light ability to offer bright light in the daytime but feel cosy and deeply intimate when the sun sets. With a fresh and modern, flame-licked Mexican menu guiding the restaurant’s aesthetics, the space houses a Shou Sugi Ban communal table and hand-pressed and wood-fired terracotta tiles. When it comes to ordering, it’s best to embrace the snack-ish, tapas style mood of the menu and order myriad small plates for variety, with an agave cocktail to kickstart. The ancho and porcini flank with burnt onion crema is a winner from the BBQ, which can also be matched with a DIY taco set if you’re sharing.
Lunch at Sails — One simply cannot stray past a long, boozy and leisurely lunch at Noosa’s famed Sails. Between beach dips and impromptu naps, you’ll feel inclined to dress your best for a water-facing layover at this classic modern Australian mainstay. If you’re a chardonnay devotee, be sure to sample some of the Scotman’s Hill Cornelius 2016 (as recommended by the beautiful waitstaff) to match a large helping of Prawn Linguine. This pasta features mighty Eastern King Prawns, cherry tomatoes, garlic, chili, manzanilla sherry and pecorino, enveloping diners in a smoky and inviting waft upon landing at the table.
Something smaller at Noosa Surf Club — Another inevitable visit on your Noosa tour is the beloved, ever-bustling Surf Club. For the simpler things in life (like sweeping blue vistas, live music and hot chips), there is no going past sunset perched on the whopping balcony here. Order you and your closest confidantes a hefty bucket (yes, bucket) or fresh prawns and a crisp rosé, before surrendering to the pensive, relaxed feeling of an evening on holiday time. Pure bliss.
