From my previous posts you'd probably assume I'm a bit of a loser. Apparently I like to save money, my best friend is a 7-year old Staffordshire bull-terrier, I go to restaurants on my own and I am a failed academic researcher. Rereading content, I also appear to have a perspiration problem so I'll endeavour to rectify that as soon as possible, apologies.

I digress! Sometimes I'm not a loser! Just recently I took an international stranger on a tour of Brisbane. Arnaud is a French national self-confessed hipster lumberjack, living in the Northern Territory working as a plantation manager on a mango farm. If I could do anything other than Business Intelligence Analyst or self-funded early retiree, I think plantation manager on a mango farm would be in my top 40 dream jobs.

This particular night was an opportunity to do the activities I really enjoy, and drag someone along for the ride. Extra awesome because they don't know all of the other great things to do in Brisbane and feel like they're missing out on the special stuff. Instead, do my things! YAY!!! What follows is a summary of some of the places we went, and I too experienced Brisbane from the eyes of a tourist.

Peasant

Share plates are my jam. A little bit of everything is so much more satisfying than one big thing of one. This is not an analogy for my life, please don't misconstrue! Peasant has an atmosphere which embodies overeating in a decadent form. Its slightly muted lighting allows you to cloak the gluttony (as I am want to do), and as Spanish rustic fare is constructed of such allurement as croquetas de tapenade w sweet potato & smashed green pea or pork belly chicharrones w cumin, fennel spiced salt & PX reduction, you're going to need to google the word gourmandize. As I did. It means binge.

Lefty's Old Town Music Hall - Photo credit: MustDoBrisbane

LEfty's Old Time Music Hall

If clientele diversity were indicative of success, then Lefty's would be it. Never have I seen an environment in which football fantatics, 60's pin-up chicks, and 70+ year old swing dancers, rub shoulders so agreeably. A self described lavish honky-tonk saloon meets bordello, leave your conjecture at the door and be ready to listen to some of the best swing, soul, blues and roots, toe-tapping goodness. Please indulge in a must-have f*cking amazing crushed apple and spiced rum (or vodka) concoction which has never left me with a boozy-morning-after headache. I think it's all the fibre.

The Zoo

In a previous article I mentioned there are a number of free or cheap gigs on around Brissy. 5 Bands 5 Bucks at the iconic Zoo is one of my favourites. Such a great way to support young and upcoming artists on a casual Friday night, check the website linked above as they are held regularly throughout the year. Admittedly, I felt about 1000 years old because the majority of people supporting the bands were about 12. Also, I really suck at pool when I am waaayyyy too sober to even attempt to care. I hope The Zoo never burns down due to insolvency issues that require arson to rectify, and would only take seconds to accomplish because there is 25 years of spilled alcohol on those hardwood floors. I love The Zoo.

The Bowery

Ahhhh The Bowery. Many a hazy girl's night out has eventually concluded in the shadowy (once again dark - I seem to be drawn to ill-lit quarters?) dive bar that is The Bowery. Their cocktail menu is extensive, slightly expensive, but oh-so-worth the decadence, shall I say, lewdness! of any one of their signatures. Perhaps another Amaretto Sour, or Southside? Ensconce yourself in one of their plush booths, listen to the DJ, and while away the hours because this is a place for getting cosy and finishing a very fun night with some exemplary representatives of Brisbane's late night culture. But only on Friday or Saturday, because we're not that cool yet.

A French Adventure in Brisbane

Peasant

LEfty's Old Time Music Hall

The Zoo

The Bowery