Neighbourhood Guide

Best Suburbs in Brisbane to Visit & Stay

Brisbane's character lives in its inner suburbs — riverside villages, multicultural dining strips, heritage hills, and creative precincts each with their own personality. Here's where to go.

Brisbane is a city you understand neighbourhood by neighbourhood. The CBD is compact and mostly corporate — the real life of the city happens in the inner suburbs that ring the river, each one with its own dining scene, architecture, and pace. Some visitors never leave South Bank and the city centre, which is fine but means missing the Brisbane that locals actually experience: the Saturday morning farmers markets in New Farm, the late-night noodle houses in Fortitude Valley's Chinatown, the sunset drinks at the Kangaroo Point Cliffs, the slow Sunday walk through Paddington's heritage streets.

This guide covers the Brisbane suburbs that are most worth visiting and, where relevant, staying in. They're all inner-city or riverside, they're all connected by public transport (ferry, bus, train, or walking), and they all offer something genuinely different from each other. Whether you're here for a weekend or a week, knowing which neighbourhood matches what you're looking for makes a real difference to how you experience the city.

Inner-City Neighbourhoods

The Suburbs That Define Brisbane

These are the neighbourhoods most visitors should see first — they're central, walkable, and each offers a different slice of Brisbane life.

New Farm

Brisbane's café heartland & riverside lifestyle suburb

Best for cafés & brunch Ferry access Great for staying

If you only visit one suburb beyond the CBD, make it New Farm. This leafy peninsula between the river and Fortitude Valley has Brisbane's best café concentration, a beautiful riverside park, and a creative energy that comes from its mix of young professionals, long-time residents, and a strong arts community. The streets around Merthyr Village are lined with brunch spots, bakeries, and specialty coffee roasters, and there's a genuine neighbourhood feel — regulars at their usual tables, dogs tied to railings, sidewalk tables spilling onto the footpath.

New Farm Park is the centrepiece: a sprawling riverside green space shaded by Moreton Bay figs and jacaranda trees that turn vivid purple in October and November. At the river end of the park, the Brisbane Powerhouse — a converted industrial power station — is one of the city's most important cultural venues, hosting theatre, comedy, art exhibitions, and a waterfront bar. On Saturdays, the Jan Powers Farmers Markets fill the park with local produce, artisan bread, and street food from early morning. The Riverwalk — a dedicated pedestrian and cycling path — connects the Powerhouse to Howard Smith Wharves and the CBD.

Don't miss

Saturday farmers markets at New Farm Park. Brunch on Merthyr Road or James Street. The Riverwalk to Howard Smith Wharves at golden hour. Brisbane Powerhouse for whatever's showing.

Explore New Farm →

West End

Brisbane's most multicultural and eclectic dining suburb

Best for food & culture Saturday market Live music

West End is where Brisbane gets interesting. This is the city's most multicultural and independent-minded suburb — a long dining strip where Greek tavernas sit alongside Vietnamese noodle houses, Ethiopian restaurants, Nepalese cafés, and hole-in-the-wall bakeries, most of them family-run and remarkably affordable. Boundary Street is the main artery, and it rewards walking: you eat here by following your nose, reading the handwritten specials boards, and trusting the queues.

On Saturdays, the Davies Park Market takes over a grassy park on the banks of the river. It's one of Brisbane's best markets — local farmers, street food from a dozen different cuisines, handmade crafts, and live music under the mango trees. The market runs from 6am to 2pm, and early morning is the best time for produce and atmosphere. Beyond the food, West End has a strong arts and music scene: independent bookshops, vintage clothing stores, record shops, craft breweries, and pubs with live music on weekends. It's also the gateway to Fish Lane in neighbouring South Brisbane — a laneway precinct of murals, wine bars, and contemporary restaurants.

Don't miss

Dinner on Boundary Street — walk the strip and pick what looks good. Davies Park Market on Saturday morning. Fish Lane for street art and natural wine. The walk along the river to South Bank.

Explore West End →

South Brisbane & South Bank

The cultural heart of Brisbane — galleries, parklands & a city beach

Best for first-time visitors Free galleries & museums Ideal base

South Bank is where most first-time visitors to Brisbane begin — and for good reason. The South Bank Parklands stretch along the river with the Grand Arbour bougainvillea walkway, the "Brisbane" sign, the Nepalese Peace Pagoda, and Streets Beach: a free, lifeguard-patrolled swimming lagoon with white sand and palm trees, right across the river from the CBD skyline. On Sunday mornings, free live music plays at River Quay Green. On Friday and Saturday evenings, the Collective Markets bring handmade crafts, food, and performance art to the precinct.

South Brisbane — the suburb immediately behind South Bank — is where the cultural precinct sits. The Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) and the Queensland Art Gallery offer free permanent collections of Australian, Indigenous, and Pacific art. GOMA also has a free children's art gallery and the Cinematheque, an arthouse cinema. The Queensland Museum and its interactive science centre (SparkLab) are across the road, and the State Library of Queensland has free exhibitions and a dedicated children's space called The Corner. This is also one of the best areas to stay in Brisbane: central, connected by ferry and train, and walkable to both the CBD and West End.

Don't miss

GOMA's contemporary art and Cinematheque. Swimming at Streets Beach — yes, really, in the middle of the city. The Grand Arbour walk at sunset. Fish Lane for dinner, just a few blocks south.

Explore South Brisbane →

Paddington

Heritage Queenslander homes, boutique shopping & hilltop views

Best for architecture & shopping Hilltop suburb Walkable

Paddington is where Brisbane's architectural identity is at its most visible. This hillside suburb west of the CBD is lined with beautifully preserved Queenslander houses — timber cottages on stilts with wide verandahs, iron lacework, and tropical gardens cascading down steep blocks. The residential streets are genuinely photogenic and give you a sense of how Brisbane looked before the high-rises arrived. It's one of the best suburbs to simply wander.

The main street, Latrobe Terrace, runs along the ridgeline and is packed with independent boutiques, homewares shops, antique stores, and speciality food outlets. The Empire Revival building — a heritage-listed former cinema from the 1920s — now houses a market of over 50 independent merchants selling antiques, vintage clothing, and handmade goods. Paddington's cafés are excellent (it's a brunch destination in its own right), and the hilltop position gives occasional views across the city to the mountains beyond. The neighbourhood feels distinctly different from the riverside suburbs — more elevated, more residential, more about the walk itself than a specific destination.

Don't miss

Walking the residential streets for Queenslander architecture. The Empire Revival antique market. Brunch on Latrobe Terrace. The view from Given Terrace looking east towards the city.

Explore Paddington →

Fortitude Valley

Nightlife, live music, James Street fashion & Chinatown

Best for nightlife & music Train station Late-night dining

"The Valley" is Brisbane's entertainment district, but it's more nuanced than that label suggests. By day, it splits into two distinct personalities: James Street is polished and fashionable — a tree-lined retail precinct of designer boutiques, homewares showrooms, upmarket restaurants, and specialty coffee. Walk a few blocks and you're in the Brunswick Street Mall and Chinatown district, which is rougher around the edges and far more interesting — dumpling houses, late-night bakeries, Vietnamese pho restaurants, and the kind of Asian groceries where you can spend an hour browsing.

By night, the Valley transforms into Brisbane's live music capital. The Fortitude Music Hall, The Tivoli, and The Zoo are all within walking distance and host local and touring acts most nights of the week — indie, rock, electronic, jazz, hip-hop. Ticket prices are often very reasonable. The surrounding streets are packed with rooftop bars, laneway cocktail spots, and late-night eateries. Howard Smith Wharves, technically at the base of the Story Bridge between the Valley and New Farm, is one of Brisbane's most popular dining precincts — Felons Brewing Co. for casual craft beers, or Greca for refined Greek-inspired food with the Story Bridge lit up overhead.

Don't miss

Dinner on James Street, then a show at the Fortitude Music Hall. Dumplings in Chinatown. Howard Smith Wharves for sunset drinks under the Story Bridge. Bakery Lane for coffee and street art.

Explore Fortitude Valley →
Riverside Suburbs

Brisbane's Best River Neighbourhoods

The Brisbane River connects much of the city, and these suburbs make the most of it — cliffside parks, ferry-accessible villages, and converted heritage precincts right on the water.

Kangaroo Point

Clifftop views, sunset picnics & outdoor adventures

Best for views & outdoors Free BBQs Ferry access

Kangaroo Point's defining feature is its cliffs — a 20-metre sheer rock face that runs along the river, directly across the water from the CBD and the City Botanic Gardens. The clifftop park above is one of Brisbane's best sunset spots: free electric BBQs, picnic tables, flat lawns, and a view across the river to the full city skyline that is genuinely stunning as the lights come on. It's the kind of place where half of Brisbane seems to gather on warm evenings, and the atmosphere is relaxed and communal.

Beyond the views, Kangaroo Point is an outdoor pursuits hub. The cliffs are used for abseiling and rock climbing (several operators run beginner sessions), kayakers launch from the river below, and the Story Bridge — which begins at Kangaroo Point — offers a pedestrian walkway with views up and down the river. The suburb is walkable from the CBD via the Goodwill Bridge or the Story Bridge pedestrian path, and regular ferry services stop at Holman Street and Thornton Street. For a particularly scenic walk, follow the river path from Kangaroo Point to Wilson Outlook Reserve, which has one of the best vantage points for photographing the Story Bridge.

Don't miss

Sunset from the cliffs with a BYO picnic. Walking the Story Bridge at dusk. The river path to Wilson Outlook Reserve. Kayaking or abseiling if you're feeling adventurous.

Explore Kangaroo Point →

Newstead & Teneriffe

Converted woolstores, riverwalk dining & Brisbane's heritage homestead

Best for riverfront dining Heritage architecture Walkable to New Farm

These two neighbouring suburbs sit on the river downstream from the city and share a character defined by industrial heritage reimagined as modern urban living. Teneriffe's massive red-brick woolstores — built in the early 1900s when this stretch of river was Brisbane's working waterfront — have been converted into apartments, restaurants, and galleries. The architecture is striking and completely unlike anything else in Brisbane. Walking along Vernon Terrace and past the woolstores gives you a sense of the suburb's scale and history.

Newstead, slightly closer to the city, has evolved into a polished dining and lifestyle precinct. Gasworks Plaza and the surrounding streets offer a concentration of quality restaurants, wine bars, and specialty retailers. Newstead House — Brisbane's oldest surviving residence, built in 1846 — sits in parkland on the river and is open for free visits. The Riverwalk connects both suburbs to New Farm and the CBD, making for one of Brisbane's best waterside walks. Together, Newstead and Teneriffe appeal to visitors who want a more contemporary, design-conscious side of Brisbane — good food, interesting architecture, and a strong sense of place.

Don't miss

Walking the Riverwalk from Newstead to New Farm. The Teneriffe woolstore architecture on Vernon Terrace. Newstead House and its riverside parkland. Dinner at Gasworks or along Commercial Road.

Explore Newstead →

Bulimba

A riverside village with ferry access, Oxford Street dining & a local pace

Best for a village feel Ferry from CBD Family-friendly

Bulimba is the suburb that feels most like a standalone village. Located on a bend in the river east of the CBD, it's connected to the city by a regular ferry service from the Oxford Street wharf — a 15-minute ride that doubles as a scenic river cruise past Kangaroo Point and Howard Smith Wharves. The ferry is part of the appeal: arriving by water gives you the sense of reaching somewhere slightly separate from the rest of the city.

Oxford Street, the main drag, is a walkable strip of independent cafés, restaurants, boutique shops, and a cinema. The dining here is strong but more relaxed than the Valley or the CBD — the kind of neighbourhood where the café knows your order and there's no need to rush. Riverside walks from the ferry terminal lead past heritage Queenslander homes and through quiet parkland. Bulimba particularly suits families and visitors who want a slower pace: it's close enough to the city for a day trip or even a half-day outing, but it feels like a genuine escape from the urban centre.

Don't miss

The ferry ride from the CBD — sit on the top deck. Oxford Street for brunch or lunch. The riverside walk south from the wharf. If you're here on a Saturday, browse the boutiques after the crowds thin out.

Explore Bulimba →
Also Worth Knowing

Three More Suburbs on the Radar

These suburbs don't always make the tourist guides, but they offer something distinct and are well connected to the rest of the city.

Brisbane CBD & Spring Hill

The compact city centre — botanic gardens, heritage laneways & Queen Street

Transport hub Free attractions Accommodation range

The CBD isn't the most characterful part of Brisbane, but it's useful and has more going for it than many visitors expect. The City Botanic Gardens — Brisbane's oldest park, on the river at the south-eastern edge of the city centre — are a genuine oasis of Moreton Bay fig trees, bamboo groves, and riverside lawns. Old Government House, a sandstone building from the 1860s at the gardens' entrance, is a free heritage museum. Queen Street Mall has free live music, and the heritage Brisbane Arcade is one of the most attractive shopping arcades in Australia. The laneways off the main streets — Burnett Lane, Eagle Lane — are developing a small but growing café and street-art scene.

For accommodation, the CBD offers the widest range from hostels to five-star hotels, and it's the main transport hub for trains, buses, and ferries. Spring Hill, the residential neighbourhood immediately north of the CBD, has more character — tree-lined streets, terraced houses, and quieter dining options — while still being within walking distance of Central Station and everything in the city centre.

Explore the CBD →

Woolloongabba

The Gabba cricket ground, emerging dining & fast busway connections

Cricket & AFL Busway access Changing fast

Woolloongabba — "The Gabba" to locals — is best known for its cricket and AFL ground, but the surrounding suburb has been changing rapidly. It's on the South East Busway, giving it fast public transport connections to the CBD, South Bank, and the Gold Coast. The streets around Logan Road are developing a cafe and restaurant scene that's more affordable and less crowded than the established inner-city dining precincts. It's also the suburb between South Bank and the Kangaroo Point Cliffs, making it a practical base for visitors who want central access without central prices. Watch this one — it's a suburb in transition and likely to be significantly more developed in the coming years.

Explore Woolloongabba →

Toowong

Riverside suburb with a major train station & a gateway to Mt Coot-tha

Train station River access Mt Coot-tha gateway

Toowong isn't a destination suburb in the way that New Farm or West End are, but it earns a mention for practicality and position. It has a major train station with frequent services to the CBD (under 10 minutes), direct river access, and it sits at the foot of Mt Coot-tha — making it the natural launching point for the lookout, the Brisbane Botanic Gardens, and the mountain's walking trails. The suburb has a solid local café scene around High Street and Sherwood Road, and the Regatta Hotel — a large riverside pub — is a popular weekend gathering spot. Toowong suits visitors who want a quieter base with strong transport links and easy access to both the city and the nearby nature.

Explore Toowong →

Getting Between Suburbs

⛴ CityHopper Ferry

Free inner-city ferry connecting South Bank, the CBD, New Farm, and Teneriffe. Runs every 30 minutes, 6am to midnight. The most scenic way to move between riverside suburbs.

⛴ CityCat & Cross River

Paid ferries extending further along the river to Bulimba, Toowong, and beyond. Fast, frequent, and tap-on with a contactless bank card or go card.

🚆 Train

Stations at Fortitude Valley, Central (CBD), South Brisbane, Toowong, and more. The Airtrain connects the airport directly to the CBD and Gold Coast line.

🚶 Walking

The inner suburbs are compact. New Farm to the CBD is 30 minutes on foot via the Riverwalk. Kangaroo Point to South Bank is 15 minutes across the Goodwill Bridge. West End to South Bank is 10 minutes.

Explore Brisbane's Neighbourhoods with Local Guides

The best way to understand a Brisbane suburb is to walk it with someone who knows the stories, the shortcuts, and the best tables. Discover the city beyond the postcard.

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