28 October 2024
7 mins Read
Transforming one of Brisbane’s last remaining shipping wharves into one of the city’s bucket list to-dos, Eat Street Northshore in Brisbane is a night market like no other. Also known as Eat Street Brisbane, the food-centric entertainment precinct is home to more than 60 permanent vendors dishing up authentic international fare, crafty cocktails and drinks, kids’ toys, arts and crafts and more. Pumping with live music and performances once the sun sets, it’s an intoxicating scene we’ve grown to adore since it opened 11 years ago. Here’s everything you need to know before you go.
Keen to stay and make the most of Eat Street Northshore’s five on-site bars? Leave your wheels at home and jump on a CityCat ferry. The Northshore Hamilton ferry terminal is just a few steps from one of the venue’s two entrances at Dock C within Northshore Brisbane, and the quick stroll along the Brisbane River to Eat Street Northshore itself is flat and scenic.
If you’re taking the car, there’s a huge 1,400-vehicle carpark at Dock C on MacArthur Avenue and best of all, it’s free. Again, you’re only a few steps from both the ‘Hello’ and ‘Eat’ sign entrances, and they’re both clearly labelled. Northshore Brisbane, home to Eat Street Northshore and a stack of surrounding attractions (more on those further down), is in Hamilton which is about a 20-minute drive from Brisbane’s CBD.
There’s also the bus, with the nearest stop located on Bincote Street, right near the gigantic steel tank. Once you hop off, it’s a short walk through Maritime Green.
If it’s your first time, you can always download a visitor map from the Eat Street Northshore website, but we highly recommend getting lost in the fairy/neon/festoon/halogen-lit madness of it all.
If you’re after on-site assistance, there’s an information desk right next to the First Aid room, just a few steps inside when entering through the ‘Eat’ entrance.
Visitors should note that entry into Eat Street Northshore costs $6 per person however children under the age of 13 and carers can enter for free. You can also purchase pre-paid tickets through the website.
Accessibility-wise, there are plenty of dedicated disability parking spots, wheelchair-accessible toilets and a wheelchair-accessible ATM to be found. However, people with accessibility issues should note that the grounds have been built on original wharfage, meaning some of the more remote seating on the water’s edge is tougher to reach, and less finished than other spots.
Dogs are welcome if they’re kept on a short leash and can handle staying more than three metres away from the food vendors. Tough ask for some, we realise.
You won’t know where to start, even if you’ve visited Eat Street Northshore before.
Often categorised by cuisine or whatever products they’re selling, (there’s a mad scientist corner, for example, housing a Churro Lab and Professor Fairy Floss) the hot spots are broken down here.
Tables are scattered everywhere you look but the most popular place to plonk yourself down is the Main Deck where a giant undercover stage is found. Inside, you’ll struggle to resist the mouth-watering flavours of South America, the Middle East and Europe as vendors like Las Catrinas (try the birria tacos for instant transportation to Mexico City’s vibrant streets) and Chaar nail their dishes with spirited flair.
Kombi Alley is another non-negotiable, home to a giant shimmering disco ball, strings of fairy lights and some of the most extraordinary sweets you’ll ever encounter.
Head to The Doughnut Bar for one of the alley’s original stalwarts and don’t miss The Chocolate Komberry’s cronut cubes topped with ice cream, syrup and more unnecessarily wicked trimmings.
Seafood fans should make a beeline for the Trawler Deck where fish and chips are perfected, and Shuck All Oysters bring the decadence.
It’s a beautiful spot to watch the sun set as an old vintage Moreton Bay trawler, on display right in the thick of it all, sets a beautiful scene.
Diner Bar is Eat Street Northshore’s central hub of comfort food, boasting American-style pizza slices, loaded burgers and two internationally inspired culinary havens: Little Lady Peruvian and Don’t Worry Eat Curry, spicing up your options with traditional paellas and Indian classics.
Break up the culinary charms with a few kid-friendly games at Arcade Avenue, or a spot of boho-inspired homewares and henna tattooing perusing along the Laneway, or Traders Square’s Dapper Dogs for pup-friendly accessories, or Asia Street’s Sugarville for take-home lollies.
Other popular pit stops include Lulu Candied Fruit, where skewered, fresh-dipped delights provide endless Instagram fodder, Corn Dogs, for loaded creations to utterly blow your mind, and Arancini Bros, serving up a suite of pudgy, flavour-packed risotto spheres.
While the countless food offerings keep crowds plenty busy, there’s also live music and performances staged nightly. Thanks to Eat Street Northshore’s 10pm licence on Friday and Saturday nights, local bands, singers, dancers, DJs and roving performers turn the foodie destination into a sprawling carnival that kicks on long into the evening.
Three stages, staggered right throughout Eat Street Northshore, bring unique flavours to their designated corner of the action. You’ll spy everything from fire eaters and acrobats to magicians and big touring names on any given night.
Don’t miss the various photo-perfected backdrops that demand selfie-snapping attention. From neon-illuminated rainbows to Melbourne laneway-esque street art, there are mind-boggling sights wherever you look.
Heading out to Northshore Brisbane can sort out the family for an entire day. The precinct will be the city’s—if not the country’s—hottest ticket come November 2024 when Bluey’s World, an immersive experience for fans of the global phenomenon Bluey, opens its doors. If you’re heading to Eat Street Northshore for an evening, Bluey’s World will serve as the perfect pre-game accompaniment.
There’s also the Pink Flamingo, the world’s first Spiegeltent, located right next door to Eat Street Northshore, offering an alternative party atmosphere for after-dark revellers. It’s open until December 24, 2024.
Fancy a feed on the water? Riva Kitchen & Events is within walking distance to Eat Street Northshore, right near the ferry terminal, and dishes up beautiful river-fronting breakfast and lunch to capitalise on fresh seasonal ingredients.
Opening hours: Friday: 4:00pm – 10:00pm; Saturday: 4:00pm – 10:00pm; Sunday: 4:00pm – 9:00pm
Address: 221D MacArthur Avenue, Hamilton
Discover the best restaurants in Brisbane.
LEAVE YOUR COMMENT