Agnes, Fortitude Valley

The drama, spectacle and ancient skills of cooking over fire is brought to life at Agnes. Found in a stunning brick warehouse in an undiscovered corner of Fortitude Valley, Agnes celebrates simple food served with flair. Featuring the freshest local produce, flowing with the seasonal best on offer, there’s also a range of exceptional wines and delicious cocktails. The upstairs private dining room seats up to 22 guests and is overseen by dedicated floor staff on hand to cater to your every event need.

Best for: Local produce transformed over a custom-made stone hearth
What’s on the menu: Set menu options celebrating wood-fired cooking
Capacity: 22 pax

Baedeker, Fortitude Valley

It all feels very illicit as you step inside Baedeker. Housed inside a heritage-listed building on Constance St in Fortitude Valley, Baedeker’s interior makes it feel like you’re in an underground bar in the 1920s. Outside, the private Champagne Garden can seat up to 120 guests, but the real hero – especially for smaller groups – is the mysterious Cellar.

Entry into The Cellar is only possible via a secret door. The intimate space’s warm furnishings and interiors, combined with an extensive, exclusive wine list plus high-end whiskeys, make it feel all very Godfather-like, and whoever is lucky enough to sit at the head of the table will undoubtedly feel like they’re Don Corleone.

Best for: A grand feast around the large, custom wooden table
What’s on the menu: Two and three-course menu, degustation with matching wine
Capacity: The Cellar – 18 pax

Blackbird Bar & Grill, Brisbane City 

Blackbird’s design is inspired by the 1920s prohibition period, and the private function rooms are a melange of classic meets modern. The walls of the Champagne Room and the Cellar Room are lined with bottles of wine while the more contemporary Deco Room features metallic, printed wallpaper and expansive views of the lively Eagle St Pier.

Best for: Meat-heavy mains from the grill or super-large groups
What’s on the menu: Two or three-course menu, feast, degustation
Capacity:
Champagne Room –12 pax
Cellar Room – 24 pax
Deco Room – 28 pax

Bom Boom Room, Brisbane City

Opulent. Smooth. Clandestine – all words that spring to mind as you step inside the underground Boom Boom Room’s private dining spaces. Guests will be in awe as they sit around the dazzling Rex Table beneath a giant chandelier in the Trumpet Room, or sip on cocktails inspired by Ol’ Blue Eyes himself in The Vaults that - as the name suggests - were originally bank vaults in the 1920s.

Best for: A classy affair that runs as smoothly as one of the exquisitely fine whiskeys on offer
What’s on the menu: Mouth-watering appetisers, sit-down menus and an inspired cocktail list
Capacity:
The Vaults – 18 pax
The Trumpet Dining Room – 6 pax

City Winery, Fortitude Valley 

City Winery is the first inner-city winery to open in Brisbane in over 150 years. It’s a working micro-winery where winemakers create wine onsite, sourcing grapes across Australia’s key growing regions. 

A stylish converted warehouse, City Winery brings the cellar door experience to exclusive events and offers a number of enticing spaces. The Private Cellar is perfect for more intimate gatherings either seated at the long table or standing in an informal setting adjacent to the cellar. 

Best for: Wine lovers and foodies, an inner-city winery experience with flair
What’s on the menu: Seasonal, locally sourced produce featuring food prepared over a custom built fire-pit
Capacity:
Private Cellar – 22 pax 

Customs House, Brisbane City

The glorious Customs House has proudly stood overlooking the Brisbane River since it was built in the late 1880s and is today a city icon in its own right. Behind those grand Corinthian columns are a number of private dining spaces, all catered for by the award-winning Customs House Restaurant.

Experience the grandeur of days long past in the Sylvia Jones Boardroom – named after the former Lord Mayoress of Brisbane. Dine at the heritage cedar table that seats up to 24 guests with the crystal chandelier twinkling above and the marble fireplace to warm the room (in winter, obviously). For something even more intimate, the Reid Room can seat up to 10 guests and features the only remaining brass light fitting from when electric lighting was first installed in the building.

Best for: Functions of all sizes in heritage surrounds
What’s on the menu: Two and three-course menus
Capacity:
Reid Room – 10 pax
Sylvia Jones Boardroom – 24 pax

Donna Chang, Brisbane City

The feeling when stepping through the large wooden doors with brass handles into Donna Chang’s can only be described as one of grandeur. Ascend the staircase and you’ll find three private dining rooms whose ornately detailed ceilings and clay chandeliers pay tribute to the building’s heritage. The modern Chinese menu pairs perfectly with the art-deco inspired furnishings.

Best for: An elegant and unforgettable dining experience in a heritage setting
What’s on the menu: Banquet menus showcasing modern Chinese cuisine
Capacity:
Mezzanine Room One – 20 pax
Mezzanine Room Two – 18 pax
Mezzanine Room Three – 29 pax

E'cco Bistro, Newstead

The bold and sleek e’cco bistro has been a Brisbane institution of more than 20 years. The restaurant’s sleek fit-out complements the refined menu, consisting of both a la carte or the Chef’s five-course tasting menu. Dining here should be high on any Brisbane bucket list and if dessert is on the menu, don’t go past the strawberry and raspberry cheesecake.

Best for: Sleek bistro food
What’s on the menu: a la carte or Chef’s tasting menu
Capacity: 35 pax

Gerard's Bistro, Fortitude Valley

Dine amongst friends in Gerard’s Bistro’s private dining room over a bold and tasty banquet menu that celebrates Middle Eastern cuisine with a modern twist. Hidden behind the mosaic wall, the room offers a private cache to enjoy one of Brisbane’s must-visit restaurants – from the suckling pig to the slow-roasted brisket – with a glass of wine or two of course.

Best for: A bold and refined meal best shared amongst friends
What’s on the menu: Banquet dining
Capacity: 32 pax

Madame Wu, Brisbane City

The Red Lantern Room at Madame Wu ticks all the boxes for a small and private sit-down function. Seating up to 24 guests, the views looking out over the Brisbane River and across to the Kangaroo Point Cliffs are spectacular. Choose from two banquet menus designed by the restaurant’s executive chef that showcase some of the best of Asian fusion. Just make sure that Moreton Bay bug dumplings are on the menu.

Best for: A cultural fusion by the river
What’s on the menu: Banquet menus
Capacity: 24 pax

Malt Dining, Brisbane City

Housed inside the heritage-listed Wenley House, Malt Dining’s private dining is elegant and warm. Vintage bottles of wine and champagne line the walls of The Cellar, with a single long timber table seating up to 20 guests as the centrepiece. For a larger private function, the exposed brick and beams in the Attic Restaurant showcase the building’s history, complete with a baby grand piano in the corner. Sample the chef’s amuse bouche degustation menu, or opt for the two, three or four-course menu.

Best for: Dining amid a slice of Brisbane’s history
What’s on the menu: Two, three or four-course set menus
Capacity: The Cellar – 20 pax

Motorwagen, Brisbane City

Think stylish and contemporary at this impressive private dining room in the heart of Brisbane. Tucked away discreetly but featuring a glass wall overlooking the entire space, the room incorporates beautiful Mercedes murals and bright, open light fixtures with teak handmade wooden furnishings.

Much like its namesake, the venue oozes three simple elements: inspired, elegant and functional. Carefully crafted menus, featuring modern European styled cuisine, is served in a warm and engaging atmosphere. The private dining room can seat up to 32 guests or 40 guests for canape style.

Best for: Smart casual dining at its best
What’s on the menu: Contemporary menu delivered in a European style setting
Capacity: 32 pax 

Nostimo, West End 

The Greek Club has become a Brisbane institution in its own right and signature restaurant Nostimo – ‘tasty’ in Greek – is modern Greek at its finest. Devour the mouth-watering banquet dishes created by Chef David Tsirekas in the intimate, 12-person private dining room surrounded by just some of the 15,000 worry beads cascading from the ceiling.

Best for: A modern take on traditional Greek dining
What’s on the menu: Banquet menu
Capacity - up to 12 pax

Old Government House, Brisbane City

Historically the official residence of the Governor of Queensland, Old Government House was built in the 1860s and was Queensland’s first public building. Old Government House has been restored to its former glory creating an elegant venue that overlooks the City Botanic Gardens. Guests will be transported back in time in the Dining Room and the Drawing Room, with the original fireplace, high ceilings and wrap-around verandahs giving a snapshot into the grand Queensland homes of years gone by.

The Billiard Room offers a private entrance, offering guests an extra touch of VIP treatment. The original wood paneling in the room has recently been restored, and guests will be dining on a piece of history – the dining room table is the original from when Old Government House was built.

Best for: Elegant and sophisticated setting in a slice of Brisbane’s history
What’s on the menu: Catering is offered by three catering companies – menus are subject to caterer

Capacity:
Dining Room – 50 pax
Drawing Room – 50 pax
Billiard Room – 22 pax

OTTO Brisbane, South Bank

The experience at OTTO will delight guests from start to finish. Overlooking the Brisbane River, OTTO’s private dining room offers an intimate space without distancing diners from the buzz of the kitchen. Inspired by Southern Italian cuisine, OTTO’s menu is complemented by an extensive and award-winning wine list that will impress the wine connoisseurs in the group. Sit back and be mesmerised by the restaurant’s panoramic riverside views. 

Best for: A highly impressive dinner with a view
What’s on the menu: Two-course lunch and three-course dinner menu
Capacity: 30 pax sit down

Port Office Hotel, Brisbane City

The Port Office Hotel has been a Brisbane institution since 1909 but has been a meeting place since 1864 when it was the Shamrock Hotel. Today, it is a heritage-listed venue and renovations have maintained and highlighted a typically-Queensland theme - warm and welcoming. The Wine Room offers total privacy to small sit-down groups, with the menus showcasing meats cooked on the rotisserie that Executive Chef Graham Waddell has had imported specially from France.

Best for: Unfussy gastropub dining in the heart of Brisbane CBD
What’s on the menu: Two, three, four-course menu
Capacity:
The Wine Room - 16 pax 

Rothwell's Bar & Grill, Brisbane City

A firm favourite for classic dining and a martini with a twist, Rothwell’s private dining room exudes intimate luxury. Located in the atmospheric basement level, think dark wood fixtures and original artworks from George Johnson. Offering premium wines sourced from Europe over the past decade and dating back to the 1920’s, including gems from The Ritz in London such as 1947 Pol Roger and Cognac from the 1890’s. 

Best for: Classic vintages and specially curated luxe share menus or al-la-carte 
What’s on the menu: Wine matched Experience Menu designed as a rare treat 
Capacity: Rothwell’s Wine Room – 12 pax 

Rydges South Bank, South Bank 

The Podium 5 room at Rydges South Bank is a more intimate option for a smaller dining group. Take a seat under the dazzling chandeliers and be wowed by the two and three-course menus, before relocating to the leather couches for a nightcap. To top it off, getting home won’t be a problem if guests are staying in the hotel.

Best for: An intimate dinner near the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre
What’s on the menu: Two and three-course menu
Capacity: 16 pax

Salon de Co, Brisbane City

Housed inside a heritage-listed former 1920s doctor’s surgery, the interiors of Ovolo Inchcolm Brisbane take their inspiration from an early twentieth-century Parisian salon. Step back in time to the Gatsby era in the Foxtrot Room where the dining experience is elegant and intimate – seating up to just 12 guests. The restaurant offers the a la carte menu for group dining, but the five or eight-course tasting menu paired with matching wines will complete the elegant atmosphere that the room sets out to create.

Best for: a fine dining experience that will linger long in the memory
What’s on the menu: A la carte menu or tasting menu
Capacity – 12 pax

Sofitel Brisbane Central, Brisbane City

French-inspired dining is at its finest at Sofitel Brisbane Central and the award-winning Prive249 restaurant exudes French elegance. Dine with a view overlooking the city from the Governor's Room on the 30th floor or take advantage of the natural light in the Concorde Room.

Best for: A classic French experience in the heart of Brisbane
What's on the menu: Two or three-course set menu
Capacity:
Concorde - 50 pax
Bastille - 60 pax
St Germain - 40 pax

Tattersall's Club, Brisbane City

It doesn’t get more elegant – or exclusive – than Tattersall’s Function Centre. For more intimate events, think the old-world style of the Chandelier Room, or dine beneath the Waterford chandelier in the Needham Room. Here, the atmosphere is charming and the quality is outstanding, with special mention to the carefully-crafted wine list.

Best for: Dining in style amongst a slice of history
What’s on the menu: Two or three course set meus
Capacity:
Library – 20 pax
Committee Room – 12 pax
Needham Room –16 pax
Chandelier Room – 22 pax

The AllianceHotel, Brisbane City

The Alliance Hotel has been serving Brisbane since its establishment in 1864 and in its current grand building since 1888. Just off the main bistro, Headquarters can seat up to 16 along a French-provincial table complete with a dazzling chandelier and brick fireplace to set the scene. We can’t go past the exclusive Chef’s Table menu, which includes a local Darling Downs Roast Suckling Pig set in the middle of the table. Upstairs, the Leichardt Room can seat groups larger than 16 or The Cellar seats 24 guests along one long dining table.

Best for: Gastropub showcasing local produce
What’s on the menu: A la carte menu or Chef’s Table menu
Capacity:
Headquarters – 16 pax
Leichardt Room – 16+ pax
Cellar – 24 pax

The Regatta Hotel, Brisbane City

The Regatta has seemingly countless options to suit any style of event and has hosted more than its fair share since opening in 1874. For a private sit-down meal, the Winterford Room can seat up to 24 guests. It has balcony access with river views and is enhanced by the jacaranda trees when in bloom. Downstairs in the Boatshed Restaurant, the Henley Room doubles as a wine cellar, seating up to 22 people or for the smaller groups, the Gazzard Room can seat up to 16 guests and offers a private verandah.

Best for: A refined Aussie pub experience
What’s on the menu: Two and three-course alternate drop menu
Capacity:
Winterford Room – 24 pax
The Henley Room – 22 pax
Gazzard Room – 16 pax

Treasury Casino & Hotel, Brisbane City

Dining in one of Brisbane’s grandest buildings is an experience in itself, but the private dining options are second to none. The elegant Ryan’s Private Dining Room provides an elegant and charming private dining option, seating up to 60 guests and overlooking Queens Park. A real slice of history is the Cabinet Room which – as the name suggests – is the former meeting place of State Cabinet. Wine and dine your guests around the magnificent Queensland maple boardroom table where some of the state’s most important historical gatherings have occurred in years gone by.

Best for: A variety of cuisines and choices at one venue
What’s on the menu: Tailored menu
Capacity:
Cabinet Room – 20 pax
Ryan’s Private Dining Room – 60 pax

Vintaged Bar & Grill - Hilton Brisbane, Brisbane City

A wall of wine is always a great addition to any private dining space and the Hilton’s Vintaged Bar and Grill has some exquisite offerings – the collection is made up of the 1000-bottle collection featured in the Wine Room. The private dining room can seat up to 14 guests and has floor-to-ceiling glass windows that allow for guests to remain a part of the restaurant’s ambiance.

Best for: Sleek dining in the heart of Brisbane CBD
What’s on the menu: Two or three-course menu
Capacity: 14 pax

Walter's Steakhouse, Brisbane City

In Old Mineral House and overlooking the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens, Walter’s Steakhouse is named after Walter Hill, the man who created the beautiful gardens that locals and visitors love today. In a throwback to formal dinner parties of days gone by, the dark timber furnishings create an elegant and refined atmosphere.

Best for: A warm and hearty dining experience with a dash of class and a drop of grandeur
What’s on the menu: Banquet or three course alternate drop
Capacity: 24 – 50 pax

1889 ENOTECA, Wooloongabba

Step off the streets of Woolloongabba and into the basement-level wine cellar that doubles as the restaurant’s private function space. Housed in the heritage-listed Moreton Rubber Works building (circa 1889), the rustic space aims to invoke a sense of the great enoteche of Roma, from the warm lighting to the cool brick to the Roman prints on the walls.

Vintage bottles line the 120-year old brick walls, complete with a chandelier and wrought iron gates. The long timber dining table can seat up to 42 guests, with a three-course dining option available for groups between 8-24 guests. Our pick though? The famiglia a tavola option – meaning “the family table”, this is a four-course traditional Italian menu for larger groups of 10-42 guests, designed to encourage a warm atmosphere while feasting.

Best for: Epic wines in a private cellar
What’s on the menu: Three-course dining or the four-course famiglia a tavola
Capacity: 42 pax