Located at the Paris end of Woolloongabba, Ooh la la is a Brisbane rooftop bar that is easy to miss, despite a flashing red light on the rooftop. It’s behind a much loved and long-established French restaurant, C’est Bon, a cosy eatery in the heart of historic Woolloongabba.
You must wander down a dark alleyway into a car park to discover the wrought iron gates and the stairways that lead up to this rooftop haven.
If you find stairs challenging, this is probably not going to be your new favourite bar. Still, if you like a bar where it’s all a little new and different, where the food is great and the alcohol selection impressive, you’ll feel on top of the world here.
After three flights of stairs to the very top, you’ll find a designated bar and a much-deserved drink under the stars to Salut the weekend.
It’s not too hard to imagine yourself in the backstreets of Bordeaux rather than just across the road from the Mater Hospital. So take a seat on one of the bench seats and enjoy a beautiful bird’s eye view over Mater Hill and The Gabba.
What’s on the menu at this Brisbane rooftop bar?
Don’t go expecting bar snacks, bowls of peanuts or hot chips with sauce. Instead, the luxurious choices include Siberian or Oscietra caviar, a fromage or charcuterie selection or a selection of other delectable treats. In addition, there are appellation oysters, either natural or with a green tomato mignonette, a blini caviar set with potato rye blinis, creme fraiche and roe, Fraser Island crab with mornay espelette and tarragon or mussels with mouclade, chives and bottarga.
Executive Chef and Owner Andy Ashby has a strong focus on local produce. He has created a contemporary French menu with bites like Angus Tartare with Tomato, Cured Yolk and Tendon, and Kingfish Crudo with Sorrel, Buttermilk and Melon.
Don’t go past the duck liver parfait cclairs with prune and their confit suckling pig terrine with rhubarb, celeriac and dill pickles.
Ooh la la has a platter for larger groups. C’est Bon Fruits de Mer includes ndjula brown butter Queensland prawns, local spanner crab, appelation oysters, mussels, kingfish crudo and blini caviar sets.
Duck Liver Parfait Eclairs
Ooh la la cocktail menu
Start with an Ooh La La signature cocktails such as La Gazelle with rhum, passionfruit and falernum or the Saint-Germain-des-Prés with gin, cucumber and elderflower. If wine is more your thing, sip away from afternoon to late with a selection of local and French wines.
The wine list includes my favourite Witches Falls Wild Ferment Chardonnay, and there are also Ballandean and Barambah wines on the list
How did they fit a Brisbane rooftop bar on top of a heritage building?
The bar was designed by JDA Co., a small studio-based Brisbane practice and features a modern addition carefully designed under strict Heritage laws.
JDA Co Director James Davidson says the structure maintains the building’s character and form and brings in new elements giving the space a new lease on life. The goal was to ensure it could co-exist amongst the existing features but not obscure the original 1900s facade.
“It’s a gorgeous spot that pays tribute to the building’s history but starts a new story for it. We’re so proud to be a part of its new chapter,” said Davidson.
More about Ooh la la
This Brisbane rooftop bar opens from Friday to Sunday, 3 pm till late. You can wine and enjoy French bar snacks or try your hand at paint and sip sessions or yoga.
The entrance is via the car park behind C’est Bon in Annerley Road. Free parking is available behind the restaurant, or there’s a parking station 100 metres down the road with cheap rates. The restaurant is near the Mater Hospital, so street parking is at a premium.
Find out more here.
More Brisbane rooftop bars
Where are more of the best rooftop bars in Brisbane city? Try The Terrace at Emporium Hotel South Bank, Iris at Hotel X in Fortitude Valley, or Fiume at Crystalbook Vincent under the Story Bridge.
