New Brisbane

For me and my friends, after work drinks on Friday night is almost as big an institution as Tuesday night dinner and movies. It’s a chance for us to blow off some steam, meet some interesting people and prepare for a fun-filled weekend. Of the various places in the city we tend to hit up, there’s one that we constantly come back to and that one is Jade Buddha, particularly upstairs in the Shadow Lounge.

Jade Buddha
1 Eagle St, Eagle St Pier, Brisbane
Ph: +61 7 3221 2888
Web: www.jadebuddha.com.au

Mon - Thurs: 11:30am - 1:00am
Fri - Sat: 11:30am - 3:00am
Sun: 11:30am - 12:00am

Located in the heart of the Eagle St pier, the Shadow Lounge at Jade Buddha is everything that a cocktail lounge should be - there’s lots of places to find a seat, great tasting cocktails served by friendly & experienced staff, great music, a balcony for fresh air which commands a magnificent view of the Story Bridge over the Brisbane River, a fantastic intimate ambiance and even table service for drinks. Better yet, even though it gets busy in there on a Friday night, there’s always space to move around and the wait at the bar is never more than a few minutes.

Downstairs at Jade Buddha is primarily given over to their restaurant, which serves up some of Brisbane’s best food. We’ll perhaps go back there another time to properly review the dining experience, but one thing I can say for certain is that you simply must catch their Sensual Sundays on the downstairs balcony. Between 3pm-5:30pm, $10 will get you either a grain-fed sirloin steak or a seafood plate and $15 will get you the reef and beef, complete with delicious sides. Throw in a few cocktails in the bar afterwards and it’s the perfect way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon - and not a bad way to spend a date, either.

With space to hold your function both upstairs and down, Jade Buddha is also a great place to hold your next work do or birthday party. They have a reasonably priced platter menu, which is comprehensive enough to ensure everyone can enjoy something from their deliccious range - just watch out for people trying to pinch from your platter as they walk past!

Having a cocktail at Jade Buddha is a complete sensory experience.

One criticism I have heard of Jade Buddha is that it can be a little expensive and yes, the prices are a little on the expensive side, with cocktails kicking off at around $17. But, I’m never one to complain about price when I’m getting quality in exchange and Jade Buddha is all about quality. With a few classics on the menu, as well as some of their own in-house concoctions, their cocktail menu has obviously been designed by a professional mixologist and while the beautiful presentation of these drinks will capture your eyes’ attention, the flavours will make your tastebuds dance. Combined with the other sights and sounds, having a cocktail at Jade Buddha is a complete sensory experience.

So next time you and the lads (or gals) from the office are looking for a good place to kick off your weekend, I highly recommend you check out Jade Buddha. I’ve been there numerous times over the last year and every time has resulted in a great weekend.

- Ross