Next Door Kitchen & Bar

Next Door Kitchen and Bar keeps Brisbane's speakeasy revival kicking along, from the black den like lounge bar with 1920s jazz on loop to a menu where everything is named after something from the prohibition era.

Nestled in the cultural centre end of Little Stanley St, its dark wood tables and chairs spill out onto the pavement for prime people watching and it makes a great place any time of day to pop in for a drink and some delectable tapas.

Drinks start with the house made Hooch, aka mountain dew or white lightning, served in 1 litre bottles to share and with 3 choices of flavours such as Saint Tropez (rose, peach liqueur and soda) or Jersey City Fish House Punch involving dark rum, stones ginger wine, lemon, ginger ale and apple juice.

The cocktail list is divided into Moonshine & Marketplace (with drinks like The real McCoy and Flappers Fizz) and Bootleggers and Baptists. Beer is a mix of craft and standard and the concise list of wines and sparkling wines hail from around the world and come disguised in milk bottles and jars.

On the lighter food menu the Gangster Chicken wings are a standout, followed by the crushed wagyu beef balls while the calamari, dusted in spice and served with baba ghanoush is a taste worth trying. For something more substantial share plates include whiskey beef cheeks with blue cheese polenta and pulled duck leg with sweet corn puree and golden beets and come with sides like truffle parmesan fries.

And don't pass up on dessert if given the opportunity, especially Next Door's version of the 1920's ice-cream sandwich.