Merthyr Bowls Club

LOCATION
Ten-minute drive from the city.

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
New Farm is one of the more storied areas of inner-city Brisbane. From home and hunting ground of the local Aboriginal tribespeople to European pastoral land, and a notorious ghetto of motorcycle gangs, this area could tell a yarn or two. In more recent years, the suburb has attracted a large number of eclectic residents and is now a virtual antipasti plate of society, with one of the best and most interesting dining scenes in Brisbane. Merthyr Bowls Club is just one of these interesting joint that’s a little left of centre.

Between the manicured bowling lawns and the sedate Brisbane River lies a seriously good, informal dining destination. A primarily alfresco dining area consists of a long line of shadecloth covering long tables which are perfect for large groups of friends or families. Open early for brunch and relatively late for dinner, the drinks are poured liberally at the bowls club; beer is available in jugs but an ice bucket of six coronas is always a drawcard. The fare is fresh, generous and well cooked, with giant burgers and bowls of beer-battered chips making way for seriously good steak and fish options at night. The service is the usual plastic number on a metal stand, but don’t worry, the food is definitely a cut above your standard club fare. That said, the star attraction is undoubtedly the setting. Watch the joggers bound by and the city cats crossing the river, and notice the timeworn jetties which people still fish from, much like the people from bygone times must have.

Nicholas Wong