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Baz Luhrmann has already partied at this Boundary Street spot, which goes big on giddy signature cocktails, an eclectic wine list and Mediterranean-inspired snacks.
Intermission began almost more as a solution to a problem than an idea for a hospitality venue. For six months the bar space out the front of The West End Electric on West End’s Boundary Street had sat empty.
“It was derelict and we thought, ‘This isn’t a good look to the front of our venue,’” says Scott Maidment. Maidment is director of Strut & Fret, which operates The West End Electric. “So we spoke to the landlord and said, ‘How about we take it on?’”
That might surprise anyone who has already walked into Intermission. Because this feels like a proper hospitality venue, from concept to execution.
Intermission, sure, because you can adjourn out there during a break in a show and delete a martini or two. But Intermission, also, because it sits between Boundary Street and The West End Electric, an interlocutor between the theatre of the stage and the theatre of the city.
“If you visit this city and you’re there for half a day, you want to go and sit on that outside balcony and you see the whole spectrum of Brisbane walk past,” Maidment says. “Posh ladies in their aerobics outfits to tradies on their way to the pub. You get everything there.”
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It’s true. Intermission’s open-air nature places you right in the guts of the West End action. Venue designer James Browne (a regular set designer for Strut & Fret) has made the most of the setup, with a vibrant treatment that catches the eye of passers-by.
Inside it’s a mix of teal, maroon and a striking gold floor that Browne crafted from hundreds of thousands of hand-thrown gold flakes. Wainscoted VJ-boards line the walls and complement the white timber that frames the outside drinking areas. Inside, there’s hardly a centimetre of wall space that hasn’t been turned over to an old theatre poster or painted portrait.
It’s a playful venue that reflects the character of the theatre beyond (which can be accessed by a secret door), without being overcome by it, letting punters engage with it on their terms.
“Our brief to James was that we wanted the whole concept to be, ‘See you at Intermission. Meet you at Intermission. Let’s grab a drink at Intermission,’” Maidment says. “It’s an intermission in your day.
“If you want to have a little break, either at the end of the day or in the afternoon, then you carry on with your day … it’s attached to a theatre but we wanted it to stand on its own. And pretty much all of our guests come in off Boundary Street.”
Drinks are spearheaded by a generous cocktail list that favours flamboyant signatures. There’s the Werther or Not (brown butter bourbon, burnt sugar, butterscotch liqueur, cacao bitters, saline and vanilla), the Choc Top Martini (vanilla vodka, creme de cacao, Malibu, cold brew coffee and cream), and The Saharan (white rum, Malibu, pineapple juice, lime juice, elderflower syrup and egg white).
The wine list is tight but similarly funky, with plenty of rarer varietals and boutique producers present and correct. It’s also relatively easy on the wallet, with most wines outside the champagnes available by the glass.
Elsewhere, there are rotating craft beers on tap and a decent selection of non-alcoholic drinks.
Accompanying the drinks is a Mediterranean influenced snacks menu designed to keep you hanging about for a couple more rounds. Expect oysters; tinned fish of the day served with focaccia; bouqerones and prawn toast; Yarra Valley caviar on potato pave; a lobster roll; and a selection of fancy toasties.
Intermission arrives at a curious time for Brisbane’s independent bar scene – particularly south of the river where both Bosc and Can You Keep a Secret have closed recently. In that sense, it’s a welcome addition to Boundary Street and should have wide appeal – indeed, celebrated Australian director Baz Luhrmann has already partied there.
“I was going to West End when I was at university in the late ’90s and as far back as then people were really worried about gentrification, but I feel the suburb has managed that well,” he says.
“West Village – I feel they’ve done a good job with that precinct, and it adds more density that supports venues like ours. Locals have been really supportive and now we want to get the word out a bit further.”
Open Tue 4pm-10pm, Wed-Thu 4pm-12am, Fri 4pm-1am, Sat 2pm-1am, Sun 2pm-12am
125 Boundary Street, West End
