With the recent announcement of the closure of Will & Flow, a popular overwater bar and restaurant located in Fortitude Valley, a wave of mixed emotions swept through its loyal patrons.
This famous spot has become a place that many people love to visit. In the middle of the sadness, a glimmer of hope appears when the owner, The Star, says he wants to make the area a lively place for events and meetings.
Announced via a heartfelt post on social media, the closure of Will & Flow marks the end of an era for many who have made cherished memories against the backdrop of Brisbane’s skyline. “It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of our closure. Our last day of service will be this Sunday, April 14th,” the venue expressed on Facebook, triggering an outpouring of nostalgia and fond farewells from its loyal clientele.
Daniel Finch, the chief executive of The Star Brisbane, assured patrons that the essence of Will & Flow would endure, albeit in a different form. In a statement brimming with optimism, Finch revealed plans to repurpose the space into a full-time event and function venue, ensuring that the spirit of community and conviviality fostered by the establishment would persist.
Will & Flow has been a place for great food and social events since it opened in November 2020. It has beautiful views of the river and delicious food. Even though the bar was covered in water during Brisbane’s February 2022 floods and had to be closed for five months, the venue kept going, showing that people can be strong in the face of hardship.
Situated beneath the Riverside Expressway and in proximity to the Goodwill Bridge, Will & Flow has been an integral part of the Queen’s Wharf Brisbane precinct, contributing to the area’s rejuvenation and cultural vibrancy.
Its impending closure marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of another, as the space undergoes a metamorphosis into a dynamic event venue, poised to welcome a new wave of revellers and create lasting memories.
Staying in town for the rest of the holidays? Check out these five stellar options for celebrating New Year’s Eve in and around Fortitude Valley.
Whether 2019 has been your best year or the worst one yet, New Year’s Eve, and the promise of new beginnings that it brings, is still an occasion worth celebrating.
If you happen to be staying in town and you still don’t have a NYE event lined up, here is a list of our top picks a Valley celebration you won’t soon forget.
1. Rico Bar and Dining
Photo credit: Rico Bar & Dining/ Facebook
Welcome 2020 with one of the newest dining spots at Eagle Street Pier, Rico Bar and Dining.
Despite being new to the scene, Rico Bar and Dining has already been making a name for itself for its sophisticated (and delicious!) menu and one-of-a-kind indoor/outdoor dining experience.
Whether you’re in for a casual meal or a romantic, sit-down date, Rico is undoubtedly one of your best choices.
“Friendly staff, great service and food was delicious. Located by the River with fantastic views. Would recommend and will be back again.”
“This new restaurant is nothing but PERFECTION. Thank you to your professional staff and house manager who treated us so warmly. Everything we had to eat and drink was delicious, nothing to fault. The views are breathtakingly beautiful and you nailed your decor. I can’t wait to come back and enjoy RICO again. Well done to you all.”
Celebrate New Year’s Eve with flavour at Rico Bar and Dining over a feast of shared plates, Latin-inspired three-course meal, and overflowing drinks at the bar.
Rico’s NYE dinner has two seating times—an a la carte menu from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m., and a three-course set price menu for $110pp at 8:00 p.m.
To book your slot for a sit-down meal or a spot with a view for New Year’s Eve at Rico Bar and Dining, click here.
2. Cloudland
Photo credit: Cloudland/ Facebook
Cloudland’s New Year’s Eve Ball is all about the glitz and glamour. If you’re in the mood to socialise, party, eat, drink, and dance the night away, then this place is for you!
Choose between the the Crystal Garden Soiree ($149pp), Elyx Cocktail Lounge ($199pp), and the “Play Among the Stars” VIP Ball Experience ($199pp), all of which are served with premium food and drinks, plus a jam-pack lineup of entertainment for the entire night.
Cloudland’s Elyx Cocktail Lounge and VIP Ball will also be serving up fresh oysters at the bar and free-flowing champagne and Belvedere Vodka to all its guests.
Get ready to be transported back in time as Baedeker Winer Bar is transformed into a lavish, seductive and secretive 1920s speakeasy for New Year’s Eve.
All guests are invited to dress in their finest 1920s-inspired attire as they are ushered towards the hidden bar and be taken back in time through a night of jazz, cocktails, burlesque, immersive theatre scenes and dancing, and more.
The Baedeker Speakeasy is open for guests who are 18 years old and above only. Admission costs $220pp. To book your ticket, click here.
4. Za Za Ta
Photo credit: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/
Experience Za Za Ta’s soulful blend of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine with a modern twist for New Year’s Eve. This new eatery is having two dinner settings, both of which are specially put together by Za Za Ta’s head chefs Roy Ner and Daria Manca.
First dinner setting costs $109pp. This includes Za Za Ta’s Feasting Menu and a glass of Moet Champagne. Dinner slot for this ticket is from 5:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
Second dinner setting costs $149pp. This includes Za Za Ta’s Feasting Menu and a 3 hour special beverage Package. Dinner slot for this ticket begins 8:30 p.m. onwards.
Visit Za Za Ta’s eventbrite page to secure your seats and for more information about their NYE offerings.
5. Altitude at Foresters
Celebrate New Year’s Eve at one of Brisbane’s most exclusive rooftop bars, Altitude Bar at Foresters.
Photo credit: https://forestersfv.com.au/
From 8:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m. all guests will get to enjoy a 5-hour food and beverage package, this includes an assortment of canapes, a wide selection of beers, wines and cocktails, plus a glass of champagne to clink on by midnight to celebrate the start of the new decade.
For more fun and entertainment, Altitude Bar will also be having groovy beats played by invited DJs under the starry night sky. And as an added bonus for all, the bar has an enviable skyline view that gives all guests an automatic front row view of the fireworks display happening on New Year’s Eve.
Ticket price for this event varies from $48pp to $156pp. Click here to book your spot for Altitude Bar’s NYE celebration.
