Secret Foodie Hot Spot
When you think of great food spots you might think of Melbourne, Barcelona or Rome, but Brisbane has some amazing food too. Brisbane’s West End, South Bank Precinct and Fortitude Valley are all areas recognised for their delicious food scene. However, there are also a number of other suburbs that make a great secret foodie hot spot.
Clayfield, in my opinion, is one of Brisbane’s best secret foodie hot spot and here’s why.
Clayfield is less than three square kilometres in size, but it is full of foodie delights. It has both good cafes and restaurants and has some great fresh food markets in case you want to cook something up at home.
Here are four places that I believe make Clayfield one of Brisbane best secret foodie hot spots.
Let Minnow Cafe
Image credit: Let Minnow Cafe
This is a cafe I frequent a lot and for good reason. Let Minnow Café comes from a family that shares a love for food and Brisbane. Their meals reflect the Brisbane region: its climate, its farmers and its culture, which is really why I love this place.
They restored the beautiful 100-year-old house, formerly known as the Clayfield Aquarium, hence the name references a fish. Minnow means – a small freshwater Eurasian fish of the carp family, which typically forms large shoals. It has been beautifully restored so that its rich historical character remains and another interesting thing is that they’ve actually used the VJ panels they took off the walls for the table tops.
Food miles are really important to these guys, which is why they source the majority of their fruit and vegetables from a 160km radius of Brisbane. And is also why they have a beehive and herb garden set up in their very own backyard. Can’t get much fresher than that!
Although you’ll find a lot of delicious dishes on their menu, I personally think their barramundi tacos are hard to pass up.
My Mistress
Image credit: My Mistress
This is another amazing Clayfield cafe, that is starting to become a popular breaky spot with the locals. If you’re looking for a great breakfast spot with amazing coffee 7 days a week, this little gem is what you need.
They have a quality menu made-up of tasty all-day breakfast and lunch items. With healthy items like their Amazonia Acai Bowl with seasonal market fruit to more decadent dishes like the french toast with smoked bacon, maple syrup, it certainly has something for everyone.
The Wooden Horse
Image credit: The Wooden Horse
So Let Minnow and My Mistress should have you covered for breaky and lunch, now for the main affair. Right around the corner from Let Minnow Cafe is The Wooden Horse on Junction Road. It is really a secret foodie hot spot in its own right.
This restaurant was created by two brothers who trained as chefs in different corners of Brisbane, have joined forces to make all this possible.
Something that makes this a great foodie spot is that they have a strong focus on using the freshest local produce. They do a great take on a number of classic dishes with a modern twist, which makes up most of their Modern Australian / Mediterranean menu.
It is somewhere you can also take your kids. It’s not the usual affair as they have a number of items that aren’t just junk food focused.
With a drinks list containing quality wines, beer and cocktails it certainly is a great venue to visit for a weekend celebration.
Clayfield Markets
Image credit: Clayfield Markets
Lastly, markets. We all need some groceries, and for fussy foodies, you’ll likely be looking for some better quality produce. This is why I like to visit Clayfield markets when I’m in the area.
Amongst the fresh fruit and vegetables is a great range of deli products like Spanish and Italian meats, as well as fresh antipasto, freshly made gourmet dips, cheeses and more.is
They even have designer ice-cream and chocolates. Yum!
Another great perk is that there is also a butcher and seafood market next door so you can get all your fresh goodies at once.