Justin Lane

Iconic Burleigh pizza slinger Justin Lane has come to Brisbane, taking over the historic old Queenslander that Alfred & Constance once called home. If you don’t know them, this long-time Italian institution is a Gold Coast stalwart, with diners coming from far and wide to tuck into their wood-fired pizzas and plentiful cocktails—and now, the Valley is getting a slice of the action. 

Even if you used to be a regular at the old A&C (the original, Damien Griffiths-owned spot that was legendary for its pineapple cocktails), you’ll barely recognise the place now. A mammoth renovation has given the heritage building a new lease on life, with multiple indoor and outdoor dining areas given a modern Queenslander feel. Seating over 250, there’s plenty of choices for where to sit, from long tables in the dining hall-like indoor seating area to outdoor bar tables up on the rooftop terrace. 

On the menu you’ll find plenty of familiar favourites from the Gold Coast venue, including, of course, those wood-fired pizzas. Start with snack plates like fried eggplant chips, Byron Bay burrata and mushroom arancini, before moving on to your choice of pizza or pasta. Much-loved slices include the pork belly with gorgonzola and pear and the pumpkin with spinach, provolone, fior di latte and ricotta salata, but pasta lovers are also spoilt for choice with prawn and goats cheese spaghetti or casareccia puttanesca. 

Now the drinks up at street level are nothing to sneeze at, particularly Justin Lane’s famed passionfruit and chilli Tommy’s Margarita, but if cocktails are your jam, make sure you head down to their secret cocktail and vinyl lounge, With Love. This all-black subterranean bar is pouring creative sips that make use of fire, smoke and interesting spirits, with cocktail menus that look like vinyl covers. 

Image credit: Ranyhyn Laine