Underbelly Craft Beer And Cider Bar

No Longer In Business

Went here last week after work and had a good experience. The barkeep / owner was friendly and knowledgeable (maybe a little too much as some in our group were left a bit bewildered). Still needs a bit more in the way of fit-out but generally very good. The pool table seemed to be a hit. The beer selection is wide; although I found the pricing a bit inconsistent (some prices were way over the amount for the same thing elsewhere; while others were cheaper). Didn’t have any food, so can’t comment on that; although some of the plates going by looked pretty good. Overall, a welcome addition to Brisbane’s CBD.

Now 6 weeks since opening, as told by bartender Jim. Good things are happening here from first impressions. The cbd still remains a desert for good beer places so Underbelly has taken the helm with ease. A modern basement bar that still feels unfinished by way of interior design. A little souless in its early days. Nestled among numerous office blocks it naturally attracts the city worker crowd, and I didn’t see a lively mix of folk on numerous visits which is seriously lacking for a (potentially) decent beer bar. As for beer selection, there’s three regular taps for local Bacchus brewery, and Ipswich based 4 Hearts can also be found on tap. Mikkeller, Renaissance, 4 Pines and others on tap as well. Extensive bottle range of Aussie micros, as well as NZ, US and Euro too. One gripe is that beers are served in really cold glasses stored in the fridge, I let it be known but time will tell if they stop doing that. All things aside, I really hope Brisbanites get behind and support this place. Oh and Jim was hands down the most welcoming and enthusiastic bar person I met in Brissie’s beer establishments, props sir. ### UPDATE### You can take what I said about Underbelly with a grain of salt. After 10 weeks the bar is officially closed. Appears management and licencing problems came to the fore. Probably better sooner rather than later.