Babylon Garden

When Babylon Brisbane opened its doors at the end of December 2022, it didn't just mark the first Sunshine State outpost for the eatery that's been serving up dishes and drinks in Sydney since 2019. It also saw 145 Eagle Street gain the first of two new venues, the second of which has just launched as well: waterfront bar Babylon Garden.

Initially announced back in November, too, Babylon Garden is the 500-person, 645-square-metre outdoor hangout space accompanying Babylon Brisbane's sitdown indoor 120-person setup. So, you can head inside for a restaurant meal with river views, or spend your afternoon or evening right by the water on two tiers of terraces, sipping beverages in the open air.

As with indoors, Babylon Gardens' design is overseen by Brisbane's Hogg and Lamb, the architects behind the Sydney venue. This time, pale bricks are a big feature, plus timber furniture, leather banquettes, and palm trees and plants aplenty.  You'll sit at green marble tabletops at high and low tables, and your drinks come from a ten-metre brass bar.

On the menu amid that greenery, and while soaking in the fresh air: Middle Eastern and East Mediterranean bites and cocktails. The food lineup is a collaboration between Babylon Brisbane's Head Chef Ferdinand Sariin and Babylon Sydney's Head Chef Robert Taylor, with standout options including crispy chicken wings with Baharat spice, harissa and labneh; homemade falafel with tahini sauce, dukkah and lemon; and pumpkin kebabs with coriander, muhammara and Aleppo chilli. For something sweet, there's also assorted baklava, plus three-piece servings of Turkish delight.

Drinks-wise, the range of beers on tap and by the bottle heroes brews from around the world, as does the hefty wine list. With bubbles, the focus unsurprisingly falls heavily on French champagne.

Folks keen on a cocktail will find Middle Eastern-meets-East Mediterranean flavours shining through here, too, as tasted in the Semiramis' Throne (made with Tanqueray Sevilla, mastic liqueur, apricot, lemon, falernum and orange blossom), Devine Levanthyme (limoncello, lemon gin, thyme, sugar and egg white) and Turkish espresso martini (with Turkish coffee and cardamom-infused Metaxa 7, chocolate liqueur, orgeat and cold brew).

Images: Markus Ravik.