In his Travel Playbook, Maxwell shows us what’s brimming underneath Brissie’s quiet demeanour, sharing some of the city’s most underrated creative hangouts.
QUIVR
Bar
5D Winn St, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006![QUIVR](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.prismic.io%2Fexceptionalalien%2Fc025d660-c4d4-4ba7-8b54-535fc2294d20_quivr-maxwell-byrne.jpg%3Fauto%3Dcompress%2Cformat%26rect%3D1125%2C0%2C2250%2C3000%26w%3D900%26h%3D1200&w=1920&q=75)
"QUIVR is a queer-owned DJ booth and school, and they've just become a bar as well. When they opened, it was a little room with decks, and you could hire it out. Then they started giving lessons, and I started teaching production. It's such a great place. Now everyone is DJing, and it's such a large community."
Maxwell BYRNE
Cafe O-Mai
Cafe
15 Cracknell Rd, Annerley QLD 4103![Cafe O-Mai](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.prismic.io%2Fexceptionalalien%2Ff55deef7-4465-4c3c-9847-cb8e677c6712_cafe-o-mai-maxwell-byrne.jpg%3Fauto%3Dcompress%2Cformat%26rect%3D44%2C0%2C992%2C1323%26w%3D900%26h%3D1200&w=1920&q=75)
"Cafe O-Mai is this Vietnamese lunch café owned by a mom and daughter. It's one of those local spots that is always so busy. They're really lovely and remember everyone's name, and the food's really good. I tend to go there if I have someone over at my studio and we do a session — we'll go get bánh mì or a Vietnamese iced coffee."
Maxwell BYRNE
echo & bounce
Record Store
596 Stanley St, Woolloongabba QLD 4101![echo & bounce](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.prismic.io%2Fexceptionalalien%2Fa504b579-2440-4b30-b91d-480113b8520f_echo-and-bounce-maxwell-byrne.jpg%3Fauto%3Dcompress%2Cformat%26rect%3D34%2C0%2C1013%2C1350%26w%3D900%26h%3D1200&w=1920&q=75)
"Echo & bounce is a venue with three different spots in the same building. They also opened a café — you can get a coffee and choose a record, and there's listening booths. It's my favorite place to see shows, because sometimes they'll have all three stages going at the same time, or it'll be like a courtyard block party. Each time you go, it's something different."
Maxwell BYRNE
Coco’s
Grocery Store
310 Ipswich Rd, Annerley QLD 4103![Coco’s](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.prismic.io%2Fexceptionalalien%2Fbf578ff3-91c3-4f94-8f95-6a725aae9d55_cocos-maxwell-byrne.jpeg%3Fauto%3Dcompress%2Cformat%26rect%3D645%2C0%2C711%2C948%26w%3D900%26h%3D1200&w=1920&q=75)
"Coco's is an independent grocery store. It's open 24 hours, which is very rare for Brisbane. They have a very large selection of international food. And they have really good fresh produce that is more locaI. It's a nice place to be on the weekend when all the Coles and Woollies are closed — go to Coco's and get ice cream at midnight."
Maxwell BYRNE
Christian Jacques
Bakery
8 Baildon St, Kangaroo Point QLD 4169![Christian Jacques](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.prismic.io%2Fexceptionalalien%2F067c77bb-fbec-4a4e-864b-2c05176b3e38_christian-jacques-maxwell-byrne.jpeg%3Fauto%3Dcompress%2Cformat%26rect%3D0%2C0%2C3024%2C4032%26w%3D900%26h%3D1200&w=1920&q=75)
"Christian Jacques is a croissant bakery in Kangaroo Point. I love croissants and I've tried almost every place in Brisbane, and this is definitely the best place, by a long shot. There's always a big line underneath the Story Bridge. It's so good. It's some of the best croissants I've ever had."
Maxwell BYRNE