PSA: The GPO’s Luxe Restaurant And Speakeasy Bar Finally Has An Open Date
Go postal
By Dinushka Gunasekara | 29th June 2023While snail mail might be on the way out, the Fortitude Valley GPO is bringing itself to the forefront of Brisbane’s dining scene with an extensive $9 million rejuvenation and restoration, transforming the century-old establishment into a multi-venue icon. And now, we finally have an opening date for the long-awaited dining and speakeasy space!
Behind the original 1887 Victorian Italianate facade will be three venues: TAMA, The Gatsby and The Tax Office. TAMA will take centre stage on the ground floor in the form of a contemporary, elevated restaurant, accented with a captivating two-storey atrium, cosy velvet-clad booths, and a mixture of stone, concrete, and timber. Here, produce is king, with the diverse menu leaning on Executive Chef Richard Ousby’s (Quay Sydney, Stokehouse) seasoned relationships with key suppliers to ensure only the best reaches the plate.
From the grass-fed Tomahawk steak cooked over fire in TAMA’s Josper oven to the delicate beetroot salad featuring vegetables from Valley Pride Produce, the fare is grounded by the mantra of excellent flavour and taste. If opulence is on the mind, TAMA’s Parisian-jarred caviar and table-side artisan cheese service is on hand, perfectly complemented by TAMA’s exclusive collection of rare Dom Pérignon cuvées. Can’t wait? You can check out the menu here.
The attention-to-detail at the helm of TAMA means even the smallest addition is crafted in-house to perfection, courtesy of The Story Room – TAMA’s library of house-made pickles, ferments, and sweets, with flavours developed over months that truly can’t be replicated by store bought alternatives. Yep, we’ll take two, thanks.
Ousby will be joined by fellow hospitality heavyweight Alan Hunter (multi award-winning former general manager at OTTO), who will complement the food offering with a beverage list of 1,000 handpicked wines and champagnes stocked in the cellar.
Meanwhile, The Gatsby will serve as the GPO’s upscale bar and lounge on the upper level, fusing modern luxury with legacy architecture in leather accents and velvet made for lazing. Drawing inspiration from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel (duh), the 1920s styled venue takes cues from the building’s heritage, with an impressive beverage selection spanning 50 pages – talk about choice!
From timeless classics to exclusive creations like the tantalising chilli-infused tequila and mango Gasper, The Gatsby invites you in all week from 4pm ’til late to kick back with a tipple in hand, alongside space for a DJ or live saxophonist. In fact, they know you’ll want to come back for more, which is why they house a custom-built vault retrofitted to house unfurnished bottles for guests who want to leave them behind for next time.
TAMA and The Gatsby will open 8 July with bookings now available for TAMA here; The Gatsby is walk-ins only. As for The Tax Office, details are still under wraps but you can expect a striking island bar and lounge area made for mid-week dinners and after-work tipples.
