Customs House
399 Queen St., Brisbane, Queensland, 4000
Standing proud beside the Brisbane River, Brisbane’s Customs House is a landmark piece of neoclassical architecture, complete with colonnades, portico, and a grand copper dome. Today it serves mainly as an events venue, but you can soak up the atmosphere at the farm-to-table Patina Restaurant or seasonal pop-ups, or view the limited public areas as a walk-in.
The basics
If you’re not feasting on Moreton Bay bugs and similar local fare at Patina, sipping bubbles in the Rosé Garden, or visiting for an event, you’ll most likely admire the Customs House from the outside—thanks to its prime location in the heart of the city, it’s hard to miss. Close to the Story Bridge, Customs House was originally designed to be seen from the water, so Brisbane River cruises provide spectacular views of the double-height portico and the dome. Some Brisbane city walking tours also pass by.
Things to know before you go
A Brisbane landmark, Customs House is a great choice for foodies to enjoy event dining amid modernized Victorian splendor.
If you’re not eating or drinking, allow just 15 minutes to pop into the building, see the public areas, and take in views from the waterfront.
There is wheelchair access to the building from the Riverside Terrace.
How to get there
Customs House sits in the heart of Brisbane, a 5-minute walk upstream of Story Bridge. It’s less than a 10-minute walk from Brisbane Central Station, or you can catch the CityCat ferry to the Riverside Terminal nearby. Paying customers are given discounted parking at Wilson Parking in the Riverside Centre, a 2-minute walk away.
When to get there
Customs House is open Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays and the Christmas and New Year period. Patina Restaurant opens for lunch, dinner, and high tea Tuesday through Sunday, but closes on public holidays, over Easter, and between Christmas and New Year’s; book ahead for a weekend reservation.
On the heritage architecture trail in Brisbane
For all its high-rise modernity, downtown Brisbane boasts a wealth of heritage architecture, including the Treasury Building, first constructed during the 19th century, the neoclassical City Hall, and the Commissariat Store Museum, originally built by convicts in 1828. A little way out of the city, Historic Ormiston House is a splendid 1860s plantation home, considered one of Queensland’s best pieces of colonial architecture.
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