Jesse Barbera wants to revive the classic Australian pub.

“When I moved to Brisbane in 2003 I went to places like The Paddo, the Royal Exchange and the Regatta,” the American ex-pat says. “I’ve seen people try to modernise what were really fantastic pubs. Instead of trying to do a modern pub, [we tried to] make Blute’s as classic as possible.”

Barbera, along with co-owners Ben Turbull, Corey Herekiuha, Noah Honeywill, Paul Goddard and Aidan Beiers (who operate under the Happy Horseman group), hired interior designer studio Jumble & Stack and furniture maker Peter Bernoth to create a fit-out reminiscent of a 1980s Australian pub.

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The results were still being finalised in an eleventh-hour rush when Broadsheet visited Friday, but it’s a great space: lots of hardwood (including a stunning timber-top bar), tiles and a small stage, which will be used on Friday and Saturday nights for cover bands.

Blute’s Bar is named after Barbera’s best mate of 30 years, Jon Blute. The pair met at school in Rhode Island in the United States. While Barbera moved to Brisbane and opened a number of live music venues, including The Brightside and Black Bear Lodge, Blute stayed in America to become a partner at a San Francisco law firm.

Unfortunately, Blute can’t make it to tonight’s opening but he will be able to FaceTime on the big screens. “[Blute] can’t come out right now because he’s in a trial,” Barbera says. “But I want to set up some webcams in time for the grand opening party, so he can say hi to everyone.”

The food at Blute’s Bar will come directly from the Lucky Egg kitchen next door. The menu at Blute’s will be the same as the Lucky Egg, with the addition of a few extra items such as chicken and eggplant parmigianas. Barbera hopes to introduce a weekend chicken-and-waffle brunch in the coming months.

Being a classic Australian pub, cocktails aren’t the focus here. Instead, it’s 14 beer taps and an extensive wine list.

“That’s another ode to the Australian pubs of the ’80s,” Barbera says about the cocktails. “If you walked into a pub and ordered something more advanced than a gin Martini, you would get a fucking weird look.”

Blute’s Bar opens tonight.

Blute's Bar
322 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley
No Phone

Hours:
Daily 10am–late

blutesbar.com