Factory 51

Factory 51 sits among a bunch of warehouses and a carpark, in one of Coorparoo’s few remaining heritage buildings. The location is inconspicuous, the name disarmingly self-evident.

The former Laminex factory has been a bar and laneway bistro since mid-2016, complete with chandelier-clad function room, The Workshop, out back. Owner Beau Vedelago wants to give a cellar-door winery experience in the suburbs.

Exposed brick walls, steel beams, concrete floors and green marble bench tops combine to give a polished, industrial look that still manages to feel earthy and inviting. The factory’s original timber floor has been repurposed for a bar wall and bathroom door. The alfresco bistro, a former factory loading zone, comes with a retractable roof to keep things cosy.

There are plenty of wines by the glass to encourage experimentation, and 10 beers on tap, including Killer Sprocket Amber Ale from Melbourne and Tamborine’s Fortitude Drifter Summer Ale.

The Italian-inspired menu is anchored in share plates such as pork shoulder meatballs, housemade gnocchi and charcuterie, but boasts both heartier fare from either the grill and three-tonne pizza oven and a selection of bar nibbles. Lunches have more of a gastropub theme, with burgers, pasta and beer-battered fish and chips.