Naldham House: A Vibrant New Venue in Brisbane’s Historic HeartNaldham House: A Vibrant New Venue in Brisbane’s Historic Heart Introduction Just days before the grand opening, Andrew Baturo, co-owner of DAP & Co, expresses his satisfaction with the preparations for Naldham House, the most ambitious undertaking of his career. The multi-storey venue encompasses Naldham House Brasserie & Terrace on the ground floor, Club Felix on the first floor, and an as-yet-unrevealed concept on the third floor. Naldham House’s History and Transformation Naldham House Brasserie & Terrace is located in a stunning 140-year-old heritage building that once housed the Brisbane Polo Club. After remaining vacant for nine years, DAP & Co was approached by Dexus property firm four years ago to take over the space. The exterior of the building has been preserved, while the interior has been transformed by designer Anna Spiro with vibrant colors, patterns, and textiles. Naldham House Brasserie & Terrace Naldham House Brasserie & Terrace pays homage to grand hotel lobbies and European brasseries. It features outdoor seating and approximately 95 indoor seats around a grand piano. Chef Douglas Keyte serves up dishes like beetroot tart, beef cheek bourguignon pithiviers, and côte de boeuf. The terrace offers a separate menu with items such as chicken skin chips with cod roe and caviar, and a Wagyu cheeseburger. Club Felix Club Felix is a late night supper club on the first floor, open until 2am. With dark blue tones, large sofas, and original woodwork, it exudes an atmospheric ambiance. Sharing dishes include ham and comté toasties, fried whiting sandwich, and caviar and crème fraîche potato pavé fingers. Cocktails include the Cafe Felix and Newton’s Law, and a Coravin system allows guests to sample upscale wines by the glass. Baturo’s Reflections Baturo highlights the challenges and rewards of working with a heritage building like Naldham House. He emphasizes the joy of sharing the building’s beautiful features with the public. Contact Information Naldham House Brasserie & Terrace 33 Felix Street, Brisbane City (07) 3187 7815 Hours Brasserie: Mon to Sat 11:30-15:00, 17:00-22:00 Terrace: Mon to Sat 11:30am–11pm Club Felix: Wed to Sat 5pm–2am www.naldhamhouse.com.au @naldhamhouse
“I feel like this is the calmest, most organized opening I’ve ever done,” says Andrew Baturo, co-owner of DAP & Co, just days before the big reveal of the most ambitious opening of his career.
It’s a bold statement considering the scale of the project: a multi-storey venue with Naldham House Brasserie & Terrace on the ground floor, Club Felix on the first floor and a yet-to-be-announced location on the third floor. But after four years of planning, everything has fallen into place.
“We thought about it for a long time and nothing feels contrived,” he continues. “Everything feels exactly where it should be, which is rare at this stage of opening.”
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On Thursday, DAP & Co (Popolo Italian Kitchen, The Gresham, Walter’s Steakhouse) will open Naldham House on the corner of Mary and Felix Streets. The stunning 140-year-old heritage building, which for 25 years was home to the members-only Brisbane Polo Club, has been vacant for nine years. Four years ago, property firm Dexus approached DAP & Co about taking over the space.
“It was a once-in-two-lifetime opportunity, really,” Baturo says. “You feel like fate had a hand in it. We were at the right stage of our collaboration as a group and we had a lot of heritage experience at that time.”
Now the building has been restored to its former glory. While the exterior of the building remains largely unchanged, the interior by designer Anna Spiro is bursting with vibrant colours, patterns and textiles.
On the ground floor is Naldham House Brasserie & Terrace, inspired by the grand hotel lobbies of the world and European brasseries. There is outdoor seating and approximately 95 seats inside with a mix of table and bench seating, centred around a grand piano.
In the kitchen, chef Douglas Keyte (formerly of Grill Americano in Melbourne) serves starters such as a beetroot tart with goat’s cheese, ricotta and hazelnut, followed by beef cheek bourguignon pithiviers, market fish with lemon butter and capers and a hearty 800g côte de boeuf.
Outside, the 120-seat terrace has its own menu, including chicken skin chips with cod roe and caviar, potato and mortadella croquettes and a Wagyu cheeseburger.
Club Felix, on the first floor, offers a late night supper club experience with cocktails and an extensive champagne menu. Open until 2am, it is atmospheric with dark blue tones and large sofas and original woodwork.
Upstairs, snacks and sharing dishes include ham and comté toasties, a fried whiting sandwich with herb mayonnaise, potato pavé fingers with caviar and crème fraîche, and salted cod and potato croquettes.
For cocktails, order the Cafe Felix (spiced rum, coffee, vanilla syrup, Brookie’s mac cream and grated chocolate) or the Newton’s Law (vodka, apple liqueur, apple juice, citric acid and milk). A Coravin system allows guests to sample premium wines like Krug and Chateau d’Yquem by the glass.
For Baturo, the journey of working with a heritage building like Naldham House has been long but rewarding. “If it was easy, everyone would do it – it takes a long time (with) a lot of delays,” he says. “But the excitement is showing the beautiful features of the building to people who might not otherwise get the chance to see them.”
Naldham House Brasserie & Terrace
33 Felix Street, Brisbane City
(07) 3187 7815
Hours
Brasserie: Mon to Sat 11:30-15:00, 17:00-22:00
Terrace: Mon to Sat 11:30am–11pm
Club Felix: Wed to Sat 5pm–2am
www.naldhamhouse.com.au
@naldhamhouse
