The End Bar

The End is a buzzy little bar in West End. There’s always a decent crowd there and something interesting going on. They’ve got some boutique beers that are exclusive to the venue, with favourites being the affordable and refreshing Rainbow beer, and the collaboration with local coffee roasters Blackstar which is readily available on tap for those that need a pick me up. On top of the solid beer range, The End also sports an array of cocktails if you’re craving something a little fancier. They don’t have a kitchen but they do have a selection of cheeseboards available, although I’ve never tried one because they seem a bit steep comparable to the other cheaper options around West End.
One of my favourite things about The End is that they’ve always got some great tunes playing. They employ a wide variety of local selectors on the turntables up the back and on any given night you’ll hear a mix of tracks ranging from hip hop, funk, and soul, to punk rock and disco. The vibes are always good and it’s another one of the reasons it’s a great place to stop in or make a night of.
The downsides are all space related — there’s a good amount of seating inside but on a busy night you’ll be hard pressed to get your drink to your seat without some spillage. The unisex restrooms are also small, and can sometimes be a tad on the nose.
Overall, The End is doing it’s duty in championing the West End culture, and alongside nearby bars like Jungle and Archive, it’s a must for anybody cruising around in need of a beverage or four.

Nice walk from the CBD of Brisbane. This was a small packed bar has some very good craft cocktails. The staff and locals were all very nice and I had a good time here. Definately get the espresso martini, it was really well done. Best bar I visited in my 3 city trip through Australia hands down.
The DJ on Saturday night was very good, playing good funky disco and house. That helped push this to 5 stars.

My favorite bar in west end. Love the weekly whiskey on special, always solid. Staff is very friendly and atmosphere is laid back with much of the old memorabilia from the video store that was there before remains to add to eclectic feel. Most importantly– ‘the end vs blackstar mocha stout’ is amazing, if you like this type of beer like I do, give it a try, you will not forget it.

Fridays and Saturdays this place gets too crowded and loud for me (I’m old-​school, I like to be able to have a conversation with my beer). Every other day it is just right: a good medium crowd, everyone seemingly happy, a mix of hipsters and locals (and local hipsters), and good music often spun by a DJ tucked into the back corner. A great place to start or end an evening with friends or a date.
The End is known for its cocktails, and some of these are very good – such as the cucumber concoction whose name I don’t remember, or the hot mulled wine and brandy thingy. I usually stick to beer, and they do well in this department too: their house lager is very drinkable, as is their blackstar coffee stout, and they have a rotating tap of good craft selections. No food, but they let you order in.
(Update: the loudness factor is relative to what one is there for. I’ve been back a few Fridays and near closing time the tiny dance-​floor is packed (it only takes a few bodies to pack it), the DJ is spinning soul and funk, and times are good. Not a time for conversations anyway).

This place is flat out über awesome!
Tucked away at the edge (or end?) of the West End strip, The End Bar is one of those places that you head toward the back of your bar crawl and finish off with a nightcap. It has a decent list of house cocktails and serve your standard fair as well. Japanese whiskey sour ran me around $ 16 so it was about average price for the area.
What’s really cool about The End is the décor. The theme is quite clear: old (80−90s era?) movies. A smattering of old cassette tapes and pictures of old cassette taps dots the walls and the tables. And a film is always being broadcast along the wall.
The End is a strikingly small and narrow bar which means that a trek to the toilet in the back is quite literally ‘a trek.’ However, the 3 times I’ve been to this funky bar, I’ve only run into pleasant people and even more pleasant bartenders. You’re never left waiting for a drink for very long and even when there was a crowd, the bartenders made their way through the queue quite quickly. On top of that, there are always a couple of beers on tap that I have trouble finding elsewhere. One of them always tends to be a chocolate flavored beer that my girlfriend always asks for when we go.
Great place, great environment. Would very much come back again!

Shout out to Alana the bartender (who coincidentally has the same name as my mom, just incase you wanted to know)! She was pretty rad and friendly.
So I had two of the new winter menu drinks frantic romantic and hot buttered rum — both killer. I previously had tried a turkish delight fizz which was pretty awesome (although I somehow have yet to try actual turkish delight so I’m not sure how spot on it was for flavor).
I love the décor/​lighting/​ambiance and I follow on insty and I’m always dying over their cocktail masterpieces. So tempting.
That being said, the first time I went to go here… we walked in, unsure of if they were actually open… if we should just sit down or not and the guy that was working was busy on his laptop with either a customer or someone else that was there and didn’t even acknowledge us… we stood looking around for a minute and I just felt like I was intruding, so we left and went to Sling — which is still my current fav :)

It’s The End. The first bar on Vulture street, really. And the proper start of Small Bar Licenses in Brisbane — which helped us actually gain some cultured drinking rather than just drunk culture. Co-​owned by… ehh you don’t are about any of this — they have tasty beers, stouts, and ciders. Nice cheese plates. It’s quiet enough that you don’t have to yell — but Friday and Saturday evenings are kinda full of people you might want to avoid — but that’s the future of West End, unfortunately. A–

If you’re looking for a nice quiet spot to come have a cocktail, mixed drinks or one of several beers on tap in West End then look no further than The End.
Great service, diverse range of alcohol and when I went there recently they even brought around free tequila shots for everyone in the bar to sample.
Not a huge place so get in early to grab a seat and just sit back and relax.

Friendly service — and even though its a hipster bar (and I love Hipsters!) it feels like everyone is welcome. There is no pretense here. I think the cocktails are well priced — I buy a Lucky No.13 and it’s only $ 14 — its full of rummy espresso goodness.
I love the fit out here — and I’m proud The End has become a West End institution.
My only gripe would be that the music is too loud — but I guess — as they say — if the music is too loud, you’re too old.

Best little bar in West End. It’s a hidden gem. I know the words «hidden gem» is widely used, but it literally is hard to find because of lack of signage, and it’s formerly a little video store. I love the platter available. There is nothing like it around. Some of the tables are made of old wooden doors. Cosy and comfortable place to kick back and have some drinks to finish off the day. Sometimes the simplest things in life are often the best, and coming here at The End is as simple as life can get

You couldn’t be blamed for thinking «The End» is yet another mediocre cocktail lounge; let’s face it, West End is lousy with them and while some (eg: Sling) are quite a treasure, others are pretty average… However, my partner and I called in to check out The End after dinner last night (Sunday) and were pretty much blown away; the place was full of hip, beautiful, arty types who mostly seem to be locals. Most of the folks there were friendly and the atmosphere was relaxed and funky… Music was old school funk and retro — 60’s (think Pulp Fiction soundtrack.) which the DJ may well have bought in his youth… Apparently there are live music offerings on other nights. Décor is carpentry workshop chic… For drinks we passed on the cocktails; my partner opting for a good scotch while I had a dark ale which was on tap (sorry, I’ve forgotten what it was called!); very fruity with coffee overtones… yummy! Could see ourselves spending the odd night here. funky!

I drafted this review a while back so things may have changed — but this was my reaction at the time:
Pretty underwhelmed by the bitters overdose I just got from my cocktail :-(My mate’s cocktail was essentially sugar syrup and mint in a glass. Neither of us could finish our drinks so we ditched them — I don’t think I’ve ever done that before.
Shame: beer would have been a great choice! Looks like they have an OK range and I should have just gone with that.
— Judging by the latest reviews it looks like things may have improved. I hope so — Brisbane could do with some fun smaller cocktail bars.

This review is lacking something that I will amend at a later date and that’s commentary on the wondrous cocktails available at this enviably hip and cool bar in West End. The night I visited I was recovering from THE WORST FLU EVER and wasn’t able to self-​medicate with the cocktails I’d hoped. Winter warmers like a Hot Toddy or a Pimms House Cup (pimms, haymans slow gin, triple sec, capel sounds, mint, cucumber, blackberries and orange) or the Straight Up Sippy Cup will have to wait until next time, because, yes there will be a next time!
Week nights are the time to make the most of The End, I’m told, because this 60 person max bar does get a little sardine-​tin like on the weekend. On the Wednesday evening we made ourselves at home along one of the long bench tables, there was a set of cool cats in the bar but it wasn’t packed — it was just buzzing along doing it’s own thing. Yes, as correctly identified, it is a bit of a hipster hangout, but really we all secretly love it and this bar gives West End something it’s been a lacking — a bar with good speakeasy-​ish atmosphere. And that’s The End, folks, it’s cool, on trend and hip. It doesn’t need accolades to know it’s good. It just is.

Lovely atmosphere. Great staff. And most importantly: really nice wines.

The End released their new winter cocktail menu a week or two ago, and if there’s one thing that makes me giddy with joy, it’s a warm cocktail on a cool winter evening. The «Winter Warmers» section of the menu is short but sweet. Mulled Wine or a Hot Toddy for $ 14, or toasty warm rum (either Hot Buttered or Milk Punch) for $ 15.
With Bacardi Oakheart spiced rum, dark cacao, spiced brown sugar syrup, chocolate bitters and yes, butter, I couldn’t go past the Hot Buttered Rum. I watched the bartender cut off a slab of butter and drop it in the little saucepan used to make each individual drink, and I knew it was going to be an exciting time for me. The drink came served with two marshmallows and half a scotch finger biscuit (snapped lengthways, well done) and a warning — «let it cool for a bit, cos it’s really f*cking hot».
I truly relished our time together on the couch, accompanied by a bun from the Bun Mobile, parked outside for the evening. The marshmallows got absolutely annihilated in the (correctly described) really f*cking hot liquid and I highly recommend dunking the scotch finger.
Knowing Brisbane’s weather, I advise you to get in quickly for a Winter Warmer, because soon enough it’ll be too warm outside again for a hot drink to seem anything but insane.

The End has great potential, sadly my visit ended in me being one hot sticky mess.
I went to The End on a Monday night for a friend’s going away drinks. The first thing that struck me was the size– it is tiny. This bar actually used to be a store (trash video) and you can kind of tell because it is really narrow and long– most bars to do not have this layout as it is impractical. Because of such layout, it was hard to have group conversations and to move from point A to B without having to interrupt conversations/​ask people to move. It was a ridiculously hot night and the place was packed! There was air con but it did nothing.
Having said all of this, I think the main problem is there was too many people for a place this size because I think I could have a very good time at The End on a quiet night. The End would make an excellent more intimate bar– I’m assuming the owners underestimated how popular it would be.
The interior decorating of The End is very appealing, it has that old-​fashioned beer bar feel. I can see why a lot of people want to hang out here as you would instantly feel pretty «hip» as you walk in.
After my first experience at The End, I do not think I will be going there anytime soon (at least not in the summer). Hopefully, the hype will die down and this bar won’t be as popular anymore, then I might visit again.

After Trash Video closed down and I heard along the grapevine that a bar was going to be opened in it’s place, I couldn’t help but think «oh, great. Just what West End needs. ANOTHER trendy hipster bar.» I steered clear for a while, but curiosity always wins in the end.
Yes, The End is indeed, yet another hipster burrow, but it’s not excessive. Where Archive, for example seems to cater towards a younger demographic, let’s say 18– 25, The End seems to be designed toward an older demographic. Lets loosely say 26+.
The End has a rustic elegance about it; the furniture looks to be made from recycled goods, there are route iron caged lightbulbs that hang haphazardly throughout the space, and hanging ferns where there aren’t lightbulbs. The VHS, those token relics of eras past, can be found in shelves around the room. The mural of tapes along the wall pays nice homage to Trash Video and also serves to remind me which age bracket I belong to. Oh, the intimate memories of using VHS come flooding back. Remember pressing rewind, and the whizzing sound the VHS made going all the way to the beginning? Ahh.
Try the Rainbow beer ($ 7) that they get brewed especially for the bar. It’s light and unique. They’ve also got White Rabbit Dark Ale ($ 7) on tap as well as cider. The guys behind the bar aren’t overly friendly, but they get the job done.
I’d leave the 80’s music hipster marathon that happens of a night time, and come here in the twilight hours for a beer or two with friends.

This is The End, beautiful friend the end. Of our elaborate plans, the end… Jim Morrison’s dulcet tones, taken in the context of the current day Brisbane bar scene, have a prophetic ring to them. There’s nothing too elaborate about The End. It’s just a modestly sized rectangular room with a small bar at the front, an assortment of kitschy curios on the walls and a number of bearded staff wearing Acapulco shirts and a wry smiles — nothing new here…
Well, maybe I’m being a little glib. They do offer two bespoke brewed beers on tap. I tried their version of an Indian pale ale (the one with the rainbow decoration on the tap) and found it pleasantly crisp and fruity. I asked the bartender where they had it made and he replied that I was welcome to guess but they were keeping the source confidential. Fair enough; you have to do what you can to cultivate mystery when your venue is plying the same formula as countless other hipster hangouts popping up over town.

You know the hipster culture is at its apex when you can’t throw a stone without hitting
some bearded/​tattooed human in an ironic t-​shirt.
…But the fact remains that hipsters know how to party.
Therefore I’ve come to generally trust their judgement on where the good foodstuffs and dance times are too be had.
The End is one of these aforementioned places.
This is a new bar in West End that has taken over where the almighty TRASH VIDEO once stood.
And really I could not have been more chuffed with this place.
I was terrified that I would one day walk past and the space would be occupied by another ⁷⁄₁₁.
Instead I find handsome men behind the bar and smatterings of Trash Video in the décor
(see the video spines turned into a bookshelf)
The space is intimate but not claustrophobic
and the drinks very reasonably priced.
This is an altogether great venue
from Beginning to the End.