Let’s talk about the mammoth in the room. There’s no escaping that life-sized mascot in the main hall of The Woolly Mammoth Alehouse in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane – even if it is trying hard to hide behind a wall. The prehistoric beast has been custom made for the venue by interior designer Alexander Lotersztain and the Derlot studio, but with 700 sqm to play with there was plenty of room for the mammoth and a whole lot more great stuff too.
Formerly the Mustang Bar, the venue has been renovated and now consists of two distinct venues. Downstairs is the restaurant and alehouse, with the basement location’s lack of natural light plus the use of slate grey and dark wood giving a definite night-time feel. An array of taps gives plenty of scope for hosting craft ales behind an attractively-tiled bar. The prologue to The Empire Strikes Back features on the stairs up to the ground floor – try not to take a header while reading that, especially as you’d have to walk backwards to do so – and up top at The Garden Bar it’s a lighter, more youthful looking function space and play area decked out in jungle motifs and with a fittingly outsized giant Jenga, shuffleboard and Bocce to keep patrons amused.
Photography, Florian Groehn
