The Officers Mess at 50 Oxlade Drive, New Farm sits on the Brisbane River in a building that dates from 1943, when it served as the US Seventh Fleet’s officers’ club and mess. Today it is a riverside cafe, bar and function venue, with picnic tables near the water, an open lawn and a bakery on site.
From wartime officers’ club to riverside cafe
The US Navy began operating a submarine base at New Farm in April 1942, when the submarine tender USS Griffin and six submarines berthed on the Brisbane River. The US Seventh Fleet was formed under General Douglas MacArthur’s command in February 1943, and the Navy leased the Oxlade Drive land in November 1943 for an officers’ club.
The Brisbane City Council heritage register records the building as the Seventh Fleet’s officers’ club and mess, built by US Navy Seabees from two prefabricated steel igloo-style structures joined by a foyer. The Navy ended its lease in June 1945. After the war the Returned Limbless Sailors and Soldiers Association leased the site, and it became known as the Riverside Ballroom. The building is a Brisbane City local heritage place.
What is on the menu at the Officers Mess
It opened to the public in 2024 after renovations. A 2024 InDaily report listed breakfast dishes including crepes, Croque Monsieur, shakshuka and cured salmon with poached eggs, with snacks from 11am such as prawn rolls, fish tacos, baked camembert, chicken karaage, burgers and cheese plates. The menu may have changed since, so check the venue’s website.
The venue says all food is prepared on the premises using export-quality seafood and meat and A-grade fruit and vegetables. Miche French Bakery is part of the site and serves croissants and other pastries. The venue also hosts wedding breakfasts and corporate dining, with menus ranging from finger food to “groaning board” style buffets.
Practical details for a visit
The venue is dog-friendly and keeps treats on hand for four-legged guests. According to its website, it is open from 7am Wednesday to Sunday and closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Wednesday closes at 9pm, and the site does not give closing times for the other days, so check before you go. The phone number is (07) 3358 6188, and you can see the menu and make enquiries on the Officers Mess website.
Related: New Farm named one of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods
Sources: Officers Mess website; Brisbane City Council heritage register; InDaily, 3 October 2024.
