Functions & Events · Howard Smith Wharves
Functions and Events on the Brisbane River
A two-storey heritage Cantonese restaurant at Howard Smith Wharves, with five event spaces, Story Bridge views and share-style banquets. From a private lunch to a 310-guest celebration.
Why Stanley
The Setting
Heritage interiors of parquetry, rich fabric and lantern light, with uninterrupted views of the Brisbane River and Story Bridge.
Set in the 1931 Howard Smith building, Stanley pairs the room with Cantonese cooking from Head Chef Louis Tikaram, served to share. One venue for a private lunch or a full-floor gala, with a dedicated events team on every detail.
- Direct Story Bridge and river views from the front deck
- Share-style banquets, served to the table
- One events team from first enquiry to last guest
Great food, friends, fishermen & farmers.
The Spaces
Five Ways to Host
Each space stands on its own or combines with the next. Exclusive-use areas are subject to a minimum catering spend, which our team will confirm with your enquiry.
Front Deck
Runs parallel with the Brisbane River for panoramic Story Bridge views, with retractable awnings and flexible seating for events of any style.
Upper Side Deck
Tucked away from the precinct, combining the upper and lower levels with a private bar, a retractable roof and Story Bridge views. Suits seated dinners and cocktail events.
Downstairs Dining Room
Semi-secluded, with rich furnishings and watercolour murals. For seated banquets, corporate dinners and milestone celebrations.
Stan's Lounge
An upstairs cocktail lounge for exclusive hire, available for a lunch or early-evening sitting, seven days. Intimate and entirely yours.
Exclusive Full Venue Hire
Take over every downstairs area of the heritage waterfront venue for a gala, launch or wedding, with Stan's Lounge running independently upstairs. The whole of Stanley, for one event.
What's Included
Everything Taken Care Of
Cantonese cooking, a serious cellar and a team that runs the day.
Share-Style Banquets
Four banquet menus served to share, from the $65pp Lunch Banquet through Chef Louis' Signature at $128pp to the $250pp Indulgence, all built around premium Queensland seafood.
Two Working Kitchens
Dedicated BBQ and dim sum kitchens mean the menu keeps its quality at volume, from a plated dinner to a flowing cocktail event.
A 400-Bottle Cellar
A curated wine list and full beverage packages, matched to your menu by our sommelier team.
Retractable Awnings & Bars
Retractable awnings and roofing across the decks, plus private bars in select spaces, so the weather is never a concern.
A Dedicated Events Team
One point of contact from first enquiry through to the night itself, coordinating menu, floor plan, timings and styling.
A Landmark Location
Howard Smith Wharves on the CBD riverfront. Easy to reach, hard to forget.
Occasions
For the Occasions That Matter
Corporate Events
Client dinners, product launches, end-of-year parties and board lunches.
Private Celebrations
Milestone birthdays, engagements and anniversaries around a share table, with the river as your backdrop.
Group Dining
Groups from a handful to sixteen can book banquets online, with larger tables arranged through our events team.
The Venue
Heritage on the River
Stanley takes its name from Hong Kong's Stanley Bay and its home from the heritage-listed 1931 Howard Smith building, once the offices of Howard Smith Ltd and the water police.
Head Chef Louis Tikaram returned to Australia after five years leading EP & LP in West Hollywood, bringing Cantonese technique shaped by his Fijian-Chinese heritage and kitchens around the world. Owner Jonathan Barthelmess, also behind Apollo and Greca, built Stanley as Brisbane's answer to the great waterfront dining rooms. Interiors by Fellow Interiors layer parquetry, rich fabrics and lantern light across two levels.
A setting with a story.
Good to Know
Functions FAQ
From intimate groups through to 220 seated or 310 for a standing cocktail event across the full venue. Individual spaces range from 36 seated on the Upper Side Deck to 90 seated and 140 cocktail on the Front Deck. Tell us your numbers and we will match you to the right space.
Share-style banquet menus run from $65 per person for the Lunch Banquet, up to $128 for Chef Louis' Signature and $250 for the Indulgence banquet. Exclusive-use spaces are subject to a minimum catering spend rather than a room-hire fee, which varies by space, day and time. Our events team will confirm the exact figure for your date when you enquire.
Yes. The downstairs dining room and side deck are well suited to client dinners, launches and end-of-year functions, while full venue hire handles larger conferences and galas. Private bars, retractable roofing and a dedicated events contact make it straightforward to run a professional event.
Groups of up to sixteen can book a banquet online without exclusive hire. For larger group dining, or to hold a space exclusively, send an enquiry and our team will arrange the menu and seating with you.
A member of the Stanley events team will be in touch to talk through your date, guest numbers and the spaces that fit, then send menus and confirm the minimum spend. You can also request the full functions and events kit from the enquiry page.
Enquire
Plan Your Event
Tell us the occasion, guest numbers and preferred date. Our events team will come back with the right space and menus.