The team behind Lina and Soko has opened a new rooftop destination in The Valley
Named after the seasonal winds that sweep across the Mediterranean, Siroco Rooftop brings a fresh new energy to Fortitude Valley’s dining scene. The 120-seat venue combines coastal-inspired design with a menu of vibrant share plates and a cocktail list made for warm afternoons and balmy evenings. It’s the latest rooftop project from a team that knows a thing or two about elevated hospitality.
Ross Ledingham has a knack for getting his hands on rooftop spaces. The head honcho of Potentia Solutions Leisure has delivered a number of elevated venues since the pandemic, including Lina Rooftop and Soko Rooftop.
He’s certainly got runs on the board as far as executing rooftop venues is concerned. But how does he get his hands on these sites, which are no doubt among the most coveted in all of Brisbane hospitality?
“I think I’m just the first person that people call,” says Ross, with a laugh.
Whatever the secret, Ross and Potentia have no desire to turn down the opportunities as they arise. The group’s latest venture, Siroco Rooftop, is one half of a recent double-header opening in Fortitude Valley. In late May, the group took over the ground-floor and top-level spaces at The Constance Hotel, transforming both venues into distinct yet complementary concepts.
“An agent we have worked with had just settled on the sale of The Constance and he came to us and said the new owners want to meet us,” Ross reveals. “They asked, ‘Do you know anyone that’s a good operator and that does rooftops?’”
You might like
Taking over the top-floor space previously occupied by TABOO (and, before that, Dirty Sultan), Siroco sees the Potentia team replacing the site’s previous tropical-inspired guise with an aesthetic inspired by the windswept terrain of the Mediterranean coastline.
“‘Sirocco’ refers to the wind that crosses the Mediterranean during seasonal changes – in spring and again in autumn,” explains Ross. “It’s now more open – beautiful, light, airy and coastal.”
The 120-seat space leans into a raw aesthetic palette boasting neutral tones, stone tables, textured rendered walls and linen curtains. A new retractable roof has also been installed, ensuring Siroco remains an all-weather destination that embraces its breezy namesake.
Subscribe for updates“We’ve not retained anything but the four walls and the marble-topped bar, which is in the same place,” says Ross. “We’ve opened up upstairs a lot and got rid of the shisha rooms, redone the retractable roof and other bits and pieces. It’s got a very different look.”
With 180-degree sightlines stretching across Fortitude Valley towards The City, Siroco feels very much like an inner-city oasis, removed from the grungy action below. Where Lina evokes the charm of the French Riviera and Soko’s lush Amazonian interiors create a sense of uptempo drama, Siroco channels the heat of high summer in Greece – languid afternoons in the sun that lead into the reprieve of dusk as it settles on the horizon.
Accommodating leisurely lunches, sunset dining and nighttime revelry, Siroco matches the views with a menu that’s designed to be shared and savoured. The fun starts with small plates of spicy tuna on toasted brioche, camaron rojo (Queensland red shrimp), saganaki, wagyu carpaccio, brioche prawn rolls and crispy mortadella skewers.
From there, a tight selection of large plates arrives, featuring grilled tiger prawns bathed in brown butter, pan-seared snapper with red pesto, wagyu picanha with onion-butter sauce, and the Siroco Chicken – a grilled spatchcock served with smoked Aleppo pepper.
Flip the menu over and you’ll find Siroco’s drinks list, headlined by a selection of ten signature cocktails. Highlights include the Salina Spritz (Grey Goose vodka, limoncello, mint, prosecco and soda), the Palma Roja (Bacardi Blanco rum, Campari, Cointreau, orange, raspberry and citrus) and the Costa Clara Margarita (Patrón Silver tequila, Italicus, basil, agave and lime). Eighteen wines are available by the glass, while the beer offering is anchored by Revel Brewing’s core range.
Like Potentia’s other venues, Ross tells us that entertainment and music will also be a big part of the Siroco vibe.
“[Siroco] will have lots of elements, with musicians, DJs, violinists, saxes and so on and so forth, but it will be different to what we currently do elsewhere,” says Ross.
Combined with Euro-inspired all-day destination Bar Lucé on the ground floor, Potentia’s new twofer is offering locals everything from breakfast and scenic lunches to cocktail-fuelled parties and nightcaps.
Siroco Rooftop is open to the public – head to The Directory for more information.
Want to see more stories from InDaily Qld in your Google search results?
- Click here to set InDaily Qld as a preferred source.
- Tick the box next to "InDaily Qld". That's it.