Stanley

Stanley is a Cantonese restaurant on the river at Howard Smith Wharves, opened in 2019 in the heritage-listed former water police headquarters. It seats around 220 people across two levels and three distinct sections, with a casual bar attached to the side, and the interiors by Fellow Interiors use parquetry, rich fabrics, watercolour murals and lanterns. It is led by head chef Louis Tikaram, who draws on his travels and his own roots, and it combines traditional Cantonese flavours with seafood, meat, vegetables and fruit sourced mostly from local suppliers. The restaurant sums up its approach as great food, friends, fishermen and farmers. In 2026 the business opened a second Stanley at Manly Wharf in Sydney.

The setting is part of the draw. Howard Smith Wharves is a heritage-listed 1930s wharf site directly beneath the northern end of the Story Bridge, with cliffs behind and the river in front, and Stanley overlooks the water. Booking a table for the evening lets you see the bridge lit up after dark.

The menu is designed to be shared family-style, as Cantonese meals traditionally are. Order a mix of dishes across seafood, meat and vegetables for the middle of the table rather than individual mains. The best-known dish is a Cantonese-style roast duck prepared over four days of brining, drying and roasting, and the menu also covers barbecued meats, dim sum and noodles, with live mud crab or Moreton Bay bug from the tank. The wine list has run to around 400 bottles.

Stanley suits groups, families and couples celebrating an occasion, and it is a good choice for introducing visitors to the river setting of Howard Smith Wharves. Bookings are taken online through the restaurant's website, and it is wise to reserve ahead for Friday and Saturday evenings.

To reach the precinct, walk along Boundary Street from the eastern side of the CBD, use the on-site car park, or catch a ferry to the Howard Smith Wharves terminal. The Story Bridge Adventure Climb is based in the same precinct, and other venues include Greca, Felons Brewing Co. and several bars, so it is easy to combine dinner with a climb or a drink. Fortitude Valley is a short walk uphill for later in the evening.