The best Italian restaurants in Brisbane are steeped in tradition. They offer the classic combination of carbs, cheese, and a healthy prosciutto and grappa.
Here’s where to find the best Italian restaurants in Brisbane, from red-and-white checkers to pristine white tablecloths.
Teneriffe
Beccofino and its sister Julius from South Brisbane have long attracted Brisbane’s hungry Italophiles. The perfectly tender calamari fruit is on the order agenda, followed by a large portion of duck ragu pasta pappardelle. Enjoy the complete experience with a few Aperol shots or a bottle of their finest red.
1889 Enoteca
1889 is a combination restaurant and wine cellar. It’s the place for intimate dinners, delicious wine lunches, Sunday family meals, and Roman cuisine. The 1889 enoteca has an elegant interior that evokes the Belle Epoque. It offers a delicious, authentic Italian meal paired with exceptional wines. We love the iconic truffle gnocchi and zucchini flowers.
Rosmarino
Rosmarino, a beautiful heritage building, is attracting attention for its outstanding food and an extensive collection of Italian wines, mainly from Etna. You can choose from various Italian dishes, including bar bites, wine in the bar, or a full-blown meal. The crespelle alfredo and slow-cooked rolled lamb belly are must-orders.
Bar Alto
Bar Alto, one of Brisbane’s most well-known restaurants, is a triple threat of style, substance, and location. This Italian restaurant in the Brisbane Powerhouse is the perfect spot for authentic, hearty meals with a touch of escapism. Bar Alto is known for its famous mussels, wood-fired pizzas, and light-as-air-fried zucchini crisps.
Tartufo
Tartufo offers hearty food, charm, and a warm, old-school atmosphere. They use only the best ingredients and products available. The wine list includes more than 200 wines, mainly from Australian vineyards.
Sasso Italian0
This space results from prominent hospitality professionals with years of experience at Ovolo hotels. It’s warm and lively but bold in challenging the norms. You can choose a table either inside or outside, and Sasso offers burrata with egg-filled ravioli, brown butter-stuffed ravioli, whole-grilled seafood, and charred-edge pizzas. Fancy something? Enjoy a Negroni with vintage Campari.
Gemelli Italian
Gemelli Italian’sglam is a split-level space with dark wooden arches and a patterned ceiling. You can enjoy a negroni or some antipasti before ordering pizza or pasta. It’s the slow-cooked oxtail with pork shin, rigatoni, and the Roma pizza with fior di latte, prosciutto de parma, and mozzarella cheese.
La Lupa
La Lupa, a Roman-style pizzeria/cum-modern Italian restaurant that focuses on central Italian cuisine, offers an incredible natural wine list to go with it. Start with seasonal starters such as roasted Roman artichokes and bottarga or burrata with olive crumble, beetroot, and prosciutto. Next, you can move on to the classic pizzas and portions of pasta with some unexpected twists.
Bianca
Are you ready for a salmon-hued tour of the finest Italian flavors? For an unforgettable evening of antipasti and house-made portions of pasta, join James Street’s Bianca for delicious desserts and company. You can choose your adventure from the antipasti menu before moving on to more substantial dishes such as Wagyu bistrocca, whole fish, and chicken Cosetta. Finally, enjoy a soft serve made by the house with flavors like fiordilatte.
OTTO Ristorante
O moved from its CBD to a riverside perch on South Bank. Their open dining space transcends into the food. They serve rich, buttery, rustic Italian dishes instead of more refined and delicate dishes at home in other well-known restaurants. You can also enjoy delicious food without sitting at a formal dinner or lunch. They have a beautiful osteria/bar area serving an excellent Aperol spritz and smaller snacks.
Julius Pizzeria
Julius, located right at Fish Lane’s Grey Street entrance, is the ideal starting point for a tasty night in this new foodie precinct. Julius’s portions of pasta and pizzas, created by Beccofino (the Teneriffe institution), continue a fine tradition. We recommend the Tartufo Pizza as one of Brisbane’s top-rated dishes.
Pilloni
You don’t have to cancel your next trip to Sardinia. Pilloni is located in West End. Pilloni gets its warm and welcoming vibe from Sardinian farm stays (or “agriturismo” if you want to feel more cultured). Pilloni sources all its ingredients directly from the producers and farmers and cooks them over an open fire for a more farm-to-table feel. This spot is also perfect for a date night. So get a friend to help you share a plate of potato-filled curries.
Massimo
Massimo is the best place to enjoy Riverside dining. Amalfi-inspired, the restaurant serves Italian food, including beef tartare and ragu diagonally. You can also order whole marrons or lobsters straight from the tank, which is nice. Don’t worry if all this choice seems overwhelming to you. Massimo also offers banquets and bottomless lunches. You don’t have to choose when you can eat it all.
Popolo
Imagine this: Stunning views across Brisbane River as you eat pizza and pasta in an al fresco restaurant. Popolo sounds great. You can also order tartufata pizza and Moreton Bay bug pasta. It sounds like a great time.
Mosconi
A boutique restaurant Mosconi is a great choice for couples looking for an intimate, unique night out. The restaurant’s Euro-chic interior offers two levels and outdoor dining. Enjoy a glass of wine with one of the many dishes on offer.
Il Molo
The owners of il Molo, which means “The Jetty”, a beautiful restaurant located next to the Bulimba Jetty, are not afraid to use irony. Their menu has many delicious options, including pizzas, portions of pasta, and antipasti. If you are as anxious about making decisions as we are, what if we miss out on the best dish? !–don’t fret. Il Molo offers banquet menus and a “Spritz and Salumi” deal that you and your favorite person can split for afternoon snacks.