Pilloni, West End: Brisbane’s appetite for Italian cuisine continues to know no bounds. As the city’s array of Italian-inspired eateries deepened further in 2023, a stunning restaurant in West End’s back streets stood out by showcasing a style of Italian fare Brisbane diners hadn’t really seen before. At Pilloni, Andrea Contin and Valentina Vigni (who also own La Lupa) are making Sardinian cuisine the star. While recognisably Italian, Pilloni’s take on Sardinian-style food relies heavily on a massive fireplace, which lends a charcoal-caressed and flame-licked magic to chunks of charred Fremantle octopus, ember-seared wagyu eye round, slow-roasted lamb neck, Tasmanian lobster and its signature porceddu (spit-roasted Schultz Family Farm suckling pig). There’s also quintessential Sardinian pastas – dumpling-like culurgiones and ribbed malloreddus – as well as a 220-bottle wine list that radiates out from Sardinia to much of coastal Europe. In a year filled with good-looking restaurants, Pilloni absolutely held its own – Alkot Studio and Tonic Projects nailed the fit-out, from the ivory-coloured Sardinian-marble-topped bar and terracotta pendant lights in the Camino, to the 1950s-style cream-and-blue terrazzo and collection of mamuthones – traditional masks worn during an ancient ritual practiced in Mamoiada – in the private dining space. Though it opened early in the year, Pilloni continues to stick out as a bona fide hit.

Bosco, Newstead: Simon Hill knows how to run a great restaurant – he’s been doing it for years as owner of Bar Alto and, before that, Ortiga and Isis Brasserie. At Bosco, his new restaurant located on Austin Street in Newstead, he’s not doing it entirely alone. The cavernous warehouse that Bosco calls home is also partially occupied by Brewbakers, Richard Cotton’s long-running bakery business that has been supplying Simon’s venues for years. They’ve split the space between them and so far it’s been a match made in heaven. The front half, reshaped aesthetically by Nielsen Jenkins and Anna Walk, is where Simon, executive chef Sajith Vengateri and Bosco head chef Mimmo Miceli are serving up dishes inspired by Europe’s olive oil regions – think the coastal portions of Spain, France and Italy. Bosco’s imposing custom-made open-fire oven (a one-of-a-kind marvel made locally by the master ironsmiths at Ember Industries) is being used to cook whole mud crabs, heritage pork tomahawks, half Darling Downs chicken with vadouvan jus gras, and Basque-style black onyx rib ‘el txuleton’. Plus, with a Brewbakers close at hand, Bosco’s menu is a carb-craver’s delight, with airy cuts of ‘brew bread’ with Bosco butter and oven-baked gilda flat breads also featuring. Even tucked away beyond the glitz of Fortitude Valley and James Street, Bosco shines.

Pneuma, Brisbane City: When word emerged that lauded chefs Dan Arnold and Matt Blackwell were teaming up to open a restaurant in a light-filled space above George Street (previously home to Greenglass), we immediately penciled it in for a spot on this list. Thankfully, Pneuma – the duo’s imaginative inner-city restaurant – lived up to our lofty expectations. Matt, who helms the kitchen on a day-to-day basis, side-stepped the strictures of fine dining with a cuisine-agnostic menu. Dishes like corned ox tongue with tomato kasundi, pickled mustard seed and curry leaf, roasted monkfish tail, smoked-onion and mussel beurre blanc, and wagyu beef cheek, caramelised onion, green peppercorn and bone marrow boast shades of Matt’s heralded work as head chef at GOMA Restaurant, but expect the offering to evolve next year. On the drinks front, Dan leveraged his connections as owner of Restaurant Dan Arnold and La Cache à Vín to amass a wine list showcasing stellar drops from smaller producers. If you want to see what happens when two like-minded maestros collab, make a booking at Pneuma.

Short Grain by Martin Boetz, Fortitude Valley: This year saw some big names make forays into the Southeast Queensland dining scene. While some heavyweights added Brisbane outposts to their established interstate portfolios, renowned chef Martin Boetz – famed for his stints at the helm of Longrain Sydney and Melbourne – has based himself in Brisbane permanently. His bright and casual eatery Short Grain, which opened in Fortitude Valley in September, sees the Brisbane-born chef showcasing his knack for Thai and South Asian-inspired cooking. Short Grain’s debut menu, which is kind of like a best-of list of Martin’s dishes, is stacked with his greatest hits – salt-and-pepper cuttlefish with sweet soy and lemon, crab with sweet pork, green papaya and betel leaves, yellow curry with Five Founders grass-fed beef, kipflers and cucumber relish, and fried whole market fish with caramelised turmeric, pineapple and fried basil. In addition to giving locals the chance to try Martin’s food, Short Grain’s growing retail offering, which will eventually include yellow-bean soy dressing, soy mirin dressings, chilli jams and cook-at-home curry pastes, is great for those that want to cook a little bit like the widely praised chef, too.

Settimo, Brisbane City: With Settimo, Guy Grossi’s first-ever Brisbane-based venture, the culinary giant has written a love letter to the Amalfi Coast. The hospo legend – the mastermind behind Melbourne institutions Grossi Florentino, Ombra Salumi Bar and Arlechin – has drawn influence from the coastal region of Campania on the Italian peninsula’s southwest stretch, funnelling it into a ravishing 150-seater restaurant at the heart of The Westin. The Mills Gorman Architects-designed interior, with its texture-heavy materiality (think terrazzo, split face and Fibonacci stone, custom-designed terracotta and ceramic tiles, flax linen, rattan and splashes of blue and lemon yellow – the colours of Amalfi) and flowing layout have made for an incredibly fetching dinner setting. Alongside head chef Alessandro Pizzolato, Guy has crafted a menu that stretches from assaggini and antipasti to house-made pasta dishes, and seafood and protein mains. Songs should be written about Settimo’s scialatielli all’Amalfitana, impepata di cozze (steamed mussels with pepper) and heavenly tiramisu. And proper kudos should also be given to sommelier Deniz Hardman’s wine list, which mixes up old- and new-world wines, with Italian vino (particularly Taurasi wines – a red variety made from the agliancio grape native to Campania) the deserving focal point.

Establishment 203, Fortitude Valley: Backed by a nationally renowned beef and cattle company, equipped with a Michelin-level cooking suite, and helmed by a seasoned chef with some big-time bona fides, the opening of Establishment 203 was always going to be a big deal. With such a blue-chip pedigree, this restaurant shouldered some weighty expectations. If Establishment 203’s inclusion in this list means anything, it’s that so far the team behind the swish Italian-inspired Fortitude Valley steak restaurant is handling the pressure incredibly. But what else would you expect when the crew declares it’s gunning for a place among the top 100 steak restaurants in the world? The restaurant looks the part, with polished timber floorboards, a colourful mosaic of pink and terracotta tiles, fluted marble, mirrored surfaces, cushy booths and banks of blush-hued banquettes. And on the plate? Executive chef Ben O’Donoghue is making the most of the opportunity to work within Stanbroke’s vertically integrated operation, offering 11 cuts from wagyu flat-irons to dry-aged Angus tomahawks. Throw some homemade pastas (like the classic spaghetti alle vongole and tonnarelli with wagyu sirloin bolognese) and a wine list of predominantly Italian drops, and Establishment 203 has all bases covered for a dash to the top of Brisbane’s dining scene.

The Wolf, Brisbane City: This restaurant, one of the best-looking eateries we’ve seen in recent memory, was one of 2023’s best-kept secrets. Shielded behind a chic Euro-inspired delicatessen, The Wolf’s Melissa Collison Design Studio-envisioned mid-century aesthetic is a sense-enlivening mix of colour and texture. With vivid tones of paprika and saffron, cream and burgundy tiles and terrazzo, velvet-lined chairs and corduroy-encased banquettes, pendant lights, warm timber parquet floors, and original artworks, The Wolf looks every inch a fine-dining restaurant you’d find in Europe. Detail-oriented head chef Wesley Marshall has ensured the menu matches the interiors in quality, plating up dishes like sea-scallop saltimbocca with pancetta foam, duck-liver parfait with bitter kumquat chutney, gnocchi with braised beef cheek, and steak au poivre with Queensland black pepper. Meanwhile, The Wolf’s general manager Eric Dessilas’ thoughtful wine list is big diversity, with champagne from Krug and Dom Perignon featuring alongside Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Rhone Valley, barolos from Piedmont, Argentinian malbec and Barossa shiraz. The Wolf started life as a secret, but it’s no longer one now. That’s okay, though – it would be a crime to hide a restaurant like this from the world.

TAMA, Fortitude Valley: Of 2023’s splashiest openings, the refurbishment and relaunch of the The GPO was one of the most lavish endeavours. Artesian Hospitality’s $9-million restoration of the Fortitude Valley icon not only saw the creation of upscale cocktail and whisky bar The Gatsby and corner bar and nightclub The Tax Office, but also TAMA – a gorgeously appointed two-level, 120-seat restaurant. Melding the building’s heritage fixtures with soft furnishings, stone and marble flooring, and opulent custom chandeliers, TAMA looks every bit the part of a high-end restaurant. More importantly, it’s operated by high-end talent. Executive chef Richard Ousby is using an imported Josper charcoal oven to cook the restaurant’s array of sea and land-born morsels – Berkshire pork belly, deboned whole coral trout, Tasmanian lobster, organic lamb loin and a show-stopping 2-kilo Angus tomahawk. Meanwhile, director of venue operations Alan Hunter oversees a mammoth wine list featuring 1700 bottles (housed inside a 136-year-old vault, now a cellar), plucking cult Australian brands and splashy labels for TAMA guests to savour.

Bar Rosa, South Brisbane: When Bar Rosa’s owners Cordell Khoury, Paolo Biscaro, Aleks Dzajkovski, Anthony Nicastro and Stefan Angelovski gamely stepped up to take over the old Gauge space near Fish Lane, they didn’t do so with the intent of maintaining the departed restaurant’s vaunted style of fine dining. Instead, the gang figured what the area really needed most was something more accessible – especially when their beloved pizzeria Julius is slammed with custom nightly. Bar Rosa isn’t a full-blown eatery. It isn’t a wine bar, either (though there’s loads of vino on hand). It’s fun mix of both – a chic pre- or post-show haunt where tables quickly fill with classic stuzzichini like pizza fritta with oozy globes of burrata, hearty veal and pork polpette, and fried zucchini flowers.

Perspective Dining, Fortitude Valley: At Perspective Dining, guests enjoy food through the unique creative lens of head chef Andrew McCrea. While just about every chef puts their signature stamp on the food they create, Andrew’s approach is more unique than others. Why? Well, he’s legally blind, for one. With only six-percent vision, Andrew’s approach to cooking is shaped by more than just his palate – it is contoured by his distinct worldview, emotions and ability to draw inspiration from intangible sources. Therefore, the food plated up at Andrew’s intimate 12-seater restaurant is a literal extension of Andrew’s perspective. Perspective Dining’s tasting menus are a multi-sensory traversal through the chef’s brain, with a non-conformist subversion of the classic French culinary teachings resulting in curiously named – and artfully plated – dishes such as Old carrot new carrot (pickle, carrot milk and scratching), and Fungi and seaweed (translucent preserve, ancient lime and yam). If we handed out individual awards for displays of culinary ingenuity, Perspective Dining would have the top prize sewn up.

Komeyui, Spring Hill: The year started on a high note with the arrival of lauded Japanese-inspired restaurant Komeyui. Founded in Melbourne in 2011 by Hokkaido-born chef Motomu ‘Kuma’ Kumano, Komeyui has earned a rep for blurring the relationship between art and food. It’s no different at its Brisbane outpost. Komeyui’s Baenziger Coles-designed Spring Hill space feels like a gallery. Its chic black-and-white colour scheme (boasting torched-timber, grey stone and black cabinetry) highlights the restaurant’s centrepiece – a 12-m-long blonde-timber sushi counter where guests can enjoy Komeyui’s signature omakase service and kaiseki menus. Here, Komeyui’s chefs deliver a suite of imaginative and artfully presented plates of gorgonzola chawanmushi with honeycomb, crystal prawn spring rolls with paprika, squid-ink ice-cream and a premium nigiri selection, just to name a few. If you want a meal that resembles high art, this is the place in Brisbane to get it.

Rich & Rare, West End: Steak was big in 2023. For Michael Tassis – perhaps the busiest restaurateur in Brisbane right now – Rich & Rare, his casual cool and contemporary steakhouse at West Village, was devised as a way of making high-end protein more approachable and accessible. Furnished with a glass-encased dry-ageing room and an impressive temperature-controlled wine cellar, Rich & Rare is well equipped to deliver a top-end dining experience if that’s what you seek. But it’s also perfect for an impromptu work lunch or last-minute date-night booking. A 15-strong selection of cuts sourced from Australia and abroad – including 600g dry-aged sirloins and 100-percent full-blood A5 Japanese Black Wagyu – feature alongside bistro staples like steak tartare and steak sandwiches. The $50 nine-course power banquet might be one of the best deals going in Brisbane. Balancing the elevated with the economical is a challenge in this day and age – Rich & Rare walks the tightrope marvellously.

Gerard’s, Fortitude Valley: This one is a bonus. Why? Because, technically speaking, Gerard’s is not a new opening – it’s a reopening. Mid way through 2023, the team behind the esteemed eatery decided to instigate a well-earned makeover. This required the James Street icon to close for an extended period of time, but the wait was well worth it. Gerard’s reopened in November, showing off a jaw-dropping new interior aesthetic crafted by Jared Webb from J.AR OFFICE who, inspired by ancient Levantine temples, curated a scheme boasting rammed-earth walls, steel benches and timber tables. It’s a phenomenal setting in which to dine, with newly appointed executive chef Jimmy Richardson plying his extensive skills and familiarity with the restaurant’s established brand of elevated Middle Eastern fare to create a menu that blends tradition and familial inspirations with modern techniques. Just a nibble of Gerard’s woodfire-licked skewers of Westholme Wagyu karubi plate shawarma, Walkers swordfish mujadara and Brisbane Valley quail mombar is enough to know that Gerard’s hasn’t lost a step. In fact, it might be better than it has ever been.

Mini, Fortitude Valley: Okay, forget it – we’re throwing the rules out of the window. Mini is a pop-up, yes, we get it – it’s here for a good time, not a long time. Regardless, the Happy Boy team’s 40-seat French-bistro-inspired eatery got tongues wagging this year. Head chef Aubrey Courtel dipped into his bag to subvert the cliche that French fare is only ever rich, decadent and expensive. Chinois prawn dumplings in prawn bisque and prawn oil, chicken-liver parfait with preserved cherries, pan-fried fish in brown butter, caper and anchovy sauce, and eye fillet with house jus – it’s all spectacular. As it’s from the same crew behind Snack Man, the wine list is, of course, exceptional. Perhaps the most exciting thing about Mini’s arrival is what it signifies for the year to come. Mini is acting as a taster of sorts for the group’s next major project, Petite – a similarly French-inspired small plates and wine bar that is slated to open in January and could very well top this list in 2024.

Honourable mentions: The hardest part of writing these round-ups is putting a cap on inclusions. This year was a particularly fertile one for top-notch restaurants, so we’d be remiss if we didn’t shout out a few of our other faves. South Brisbane newcomer Como Restaurant captured our eye, fire-powered Hamilton stand-out Flaming & Co. Victory Lane kickstarted a new wave of activity on Racecourse Road, while further down the river the seafood at Fosh at Portside Wharf was a star attraction. Bang-on beef took that mantle over at The Lex in The City and Mexican fare copped a coastal glow up at James Street’s Carmen Tequileria. With the openings of Ippin Japanese Dining at West Village and Fumiki’s Sushi Kappo in Robertson, the ranks of the local Japanese cuisine scene deepened. Innovative arrivals like La De Lah and Da Biuso played around with tradition and setting, sticking out in our minds as two truly singular dining experiences.