Last year was a banner year for Italian cuisine in Brisbane, but even amongst the bumper crop of newcomers Rosmarino stood out. Lauren Smith and Andrea Gatti’s sophisticated and intimate eatery wowed diners with elevated eats like culurgiones alla castagne and grilled tri-tip dry aged in white chocolate, as well as its formidable selection of Italian wine. Rosmarino settled in nicely among the upper echelon of Brisbane’s crowded Italian restaurant scene and now, just over a year later, the team is lifting the cloche on Etna – Rosmarino’s pizza and wine-centric sibling. Here, Lauren, Andrea, executive chef Dario Manca and pizzaiolo Marco Piceni are looking to deliver an upscale interpretation of a local pizzeria, swapping paper serviettes for cloth napkins, basic toppings for premium ingredients, a flimsy drink selection for a sommelier-guided wine list and chaotic ambience for something more intimate and elegant. “We just wanted to do something that is a step up from your standard pizzeria,” says Lauren of Etna’s direction. “As with Rosmarino, our hospitality is always the overarching vision – we always want to provide the best service, the best experience. That’s definitely something we want to bring across to Etna.” Where Rosmarino exists as more of an occasion-worthy locale, the team has designed Etna as more of a come-at-able concept – one imbued with elements of its sibling’s high-end nature, but with an offering that’s more approachable and accessible.

Etna sits just around the corner from Rosmarino on the Marshall Street side of the Stewart & Hemmant building, in a slender space slotted in between BROOKI Bakehouse and Keep 15. Archinteriors and ENIXR Built was enlisted to help design and fit-out the 45-seater space, which boasts a palette of dark and earthy colours, plenty of woody textures and leather that pairs perfectly with the exposed brick of the building itself. “Visually we wanted it to be a bit more modern, just to bring across the fun pizzeria aspect,” says Lauren of the aesthetic. “It’s still by Rosmarino and everything we do feels comfortable and warm, so we wanted that to be a big part of it as well. We still wanted something a bit unique, which we get through the building itself.” Entering from the street, guests are greeted by a small seating area and Etna’s bar, which is equipped with fridges and shelves laden with vino and liquor. Moving through the space to the shared courtyard at the rear, one will pass by a strip of leather banquettes and the open-plan kitchen, which is equipped with a pizza-making counter and an impressive Moretti Forni electric pizza oven – the engine that powers Etna’s culinary output.

A pizzeria is only as good as its dough, which is why the team at Etna have spent considerable time honing in on the perfect mix – a six-year-old sourdough starter, wholemeal flour and a 48-hour fermentation process – for its Napoli-style pizza bases. When cooked in the oven, the settings of which can be used to nail the perfect temperature across base plates and ceiling, the pizzas emerge perfectly crisp, with a sensational flavour that extends through to the crust. “Because we work with sourdough and wholemeal flour it’s probably a taste you can’t find at other places,” says Andrea. “We really want to have a pizza where we can enjoy the crust.” Etna will be running a condensed menu for its first week of operation, but after that the full offering will come into play. The offering is headlined by pizza, of course, with four classic options (margherita, mortadella with stracciatella, Napoli and capricciosa with prosciutto cotto) joined by six modern variations and four special options. Staying true to their elevated approach, the special options showcase a creative use of premium ingredients. Stand-out options like the anatrella (Riverine buffalo blue, sliced duck leg, frutta mostarda, parmesan and red wine jus), the cicciona trifolata (fior di latte, mushroom trifolati, parsley, cabbage and speck) and the lamborghini (fior di latte, lardo, scampi, cremant de bourgogne and caviar) are unlike any pizza commonly seen in Brisbane. The menu also includes a stellar list of small plates (fritto misto, Italian ‘Opera’ burrata with truffle honey, sliced to order Galloni 30-month prosciutto crudo and wagyu bresaola), two pasta dishes (pasta allo scoglio and fusilli al pesto) and one main – a 350-g duck cotoletta. As for vino, Andrea has curated an easy-to-navigate list of roughly 140 options for the pizzeria’s bar offering. Etna’s offering is abundant with zippy orange wines, crisp pétillant naturel drops and few wines from the pizzeria’s namesake region, though in the future guests will be able to order a favourite off of Rosmarino’s 400-strong tome of a wine list.

Etna is softly open from tonight, Wednesday September 21, with its full menu launching next week. Head to the Stumble Guide for contact information and booking details.