Il Verde is the latest restaurant to join the Brisbane Showgrounds’ ever-growing King Street dining precinct. The Italian eatery is comes from the collective minds of Simon Barakat, Dom Barakat and Ibrahim ‘Bob’ Haddad, who are certainly no strangers to the Brisbane restaurant scene. Positioned in a sunny corner spot, Il Verde offers guests a number of places to settle in, from the breezy alfresco dining area to the cushy leather half-circle booths that overlook the open kitchen, luring your tastebuds in.

Il Verde’s (literal) green name is a nod to chef Bob’s commitment to using seasonal sustainably sourced produce when creating each dish. You can start your meal the true Italian way with a cheeky aperitivo, paired with a selection of antipasti such as saffron and fontina arancini or calamari fritti. When it comes to mains, Il Verde doesn’t mess around. Classic Italian dishes of costolette di agnello (lamb cutlets) and bistecca (rib fillet) feature on the menu, but the real heroes are the house-made pasta (there’s gluten-free pasta too, my little gluties!) and wood-fired pizza, created using slow-fermented dough. Think dishes such as orecchiette with Italian sausage, taleggio, cream and pancetta, seafood risotto, and 14 choices bianca- and rossa-based pizzas.

If you’re ready to get your Italian on, head to our Stumble Guide for opening hours and contact details.