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Italians were among the earliest European immigrants to arrive in Australia, beginning during the gold rush in the 1850s and continuing into the early 20th century. Post-World War II, Italian immigration surged, with more than one million Australians (over 4% of our population) claiming Italian ancestry by 2021. With our Italian influx came a culinary scene that quickly spread to every major city in the country, including Brisbane, where our first restaurant opened in the 1940s. In the decades since, the comforting, creative cuisine has become an Aussie staple. Today, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn’t love at least one Italian dish. From cheesy calzones to creamy pastas and creatively topped pizzas, these are the Italian restaurants in Brisbane that I turn to when I fancy a flavourful feast at home.
Piccolo Pizza
Small by name, big by flavour: a Brisbane Italian restaurant I’ve been frequenting for more than a decade, Camp Hill’s Piccolo Pizza — sibling to renowned Cinco Bistro — sets a high bar. While the pizzeria’s bases stay true to traditional Italian form, with thin slices and puffy, charred crusts, its toppings stray (in the best possible way). Besides a selection of classic combinations, the Lamb Pizza is a revelation: spiced, marinated meat melds with sweet caramelised onion, yoghurt, and sumac. Seafood lovers shouldn’t skip the Oslo Pizza, with smoked salmon, sour cream, red onion, capers, and basil. My recommendation? Order to share, so you can sample both pizza and pasta from your dining companion’s plate (who, me?). I can’t go past a great tiramisu but I could drink a cup of the cumin caramel served with Piccolo’s apple tart.
Superfly Pizza
Woolloongabba’s Superfly might be tooting its own horn by claiming to make Brisbane’s best pizza, but having tucked into these satisfying slices, I have no cause to object to its vye for the title. Its most popular pie is what you’d expect: a time-won Italian-American combination of tomato sauce, discs of salty pepperoni, creamy mozzarella, parmesan, and a snowfall of basil. Chef’s kiss. The white-based mushroom pizza with truffle is my personal pizza of choice — and it’s worth ordering the simple garlic and cheese pizza for a taste of its mango habanero hot sauce alone. It’s a friendly place for the gluten intolerant and vegan crowds as well. Don’t skip the obligatory side-serve of burrata and, to finish, a plate of cannoli adorned with glace cherries, candied orange, and crushed pistachios.
Arrivederci Pizza Al Metro
Despite its name, you’ll be wanting to say hello to this welcoming pizza restaurant regularly. Founded by the Silvestri family, Arrivederci Pizza in Milton makes some of the city’s finest crispy-based pizzas. But its real claim to fame is that you can buy a metre-long pie — seriously — and focaccia by the 25cm slice. Feed the squad with a supreme pizza that truly lives up to the name, loaded with cheese, salami, veggies, and olives. Vegans will love the Mediterranean, a bready vessel for melty plant-based cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, roasted capsicum, olives, and eggplant. Not to tell you how to live your life, but you do need a litre tub of gelato.
Ciros Italian
Brisbane’s kitchens are somewhat notorious for closing early. Fortunately, there’s a handful of spots open beyond 8 p.m., and Auchenflower’s Ciros is one that has the flames blazing until 9.35 p.m. (to be exact). This lively joint keeps things simple with a familiar range of comforting pastas, abundantly topped pizzas, freshly baked focaccia, and craveable salads. For me, there are few meals more pleasing than traditional Margherita pizza sharing the table with a classic caprese salad, and a slice of garlicky focaccia — which is exactly what I order from Ciros.
SPREAD
Every time that I remember SPREAD exists, I’m annoyed at myself for not ordering from its super appetising menu more often. When the owners of your local pizza shop are the same people behind a cheese-focussed gift and platter service (aptly called Say Cheese), you can rest assured the ingredients piled on your pizza are going to be carefully selected. It was love at first bite for me and the pumpkin and smoked mozzarella arancini. I keep my pizza order simple with a delightful garlic, mozzarella, honey, and rosemary combination, though adding prosciutto is a move I see many carnivores make. Not to betray pizza, but the spaghetti aglio e olio is a perfect meal when the pasta cravings win out. One thing remains the same: I’ll never say no to the jiggly panna cotta with poached seasonal fruits and amaretti. Honestly, neither should you.
La Lupa
West End’s popular Roman-style restaurant is the innovation of husband-and-wife team Andrea Contin and Valentina Vigni. While La Lupa (Italian for she-wolf) is primarily a pizzeria, there’s more to love beyond its Roman pies — from a refreshing radicchio salad with grapes to pan-seared barramundi on cauliflower puree. If you came here for the pie (fair), you don’t want to miss La Lupa’s understated, thin-crust Crudo Pizza. This popular delivery order arrives topped with prosciutto, bitey rocket, and parmesan. And keep your eyes on its weekly specials for creative pies that shake things up.
Trident Cucina & Bar
This one’s worth setting the table for. On buzzy Stanley Street in Woolloongabba, Trident Cucina & Bar offers the full restaurant experience on its takeaway menu — which includes warm olives or crispy-soft arancini to start, sides like truffle mash and sautéed broccolini, and luscious layers of spongy tiramisu to finish the meal right. While its Neapolitan pizza bases are fairly traditional, the combination of toppings rebel. Alongside a few classics, you’ll find a chicken tikka pizza with spiced meat, red onion, and cucumber, and the obligatory Aussie pizza with pineapple, ham, and slices of boiled egg.
Stone & Brew
Stone & Brew is an easy choice for Friday night refreshments, and its 24-hour-fermented pizza dough is the kind you’ll hanker for all week long. As well as its wide-ranging takeaway pizza menu (trust me when I say it’s all killer, no filler), the pillowy, molten cheese-filled calzones are not to be overlooked. I’m all about the umami-rich caramelised onion calzone, but you can choose from sweet chilli chicken, blue cheese, a basil-pesto-filled pouch, and so many more. From the pizza menu, the Spicy Piney Pizza loaded with tingly jalapeños stole my heart.
Pizzeria 1760
You can taste the care that’s poured into the food at Yeronga’s family-run Pizzeria 1760, which runs on a slew of top-notch, carefully sourced ingredients. Pizzeria 1760 is an excellent spot for the bambini, with a kids’ menu that offers so much more than a token plate of nuggets. The lengthy pizza and pasta menus here encompass all the classics alongside a host of originals. Don’t overthink this: the white-based pizza with mozzarella, camembert, roast potato, and rosemary is a no-brainer every time. For dessert, opt for a selection of sweet calzones.
La Gusto Ristorante
When I’m in the mood for real-deal Italian food in Brisbane — the types of dishes so deeply steeped in Italian tradition that even Nonna would give them her nod — La Gusto Ristorante in Rosalie delivers the goods. Hearty yet never overdone, La Gusto’s food sits in the sweet spot between comfort, indulgence, and simplicity. Take, for instance, its Pappardelle al Ragu di Anatra, comprising slow-cooked duck, fresh herbs, a cherry tomato sauce, eggplant, and Parmigiano on thick-cut pasta. Its lobster bisque seafood risotto, packed with prawns, calamari, and clams, is a must order for a taste of il mare.
Fiammetta Pizzeria
Wedged between the patisserie, gelateria, cheesemonger, and burger shops of Wynnum Road in Morningside, this pizza gem is holding its own. Having gained a loyal following of local Italian food fiends, Fiametta often has lines of people queuing outside its shopfront. One remarkable pizza is the shop’s namesake Fiammetta Pizza, topped with mozzarella, porcini mushrooms, bresaola cured beef, candied walnuts, brie, and truffle oil. The traditional lasagna, a sensational stack of rich bolognese ragu, parmesan, and bechamel is a favoured order from the enticing pasta menu. And in case you haven't quite filled your carb quota, the ooey gooey Nutella-filled dessert pizza is only too happy to help.
3 Black Bears
Leaving tradition at the door, 3 Black Bears is Italian food the laidback Brisbanite way: loaded up with the lot. Take the Mega Meat pizza, with ham, pepperoni, chicken, and bacon (though it’s the swirl of hollandaise that really makes it). Better yet, these budget-friendly neighbourhood pizzas are being slung from shops in Tingalpa, Upper Mount Gravatt, Chermside and Fairfield — so you’re never far from pie when the mood strikes.
Il Posto
Although the grub at this Paddington joint is described by its modest team as “homestyle,” I’ve never been able to pull off dishes this beautifully presented nor professionally executed in my own kitchen. To that end, I’ll leave it to the experts at Il Posto, which aptly translates to “the place.” The food here is date-night worthy, from elegant antipasti to transcendent pastas like the slow-cooked Angus beef cheek lasagna, not to mention the sticky fig pudding with caramel sauce for dessert.
Rafaella and Maria’s Italian Food Takeaway
This unfussy hole-in-the-wall in Boondall is serving up all the nostalgic dishes. I’m talking about the spaghetti and meatballs, a classic lasagna, chicken cacciatore, and Neapolitan pizza. If you’re paralysed by choice, the Italian roll — filled with salami, mozzarella, tomato, and eggplant — makes a great last-minute lunch. My advice: order two serves of the sweet apple pie, so you needn’t share it.
La Margherita
The menu at Gumdale’s locally adored neighbourhood Italian restaurant reads like a playlist of Italy’s greatest hits. Packed with flavourful, fresh dishes that serve as a reminder of why I could eat Italian food every day of the week, La Margherita proves that great Italian food exists in the suburbs. To start, buffalo mozzarella-topped bruschetta sets the tone for a delicious path ahead, alongside an antipasto platter of cured meats, cheeses, focaccia, olives, and artichokes. While there’s many tempting pizzas to choose from, the OUR La Margherita 2.0, with juicy cherry tomatoes, is a crowd-pleasing choice. The restaurant also belts out some epic pastas, which include a slow-cooked duck ragu pappardelle, a creamy pumpkin and sausage risotto, and a seafood fettucini. Many customers return for the wood-fired pork belly porchetta covered in smoky scamorza, and I return in pursuit of the sweet Nutella arancini.
La Luna Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria
This unassuming little restaurant in Ormiston delivers big Italian flavours. One of the restaurant’s most sought after meals is its Pollo pizza, with fior di latte, scamorza, free-range chicken, red onion, pancetta, and a tangy balsamic dressing. Other attention thieves are the Lasagna al Forno, the 12-hour cooked, fork-tender osso buco with pappardelle, and a freshly made ricotta and spinach ravioli swathed in a mushroom and cream sauce. I promise you’ll dream of the ricotta-filled Cannoli Siciliani for days to follow.
Vapiano
For years, Vapiano has been a name synonymous with good times and great food in Brisbane. While Vapiano may be a huge chain, it takes particular care to honour its locality by ensuring all of its ingredients are sourced within a 150 km radius of each restaurant. Spinning feel-good classics on its plates, Vapiano serves up everything from creamy carbonara featuring hand-made pasta to a tomato-based, prawn-dappled risotto and a hefty salami pizza. The team also gives a vigorous nod to its Australian customers, with the addition of barbecue chicken and pineapple on its pizzas. Order from its CBD, Carindale and Mount Gravatt sites.
Il Lago Italian Restaurant
Refined yet relaxed, aptly named Il Lago Italian Restaurant overlooks a tranquil lake in the Mango Hill neighbourhood. Befitting its ambient setting is a menu that epitomises the comforting nature and leisurely pursuit that is Italian dining. Apropos of the Italian ethos is Il Lago’s life-affirming, slow-cooked beef cheeks served on a fluffy pile of mash. A flavoursome celebration of spring comes to life on the Primavera Pizza, topped with a bounty of tomato, mozzarella, rocket, prosciutto, and shaved Parmigiano Reggiano. The delicate panna cotta, spiked with vanilla beans and topped with berries, is a total showstopper.
Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers
If you’re overwhelmed by the impressively large range of gnocchi sauces at this beloved joint in the CBD, begin with my time-tested blueprint. An excellent meal from Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers includes a bowl of pillowy nuggets tossed with a wild mushroom and truffle sauce, a side-order of the pear, pine nut, and parm house salad, and a couple of slices of the very important Italian Mopping Bread for leftover sauce slurping. Now, I may be a professional sweet-tooth, but I really do think there are at least two desserts necessary to complete this meal: the lemon-spiked Nonna’s Italian Cake and the ornate chocolate panna cotta with a salted caramel centre.
Bella Julia Restaurant & Pizzeria
Known for its convivial service and true-to-tradition Italian food, family-owned Bella Julia Restaurant & Pizzeria is in demand among Ashgrove neighbours (and those within delivering distance). Its diavola pizza is loved by many, with an enticing combination of mozzarella, hot calabrese salami, olives, and shaved parmesan. Satisfyingly crunchy, Roman-style suppli (somewhere between a croquette and arancini) are the ideal side or starter, and the soul-soothing eggplant parm will help you hit your vegetable quota for the day in delicious style. Then, it’s ciao for now with an order of fried dough balls served with mascarpone chantilly, citrus honey, and a gentle dusting of icing sugar.
