Brisbane restaurants Archives - Fortitude Valley News

National Pizza Award Win for Italia Lane in Fortitude Valley

Photo Credit: DavidCrisafulliMP/Facebook

Italia Lane has been recognised as Australia’s Best Pizza Restaurant for 2025, with the Fortitude Valley venue receiving the national title at the Restaurant & Catering Awards for Excellence.

National Recognition for Italia Lane

Italia Lane earned two major national honours at the 2025 Restaurant & Catering Awards for Excellence, receiving the Best Pizza Restaurant title and the Casual Dining of the Year award. Earlier in 2025, the venue secured both categories for South East Queensland, reinforcing its standing as a leading modern Italian dining destination.

Italia Lane Fortitude Valley — *Photo Credit: DavidCrisafulliMP/Facebook*

Background and Earlier Achievements

The regional awards earlier in the year established the foundation for Italia Lane’s national recognition. Its South East Queensland wins for Best Casual Dining Restaurant and Best Pizza Restaurant were key milestones contributing to its broader success.

Modern Italian Dining in Fortitude Valley

Italia Lane identifies itself as a modern Italian restaurant combining traditional flavours with contemporary culinary techniques. Executive Chef Rino Avellini, originally from Rome, leads the menu with a focus on refined interpretations of classic Italian dishes.

Fortitude Valley dining — *Photo Credit: DavidCrisafulliMP/Facebook*

Cuisine and Signature Offerings

The restaurant highlights hand-stretched dough as a core element of its pizza, along with additional techniques that remain part of its internal culinary approach. The venue also offers a bottomless brunch featuring unlimited pizza, classic entrées, and selected beverages.

Brisbane restaurants — *Photo Credit: DavidCrisafulliMP/Facebook*

Community Interest and Local Dining Landscape

The national awards contribute to Brisbane’s growing profile within Australia’s dining scene. Interest in Italia Lane continues to centre on its modern Italian style and its position within Fortitude Valley’s hospitality precinct.

Ongoing Direction

With recognition at both regional and national levels in 2025, Italia Lane continues to develop its blend of Italian tradition and contemporary dining, maintaining its role as a prominent venue in Fortitude Valley.

Published 4-Nov-2025

Wendy’s Opens Second Australian Store in Brisbane’s City Centre

Photo Credit: Wendys Burger AU/ Facebook

American fast-food giant Wendy’s has launched its “global-first” immersive flagship restaurant in the Brisbane CBD, a two-level eatery featuring work from local artists.

Dozens of eager fast-food fans lined up on Albert St on Wednesday morning, waiting for the 9 a.m. start of service for one of the world’s largest burger chains. As music began to play, one local resident in the queue could not hold back his excitement, dropping his bags to bust out some breakdancing moves for the delighted crowd. He continued his celebration inside, declaring the new restaurant “fabulous” and a world away from Kansas.

The restaurant, named ‘Haus of Wendy’ as a playful nod to its bold design, is more than just another burger joint. It is a “global-first” for the American company, described as an immersive flagship location. To give it a strong local flavour, the design leans on the work of Brisbane artists.

Located off the Queen Street Mall and overlooking King George Square, the eatery is placed right in the middle of the city’s fast-food hub, near its main rivals. The building features a funky and colourful fit-out with red and blue dominating the decor. It has an open-air ground floor and a large lower level, with space for 130 diners.

Known for its square burger patties, the chain states it uses fresh, not processed, beef and chicken. Some menu items have a local touch, including a cheese sauce made on the Gold Coast and its popular Frosty dessert, which is made from grass-fed dairy. In its first week, the Brisbane restaurant expects to serve three tonnes of Frosty, almost 25,000 beef patties, and about two tonnes of fries.

This is the second Wendy’s to begin service in Australia, following a Surfers Paradise location that started earlier in the year. The Brisbane opening signals the next step in the brand’s ambitious plan to establish 200 restaurants across Australia over the next decade.

Published Date 28-October-2025

Aunty Set to Reimagine Wandoo Street’s Restaurant Scene

Fortitude Valley is set for a fresh addition to its bustling food scene as one of the city’s fastest-growing hospitality groups transforms the former City Winery site on Wandoo Street into a modern Asian restaurant called Aunty.

The project, spearheaded by local restaurateur Michael Tassis and the Tassis Group, brings together new energy and familiar faces to one of the Valley’s most recognisable addresses, with an emphasis on community, quality, and creative Asian-inspired flavours.

A New Chapter for Wandoo Street

The space at 11 Wandoo Street, which most locals know from its days as City Winery and, before that, Campos café, is undergoing a complete makeover. Work is underway to convert the 450-square-metre warehouse into a sophisticated yet welcoming venue, reflecting both the Tassis Group’s trademark style and a respect for Cantonese traditions. The restaurant will feature an indoor and outdoor bar, a wine cellar, and several different dining areas including an open kitchen, private dining room and booth seating.

Chef Salvatore de Ponte, who previously worked at Fatcow, will lead the kitchen. His approach will combine traditional Cantonese techniques with fresh Australian produce and some Italian influences, bringing something new to the area while honouring the rich cultural history of Asian cuisine in Brisbane.

Diners can expect favourites such as Peking duck, handmade dim sum, and a selection of wood-fired dishes, with weekend yum cha planned for those long, relaxed catch-ups that Brisbane locals love.

Aunty on 11 Wandoo St Fortitude Valley — *Photo Credit: DA-A006822067*

Community at the Heart of the Concept

Michael Tassis, known for finding unique locations and turning them into community favourites, has stated that the idea for Aunty came naturally after he saw the space. He recognised a gap in the market for a modern yet approachable Asian restaurant in the James Street and Wandoo precinct.

The vision for Aunty is to offer a dining experience that sits comfortably between casual eateries and high-end options already found in the area, while bringing a fresh sense of hospitality and warmth.

The design is being handled by local firm Clui Designs, who have been tasked with creating a “moody, minimalistic, elevated” environment. Inspiration is drawn from the welcoming feeling of a Cantonese teahouse, but with an edge that reflects the changing face of Fortitude Valley.

Aunty is expected to launch in the latter part of 2025, aiming to build on the evolving reputation of Fortitude Valley as one of Brisbane’s leading food destinations.

Published 31-July-2025