1889 Enoteca

1889 Enoteca has been serving Roman food in Woolloongabba since 2008. Co-owners Dan Clark and Manny Sakellarakis spent two years restoring a heritage-listed rubber works building dating from 1889, which gave the restaurant its name, and fitted it out with marble tabletops and red banquette seating. It sits in the suburb's antiques district on Logan Road.

The menu focuses on classic Roman cooking and has stayed largely consistent over the years. Pork is central to Roman cuisine, and guanciale, cured pork cheek, appears in pasta dishes such as carbonara and gricia. Cacio e pepe was little known in Brisbane when the restaurant opened. One dish has been on the menu since the first day: gnocchi with pork and fennel sausage, parmesan cream and truffle tapenade. Pasta is made by hand, and the menu has stayed largely the same for well over a decade, so dishes people remember from earlier visits are usually still there.

Wine is as important as food. Clark has worked in wine since he was 18, and around 2010 the restaurant switched to an all-Italian list, with an emphasis on the Lazio region around Rome and on rare, artisan producers. Clark says it was the first restaurant in Brisbane to introduce natural wine, and the list has been recognised by the Italian guide Gambero Rosso. Ask for guidance if the names are unfamiliar.

Dinner is served from Tuesday to Sunday, with lunch on Friday, Saturday and Sunday; the restaurant is closed on Mondays. Bookings are taken online. The basement wine cellar is used for private dining and holds up to 40 guests, with food served family-style, which suits celebrations and group tastings. Takeaway is also available for pick-up, ordered online.

1889 Enoteca suits couples, wine lovers and anyone who appreciates traditional Italian cooking without fuss. It is a good choice for a relaxed lunch at the end of the week, when the lunch service runs from Friday to Sunday, and the surrounding antiques district is worth a browse before or after. Clark has said the plan is to stay in the same building for many years to come, and the restaurant has weathered the global financial crisis of 2008, the pandemic and labour shortages since opening.