Coming Soon: Bar Gusto Is Bowen Hills' New 190-Seat Restaurant with Big Italian Riviera Vibes

The new additions to King Street just keep coming in 2023, with the Bowen Hills stretch welcoming in crab shack Claw in August, then arcade bar Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq to kick off September. Launching next is Italian Riviera-loving restaurant Bar Gusto, the latest addition to Rydges Fortitude Valley. The 190-seater will join the precinct on Friday, September 15, giving pizza and pasta pride of place on the menu, and putting one of the area's fig trees at the heart of its outdoor space.

Dine outdoors on the terrace here — or drop in for an al fresco drink — and being surrounded by greenery is part of the package. Bar Gusto's deck has been built around the century-old tree, in fact. Indoors, the fitout heroes walnut panelling with antique brass. The vibe that the joint is aiming for: laidback but timeless.

In a place that seats 150 in its main areas, plus 40 in its private dining room, executive Chef Francesco Trucco leads the kitchen — whipping up a menu that goes big on tradition, with family recipes steering his dishes.

"Gusto in my home country means taste, and we know it also means enthusiasm, which is perfect for the venue we've created here. Where I'm from we have an incredible culture around food, everybody can cook — your friends, your mum, your grandma — and at Bar Gusto with each dish, I'm sharing the love from my family with families here in Australia," said Trucco.

Cooked in a Valoriani Vesuvio Igloo pizza oven, the restaurant's slices come in eight varieties, including sausage and taleggio; pancetta atop carbonara paste; a mushroom and ham number made with truffle paste; and a combination of Mooloolaba tiger prawns, caviar and crab meat. If you prefer pasta, black squid linguine is the signature dish, the ravioli comes filled with carbonara sauce and tucking into nonna's meatballs in napoli sauce is an option.

Among the smaller bites, pumpkin and basil arancini, potatoes crocchette with crab and bruschetta sit alongside rosemary olives, fries and those Mooloolaba tiger prawns again, this time in chilli garlic butter. Gusto does grazing boards, too, while panna cotta and tiramisu are the dessert choices.

Whether you're just after a sip or you're pairing your beverage with a meal, the wine list favours Italian and local vino. Prefer a cocktail? They're a big feature. Think: the Gusto Aperitivo (made with Campari, Regal Rogue wild rose, lime juice, grapefruit soda and orange slices), Dolce Colada (Sailor Jerry, banana liqueur, coconut, lemon, pineapple and coconut foam), Bond, Rosemary Bond (Tanqueray, Cinzano Bianco, rosemary syrup, lemon and peach bitters) and Razzmatazz (vodka and Chambord with citrus, vanilla syrup, seat salt and egg whites).

In total, seven types are available for just one person, two more for sharing (including the summery watermelon punch), plus two mocktails as well. And, if you prefer a classic other than Bar Gusto's specials, just ask.

Find Bar Gusto at 601 Gregory Terrace, Bowen Hills from Friday, September 15 — open 11am–9pm Monday–Saturday.