Coming Soon: Cucina Regina Is the 160-Seat Italian Restaurant That's Opening at Queen's Wharf

UPDATE, February 22, 2024: The Queen's Wharf precinct is now due to start opening from August 2024.

The list of reasons to look forward to Queen's Wharf just keeps growing. Set to open in April 2024 after almost a decade of talk, development and construction, the new $3.6-billion Brisbane development will feature everything from a sky-high deck 100 metres above the ground to a reimagined Fat Noodle, plus four hotels, a swathe of retailers in a huge new shopping precinct, repurposed heritage buildings, the Neville Bonner Bridge and Brissie's first riverside bikeway cafe.

Also coming to the River City: not only the previously announced Brissie outpost for Cherry, The Star's Sydney and Gold Coast cocktail bars, but also Cucina Regina, a sibling to NSW's Cucina Porto and the Goldie's Cucina Vivo.

While its exact launch date hasn't yet been announced, Cucina Regina will make its home on The Terrace, the riverfront space that'll sit at the end of the Neville Bonner Bridge before visitors get to The Star Brisbane. Like its counterparts elsewhere, the menu is all about Italian food, with a focus on comforting dishes. Woodfired pizzas, homemade pasta and garlic-dotted house-made focaccia will sit among the offerings, as will antipasto, panna cotta and fresh figs in a balsamic reduction — to name just a few options.

Welcoming in 160 diners inside and out, the restaurant will also hero Italian wine and cocktails. For the latter, think: negronis, Limoncello spritzes and amaro sours.

And the vibe: on par with the OG two venues, as part of a chain that started in 2014 with Cucina Vivo down the highway. Warmth and nostalgia are the guiding principles for design studio Tom Mark Henry — and avoiding a cliched Italian look.

"Those who have enjoyed the warmth and welcoming nature of our Italian venues will attest that our Cucina experience gives meaning to the heart of the home. A place where favourites are prepared with the care and precision you would expect when visiting a loved one or a dear friend, transforming the familiar into something special," said Dustin Osuch, The Star Brisbane General Manager Food & Beverage.

"The venue's interiors meld traditional and modern accents inspired by Italian towns and villages, inviting guests through to a dining area patterned with textiles, bold pops of colour, natural textured layers and a curation of local art pieces to create a homely space," noted Design Manager Carla Matias about Cucina Regina.

"Coloured textured glass within the shopfront bathes the space with a golden light, regardless of the weather. While the bar serves as the keystone for the venue, leaning into a neutral palette that speaks to the laidback aesthetic of Brisbane and sets the scene for an effortless transition from day to night."

Cucina Regina will open at Queen's Wharf in the Brisbane CBD in 2024. We'll update you when a specific date is announced — and you can find out further details in the interim via the precinct's website.

Renders: concept images of Cucina Regina for The Star Brisbane.