When you drink a spritz, it might get you dreaming of Italy, the country that gave the world the summery tipple. Sip one of the cocktails at South Brisbane's Como and you'll definitely be thinking about the other side of world. A ten-option spritz menu that themes its sips around different Italian regions — Venice, Rome, Milan, Sicily and Bologna included — will do that.
As its name makes plain, this spot takes inspiration from a specific part of the European country in general: Lake Como. Cue Euro summer vibes all year long and no matter the weather in Brisbane or in Italy, all on Melbourne Street.
Seasonal produce is in the spotlight, with the small bites beginning with oysters, sago chips, crispy polenta with mushroom, pan brioche with raw kangaroo loin, fried calamari and caviar. There's also a selection of cured meats and focaccia, which are recommended to be paired. Or, from the antipasto range, tuck into beetroot tartare and yuzu-marinated swordfish.
Among the pastas, spaghetti champagne lobster stands out, albeit with a hefty price tag to match; pappardelle with wild boar ragu and rigatoni with mussels will also tempt your tastebuds. For mains, porchetta, duck breast and market fish sit alongside two types of wagyu and dry-aged black angus sirloin. And as for dessert, watermelon yoghurt, raspberry sorbet and cheese all feature.
If you can't choose what to eat, two degustation menus are on offer, including one for groups that spans six courses for $110 a head and an eight-dish feast that'll set you back $149 per person.
Pizzas are available for takeaway via the restaurant's Fish Lane entrance all day from Tuesday–Sunday, while Como's bar also operates from open till close six days a week. But for dining in, you'll need to make a date for lunch from 12–2.30pm and dinner from 5.30–9.30pm.
As well as spritzes, Como's drinks selection boasts multiple takes on the negroni, classics on request, non-boozy cocktails and eight pages of wine choices — with Italian, Australian, New Zealand, French, American and Spanish drops all getting their own menu sections.
The mood is refined but laidback, encouraging patrons to while away their visit with their nearest and dearest. You can start at the bar, then settle in at a table. Also, if you let the staff know when you book, Como will cater to your timing if you're heading in before seeing a show somewhere around South Bank.
