If you like your pizzas stone baked and loaded with toppings, your spritzes pretty, and your desserts positively mouthwatering then you’re going to want to venture to Ovello Bar and Kitchen at South Brisbane.
Occupying the restaurant space below Mantra on Grey Street, this new Italian eatery is serving up crowd pleasing cuisine sure to hit the spot with families and foodies alike. Stepping inside is like taking a leisurely trip to the Amalfi Coast, with a lush outside terrace perfect for people watching; cosy, stylish booths inside for intimate dining; and relaxed vibes all round.
With all the hype surrounding the spritz menu at Ovello (it’s the largest in Australia, don’t you know), we have to start there. Despite being tempted by the decadence of The Duchess, I don’t have a spare $299 lying around so I go for one of the reasonably priced concoctions instead. A Dolce Vita for me (marshamallow liquer, vanilla, sparkling moscato, soda and fairy floss) and a Rhubi Ovello for my companion (Rhubi Mistelle, Aperol, prosecco, soda, grapefruit and rosemary). And just LOOK at the Insta-worthy creations that appeared on our table above. Mine was sweet without being cloying and super refreshing.
There are so many delicious-sounding choices on the menu that we decide to get an entree, main and dessert. We may regret this decision later but right now, we throw caution to the wind and order up a storm because we don’t want to go home with FOMO.
For my starter, I choose the burrata with tomato carpaccio, pickled onion and sourdough crumb (because cheese). My dining date goes with the calamari fritti with squid ink mayonnaise and lemon. Both prove to be excellent choices: the smooth, creaminess of the burrata is perfectly offset by the acidity of the carpaccio and the sourdough crumb adds a pleasing texture. The calamari is light and flavourful, and the squid ink addition to the mayo gives it a nice depth.
Then it’s on to mains and my friend can’t resist the temptation of a pizza that boasts a crust made from a 37-year old sourdough mother. He chooses the patate pizza featuring potato, roast garlic, fior di latte, and rosemary with a sprinkling of Murray River salt. I opt for Black Angus Striploin MB3+ with shoestring fries and bearnaise sauce because I am always tempted by a well seared steak with a hearty sauce.
Again, we are both thrilled with how well we’d chosen. The sourdough crust on the pizza adds an oomph to the pizza flavour, with the carb on carb combo of potato on dough pretty much sending me straight to my happy place. (Yeah, you better believe I stole a piece of his pizza.) Meanwhile, my steak is melt-in-your-mouth delicious, with a crisp sear giving way to that buttery soft MB3+ meat within. The bearnaise sauce pairs so well with the saltiness of the meat that I actually close my eyes to have a little moment to myself.
It is at this moment I feel like I may have made a mistake with my ordering as I am full. Like, really full. And I am only halfway through my main meal. Luckily (as everyone knows) we humans are blessed with a savoury stomach and a sweet stomach, and though my savoury tum is well and truly stuffed, I can still muster up some hunger for the sweet stuff. DESSERT TIME.
Though I normally gravitate towards anything chocolate on a menu, I decide to branch out and order the olive oil cake with lemon syrup and burnt vanilla mascarpone. Besides, my guest ordered the hazelnut gelato with nutella ricotta and Ferrero Rocher rubble served in a waffle cone and I am pretty sure that if I am really nice to him, he will give me a taste of his. (Spoiler alert, he does.)
When they arrive, our desserts are almost too pretty to eat; Ovello has really outdone themselves on presentation with these ones. But once I finally get up the courage to crack into this work of art, oh my GOD. The cake is dense, yet somehow still light and fluffy, with the zing of the lemon syrup perfectly balanced by the mascarpone. The delightful inclusion of a raspberry border gives it a refreshing twist and can I please eat this for dessert every night?
We do a bit of a dessert swapsies so we can taste each others’ fare and, yep, can confirm both are very yummy. I really enjoy the different textures in the gelato offering, as well as the tasty surprise of berries all through the cone.
Ovello Bar and Kitchen strikes a really nice balance between traditional crowd favourites and elevated dining. It also sits really comfortably between casual dining and upscale fare in a way that also makes it very accessible for different audiences. Plus it’s yummy. Like, really yummy. Now excuse me while I get someone to roll me out of the restaurant.
Ovello Bar and Kitchen, 161 Grey Street, South Brisbane, (07) 3305 2517
In her spare time, she likes long walks down the makeup aisle and performing in Brisbane theatre. You can follow her adventures on Instagram and TikTok @thebeautypalate.
