Locale

Italian cuisine is all about provenance. And at Locale – a low-lit Italian diner off Hastings Street swaddled in greenery – it runs red-blooded through the offering. Angus beef comes from Darling Downs, local oysters are splashed with limoncello, and olives have been hand-picked from four regions within the long boot.

Antipasti – such as scallop crudo, and Vannella burrata with carrot marmalade, burnt orange and macadamias – will see you through a lively aperitivo at the bar. But then you’d be missing out on the handmade pasta (the squid-ink tagliatelle with Fraser Isle spanner crab is a standout), and that aforementioned beef (marble score 5+) served with parsley puree, Jerusalem artichoke beignet and a red wine reduction.

An Italian-heavy list of 250 wines is scattered with Australian and New Zealand favourites. The theatrical cocktails here are a cut above, with a full suite of Negronis (including a house barrel-aged number) and local spirits by Seabourne Distillery featuring across the board.

Owners Rio and Amanda Capurso transplanted themselves from their previous Hastings Street stalwart, Lindonis, to open Locale in 2013, partnering with Ogilvie Group (Rickys, Aromas, and Wood Fire Grill) in the process. The menu took an elevated twist when Chris Hagan (ex-Long Apron) stepped behind the pass in 2021, showcasing mostly organic produce drawn from the Ogilvie Group’s 250-hectare Maravista Farm in the Noosa hinterland.