Acciuga

Brisbane’s suburban dining scene is slowly coming into its own, with more and more restaurants and bars opening outside of the city and its surrounding hubs. One such newbie set to have people travelling away from, rather than towards, the inner city is Acciuga, a family-owned modern Italian restaurant hidden away in sleepy Sandgate, just a block back from the water’s edge. 

Run by husband and wife team, Diego and Beatrice, Acciuga is all about soul food—taking simple but high quality ingredients and turning them into comforting but luxurious Italian-inspired dishes that are full of flavour. While the menu can change weekly depending on seasonal ingredients and what fresh seafood they’ve gotten their hands on that week, you can expect an array of both familiar and adventurous dishes to sate your hunger with, as well as a short but sweet list of boutique wines and signature cocktails. 

Start with their signature homemade bread and salted butter (yep, they make the butter in house too), before moving on to intriguing starters like prosciutto with melon and basil gel and grilled leek with focaccia crumble. Like the bread and butter, pastas are all made in house, from the seafood-loaded linguini to the filled pastas like ravioli and tortelli, while mains include the likes of grilled octopus leg with charred cabbage and skirt steak with zucchini and tomato. 

Best of all, those with gluten and dairy intolerances as well as vegans and vegetarians are well catered for, with the team having spent extensive time crafting dishes that are inclusive to all. All of this is served up in a rustic, airy venue with exposed wooden trusses and a vintage chandelier hanging from the roof. Not just for the locals, Acciuga is set to be a destination spot—and we think it's worth the drive.

Image credit: Urban List | Ranyhyn Laine