Mosconi

You see them everywhere in the Valley, New Farm and Newstead. Old “igloo”-style warehouses, once used for wartime (and post-wartime) storage but these days more often home to restaurants, cafes and yoga studios.

One of the best examples is the cosy Mosconi, which draws in punters from across the area with its innovative menu.

Co-owner Daniel Rotolone is a 13-year veteran of the enormously popular Vine Restaurant in New Farm. His Italian-Australian family has always been passionate about food, but Mosconi takes a widescreen approach to its Mediterranean menu, preparing local produce using broader European influences and techniques.

In charge of food is Il Centro veteran Catherine Anders, whose menu is full of clever variations on the classics. There’s fried zucchini flowers filled with risotto, Brisbane Valley quail served with a beetroot gazpacho and gorgonzola dressing, and chargrilled Fremantle octopus served on a cannellini bean puree. Larger plates include a 300-gram sirloin dished up with a taleggio croquette, wild mushrooms and thyme jus, and a Moreton Bay bug ravioli with crustacean oil and saltbush.

The wine list is just as generous, with a lengthy selection that ranges from Europe’s biggest regions to some relatively esoteric Australian producers.

Fairweather Architecture and By Burke Design looked after the fit-out and interior styling, respectively. The warehouse has been completely reimagined into an immaculate modern diner replete with a mezzanine, pistachio-coloured walls with framed countryside scenes, and a curved marble-top bar.