Wellington Road Bistro is winning over East Brisbane with humble hospitality and no-frills flavour
A new eatery from a pair of hospitality pros has quietly been cultivating a loyal following over in East Brisbane. With an approachable menu of European-inspired dishes and a laid-back atmosphere, Wellington Road Bistro has become a word-of-mouth favourite among locals. Read on to find out why everyone is whispering about this neighbourhood spot built on humility and heart …
After putting in the hard yards working across Brisbane’s dining scene, Armando Moreno and Charlie Scott were ready to become their own bosses. The couple, both seasoned hospitality veterans, have long yearned for the chance to apply their tastes and ideals to a concept of their own devising.
While the duo already run Spring Hill cafe Sisco (which they took over in 2019), Armando and Charlie’s new East Brisbane restaurant, Wellington Road Bistro, is the duo’s first proper attempt at building a venue from scratch.
Wellington Road Bistro softly opened back in June, electing to endear itself to the local community before loudly proclaiming its arrival to the general public. This choice has helped Wellington Road Bistro to become a word-of-mouth sensation – earning early praise from those tapped into the hospitality scene scuttlebutt.
In addition to Armando and Charlie’s gregarious style of customer service, the eatery’s early buzz can be attributed to the couple’s dedication to serving Euro-tinged fare without artifice – the kind of approachable and easy to understand fare that Armando describes as ‘real food’.
“I think this is forgotten in Brisbane – you go into some places and they try to impress you with these big words,” says Armando. “I have been a chef for 25 years and I sometimes don’t understand what they are trying to sell me. I don’t feel comfortable with it.
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“So when we designed this offering, we wanted the people to read the menu and understand what they’ve ordered – something that you can recognise and order easily. That was my main rule.”
Nestled in the space that previously housed East Brisbane institution Zio Mario’s for close to 50 years, Armando and Charlie’s hands-on renovation has transformed the site into a venue best described as a European bistro wearing Australian clothing.
Boasting a spotted gum bar, timber beams recycled from old Queenslanders and table legs wrought from pieces repurposed from a textile factory, there’s a ruggedness that makes Wellington Road Bistro feel worn-in and comfortable. Coupled with green tiling, hand-applied gold-leaf window signage from Barker Signs, and vintage paintings of Australian landscapes and artworks from local creatives on the walls, the venue exudes character.
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“Everything was selected to remind you of how beautiful this country is, and when it comes to the food, we just use the same idea,” says Armando. “Everyone that comes here brings a little piece of themselves.”
Speaking of food, Armando tells us that while he is using fine-dining techniques to weave together an assortment of European flavours (think Spanish, Italian and French), the seasonal menu is designed to be familiar – just superlative plates executed simply and sold at a reasonable price point.
“When you eat European food now you can easily spend $150 a head,” says Charlie. “We want to keep our prices really nice and casual – people can come in trackie pants or they can get dressed up. That’s like the target we wanted to hit.”
Swing through today and you’ll find bar snacks like barramundi fritters with house tartare and babaganoush with pickled charred capsicum and macadamia crumb, followed by entrees including manchego and asiago cheese souffle served with butter-whipped tomato, hand-cut sirloin tartare, and flash-fried baby squid with house confit-garlic mayo.
These are followed by mains such as poached and pan-seared cauliflower with carrot and sauerkraut remoulade, shallow-fried chicken schnitzel with wild rocket and shaved parmesan, and grilled sirloin with clarified butter and house fries. A list of rotating specials keep things interesting for regulars, who are encouraged to engage with the team and build a relationship.
“It’s so important for me to know your name when you’re dining – I’m trying to be as hospitable as I can,” says Armando. “We actually find that it’s much more engaging for customers. They feel like they can talk to me about the food, which is what I want to hear. They can ask what we have done differently today that we didn’t do yesterday.”
Currently, Wellington Road Bistro’s wine list leans largely towards Italian varieties, but the team intends on introducing more Australian, French and Spanish wines over time. As for cocktails, classics are king – crowdpleasers like Aperol spritzes, negronis, mojitos and espresso martinis are readily available alongside a clutch of beers.
When asked what he thinks is the key to Wellington Road Bistro’s success moving forward, like his food, Armando chooses to keep it simple.
“Humbleness is the key,” he offers. “We just want to know people’s names and be approachable. Come in and give us a chance to show you what we have to offer.”
Wellington Road Bistro is now open to the public – head to The Directory for more information.