Massimo Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Brisbane City

Being a pretty busy day of the year, I had planned ahead and booked a table for two at this Italian Restaurant. Having seen pictures on social media and lots of positive reviews on various websites, we thought we would be in for great experience 👌🏼 . The night started off with an unexpected queing up outside the restaurant 🤔 "Weird?", we thought but proceeded to join the line and wait to be seated. Our seating was booked for 7:30pm, however, we ended up standing outside the venue (along with everyone else) for nearly half an hour, waiting to be let in to be seated. Surely a luxury dining venue could organize/plan better than this? If we wanted to be seated at 8pm, I would have booked for then or if the venue couldn't keep up with pace with the previous intake of customers, a polite call or message to let us know they were running late would have been appreciated (I tried to call the venue while waiting in line to see if they could explain why we were all standing there for so long staring at a seemingly 3/4 vacated restaurant but the phone went straight to a voice message stating too busy to answer) 🤷‍♂️ . Anyhoo, with that side, we were finally in and seated and ready for the night's set menu. We were greeted with our glasses of Champagne and then the first course of Natural Oyster - it was simple, fresh & tasted nice with the accompaniment of the vinaigrette 👍🏼 . Our next course was supposed to the Wagyu Bresaola with toasted focaccia but due to the busy-ness of the evening they brought out the following dish of Kingfish instead of the Bresaola. Had to tell them we hadn't had the Bresaola yet, so they took the Kingfish back and eventually brought out the Bresaola. This had a strong meaty flavor to it, simple but tasted solid 👍🏼 . After that, out Kingfish Carpaccio came out. Thinly sliced Kingfish with a zesty taste served with a slice of crusty bread. Next was the Bug Spaghetti. Deep flavour to the sauce, pasta cooked nicely al dente, the caviar wasn't really strong tasting but with the Moreton Bay bugs, it went well 👍🏼 . Final main meal was the steak. We really liked this one - cooked nicely, still pink/red in the middle and very tender. The mushrooms accompanying the steak were really yummy to! Definitely the best dish of the night! 🥳 . Then the last dish came out - cheese, fruits and a puff pastry & Vanilla custard dessert. Wifey liked the cheeses and I smashed the puff pastry 👌🏼 . All in all the food here was okay, not sure if it lived up to all the wonderful reviews I had previously read. The steak was by far our most liked dish for the evening, maybe a non-Valentine's Day experience would have been different 🤔 . The service was good, in the fact the staff are all very polite and friendly. However, the organisation/managing of the evening just seemed to fall short of expectations for me from what I'd expect of a venue that pride's itself as a luxury dining experience. The fact our table (along with a few others that we observed) was not served certain dishes from a set menu for the evening, seemed to indicate they didn't know which table was served what yet? Also the whole waiting outside to be let in with no explanation or apologies was really unexpected 🤷‍♂️ . Probably an unpopular opinion but I am going to say it was an okay venue, with friendly staff but it was just a let down by the overall managing/organisation of the night. (And no, I didn't voice the concern on the night - as I did not think it would add any value nor improve the situation anyway) 😶 . Anyway, hopefully everyone had a great...

We dined at Massimo on a Sunday evening and had a wonderful dining experience from the moment we entered the venue right through until the time we "rolled" out and can easily say that it was the best dining experience we had during our stay in Brisbane.

We were warmly greeted by the lovely Priti and were taken to our table that was overlooking the Brisbane River and Storey Bridge on a gorgeous Brisbane night. Both Priti and her colleage Abbie looked after us for the evening and were very friendly, attentive while being non-intrusive, were well versed with the menu, offered recommendations and ensured that our drinks were always full. Service-wise, absolutely flawless and really made our night all the more enjoyable.

Ambience-wise, the restaurant was brightly decorated with tasteful decor with a light, vibrant, Mediterranean vibe. You could have through you were sitting at an Italian seaside trattoria. With a gentle breeze on a lovely Brisbane evening and enough of a buzz to know that the restaurant is busy but quiet enough to have an easy conversation it was a really pleasant place to be.

Now foodwise, this place was just wow! For entrees, we started with the sand crab cavatelli with white wine, garlic, lemon and cherry tomatoes and the scallop risotto with nduja, ricotta, evoo and chilli.

The sand crab meat was sweet, very fresh and there were generous portions of meat. The pasta was cooked al dente and the sauce was well balanced in terms of being quite rich but not overpowering the freshness of the crab. The dish was very satisfying, well balanced with flavours and hearty. Presentation-wise the dish looked so cool when it arrived with the big crab shell sitting on top of the pasta.

The scallop risotto was really out of this world and hands down one of the best risottos that we have ever eaten. There were 5 plump, juicy, perfectly chargrilled scallops sitting on top of a generous serve of the most delightfully flavoursome, perfectly cooked risotto that had a very pleasant spicy kick from the chilli. Generously sprinkled with nduja crumb that added an extra flavour dimension to the dish it was for me the standout dish of the evening, which is not to discredit the other dishes as they were all wonderful as well.

For mains, we ordered the pollo alla forno (baked half-chicken glazed with burn onion sauce) and the Massimo veal cutlet with sides of sauteed creamy parmesan peas and spinach and chips with pecorino and truffle aioli.

The chicken was well cooked, very tender, juicy and combined well with the gorgeous burnt onion sauce. For a half chicken, this was really a really generous portion (or it must have been a very big chicken).

The veal cutlet was also very satisfying (and filling) with a huge cut of juicy, thick veal coated in a lovely crunchy parmesan crumb, topped with a rich napolitana sauce and cheese. The sauteed parmesan peas and spinach may not have looked particularly attractive but it was delicious and moreish. Don't judge it until you try it.

For dessert, we forced ourselves to order the limoncello semifreddo and had absolutely no regrets. The dessert was light, sweet (but not too sweet), very delicious and surprisingly refreshing so it was really a wonderful way to complete our evening.

So a very big thank you to Priti, Abbie and the rest of the Massimo team for providing us with our best dining experience while we were in Brisbane. Priti, bless you and we hope that your little one arrives safely in a...

We dined here last night to celebrate a friend’s birthday, and from the moment we walked in, it felt special.

The space itself is stunning. Beautifully styled with spacious tables that give you breathing room and an air of luxury without feeling pretentious. The ambience struck that perfect balance between warm and refined.

Our waitress, CeeCee, was an absolute gem; warm, polite, and impressively knowledgeable about the menu. She made us feel so well looked after. The front-of-house waiter was equally wonderful; kind, joyous, and truly accommodating. When my lemon lime and bitters came out a bit too bitter, he didn’t hesitate. With a smile and no fuss, he whisked it away and brought back a perfectly balanced one in minutes. Throughout the night, he kept checking in and chatting, making us feel welcome and remembered.

The woman I believe to be the front-of-house manager (with short dark hair I could only dream of pulling off) was next level. Attentive, poised, and clearly a powerhouse. You can tell she’s a seasoned professional. Watching her work was like watching a conductor with an orchestra. A woman who can do it all.

Now, the Food. Oh my god, the food. My partner and I started with the zucchini flowers and the house-made focaccia. The zucchini flowers were bursting with creamy cheese and seasoned to perfection. The focaccia was warm, soft, and paired with balsamic and olive oil that made it sing. I could honestly eat it for the rest of my life.

We then shared the two specials of the night: the Beef Ragu and Spaghetti Amatriciana. The Beef Ragu was beautifully slow-cooked - rich, hearty, and hugged by thick noodles that made each bite satisfying and comforting. But the real showstopper? The Spaghetti Amatriciana. With only five ingredients, this dish had no business being that good. It blew me away. If there had been a pot of it on the table, I would’ve needed to be rolled out Violet Beauregarde–style. Chef’s kiss.

Would I change anything? Only one small thing - The women’s restroom. Compared to the perfection of everything else, the facilities felt like an afterthought. As you walk in, there’s a large, rather odd statue surrounded by chairs. It doesn’t add much character or function — it just feels like it’s in the way.

My humble suggestion: swap it for a full-length mirror, maybe add a bench or some stools. A small touch like that would elevate the experience for the women who inevitably spend a little more time freshening up.

Overall though? This restaurant is a dream. The food, the people, the vibe — it’s all here. To become a regular would be an honour. We’ll be back....