Restaurateur Michael Tassis is fanning the flames of Brisbane’s rapidly evolving, red-hot dining scene. With a host of venues already under his belt, including Longwang, Fatcow on James Street, Yamas and Opa, to name a few, Tassis is expecting to open another four within the next six months across Queen’s Wharf and Kangaroo Point. For now, he’s doubling down and revamping one of the first establishments in his ever-expanding empire, Massimo Restaurant & Bar.
“What better way to celebrate its fifth birthday than to give it a refresh?” says Tassis of the Italian restaurant and bar, which first launched in 2019. “The new look feels quite laidback and inviting, like being on holiday in Italy. La dolce vita means ‘the good life’ and Massimo lives up to that name.”
The European-inspired refurb by Clui Design and Allo Creative is complete with earthy green upholstery, natural timber furnishings, concrete tiling and white linen accents, while the breezy open-air dining room maximises the waterfront views. Perched on the river at Eagle Street, Massimo is set to pave a new, elevated way forward for the Tassis Group.
“The reason I started Massimo is because I’ve always loved Italian food. I’m Greek by nature, Italian by heart,” Tassis tells Gourmet Traveller. “I have close friends who are Italian, and we’ve always played around with Greek food and Italian food as it’s very similar. We call it una faccia, una razza, which means ‘same face, same race’, but I think it also extends to ‘same taste’.”
This spirit is evident through the stripped-back simplicity of the menu, which heroes locally sourced produce, handmade pasta and seafood plucked fresh from the in-house tank. Expect approachable pastas such as pan-seared lasagne, sand crab trenette and ’nduja spaghetti to follow classic antipasti, and inventive snacks with an Italian influence.
“We’ve added a couple of key starters that you don’t usually find in an Italian restaurant, like lasagne bites crumbed with extra mozzarella cheese to make it richer. There’s a traditional Italian dish vitello tonnato, chargrilled octopus with a beetroot pesto underneath, and the cacio e pepe croquettes come with a cheese dip,” he explains.
“It’s nice and simple, but we use the best quality ingredients to maximise the flavour”
— Michael Tassis
The all-day a la carte menu and three banquet options are accompanied by an extensive drinks list. Nearly half of the 140 wines on the menu hail from Italy, with the remainder by Australian and New Zealand producers. For beer, Peroni is on tap along with a pale ale and a lager crafted especially for Massimo by Melbourne Brewing.
Massimo, with its classic combination of great food and waterfront views, lends itself to a number of dining occasions, from a relaxed long lunch to after-work aperitivo or a banquet dinner. “Seeing guests happy, having a great experience and creating memories has always given me joy,” says Tassis.
“Brisbane is becoming a food destination. There’s a good vibe happening here at the moment, and it has a lot to do with new restaurants and dining experiences. The competition keeps me on my toes — it makes me want to elevate myself and do better.”
Massimo
123 Eagle Street, Brisbane 4000