While reclining on a couch at Bar OTTO, sipping a rosé and snacking on fresh oysters, enjoying eye-popping views of the river and the Story Bridge, take a moment to appreciate how comfortable the space is. Because it took a lot to get here.

Cursed by a temperamental wind that would tunnel through its open fourth-floor terrace, the opening of Bar OTTO – which sits next to OTTO Ristorante at 480 Queen – took almost 12 months longer than initially planned. Reinforced glass buffers and wind breaks had to be added to make sure that only the gentlest breeze now gets through.

“It was some extra work,” says OTTO general manager Graham Ackling. “But now the space is even better than we first envisioned. It’s a place where people can enjoy a semi-outdoor space even in winter, with plenty of heaters, as well as pillows and blankets on the couches.”

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Ackling says that it was important for Bar OTTO to have the same spirit as the restaurant: Italian classics updated to suit local tastes. “We’ll have all the favourite bar snacks, cured meats, antipasto, stuffed zucchini flowers. Then to drink we might have some Australian wines using Italian grape varietals, as well as our imported Italian wines,” he says. “We’ve also got six different beers on tap – one imported from Italy, the rest Australian craft beers.’

Bar OTTO takes what the OTTO Ristorante does best – upmarket Italian food and drinks – and takes all the pressure off. “We’ve always had bars as part of our restaurants, but this is the first opportunity we’ve had to offer a different experience,” Ackling says. “We want people to be able to enjoy the OTTO vibe without committing to a full sit-down dinner, just a casual drink after work – or a full night out, with live music on Thursday and Friday.”

Bar OTTO
Level 4, 480 Queen Street, Brisbane
(07) 3835 2888

Hours
Mon to Wed 3–10pm
Thu to Fri 12–10pm

Ottoristorante.com.au