Bistro Tino From the Mosconi Team Might Be This Year’s Chicest New Venue

Mark Rotolone wants you to slow down at his new all-day venue, Bistro Tino. After all, there aren’t too many daytime spots in Brisbane with a record player and hand-built Pitt & Giblin speakers. How could you not want to stay a while?

“[People] want this fast-paced life, where we put a playlist on and forget about it,” says Rotolone. “For Tino, it’s about slowing down and taking things back to how they were 20 to 30 years ago. [The record player] lends itself to that.”

That philosophy also reflects Rotolone’s family ties to hospitality. His grandfather Rosario ran Carramar Coffee Lounge in New Farm back in the 1960s, and Tino’s unhurried, European spirit feels like a nod to that legacy.

If you don’t know Rotolone, you’ll know some of his venues. There was Vine, the beloved New Farm institution he ran for 15 years. Then came Mosconi, a Fortitude Valley fixture since 2019, which perhaps flies under the radar for how good it is. In short, Rotolone builds venues to last. And although it’s early days, you can tell Tino is built for the long haul.

“[Tino] is homely – somewhere that people should feel comfortable going to,” Rotolone says. “It’s not a flash-in-the-pan sort of place. There is longevity, and in all my venues that’s what I’m looking for.”

That sense of permanence extends to the fit-out. Bistro Tino looks timeless – the sort of venue where a pile of newspapers wouldn’t look out of place. Rotolone brought together a group of friends to bring this vision to life, including Meredith Burke of By Burke Design, architect George Kouparitsas, Mark Percival of SCD Timber, and the Baldelli family of Art Sofa Upholstery.

The result is a genuine contender for Brisbane’s most stunning opening of 2026. Tino has taken over the old King Arthur Cafe site next door to Mosconi, a similar World War II-era “igloo”-style hut. The exterior character has been preserved, while inside it’s all creams and browns with leather banquettes and stained wood detailing. The eye is quickly drawn to the stunning Tasmanian oak bar, where you can order a $2 Single O espresso to drink standing up, Italian-style. Upstairs, a private dining space is due to open by spring.

For food, chef Alfie Cutler (ex-Golden Avenue) worked closely with Mosconi head chef Catherine Anders to create a menu that twists away from the usual breakfast staples. There’s pan con tomate (Spanish tomato toast) with raw yellowfin tuna and anchovy butter; potato and zucchini frittata with blue swimmer crab and crème fraîche; and Abruzzese ham with house pickles, soft egg, comté and seeded bread.

Later in the day, expect simple, hearty fare like pastina minestrone; chicken Maryland with pea fricassee and jus; and a Portuguese-inspired roll with pork collar, provolone and tomato relish. Beyond coffee, there’s fresh juice, Somage teas, Hunted & Gathered hot chocolate, and Bloody or Virgin Marys.

For now the focus is on daytime trading, though there’s already wine in the venue, so evenings aren’t too far away. Fittingly, Rotolone isn’t in a rush.

“It’s going to take a little bit of time and that’s okay with me – I plan to be here for a while,” he says. “Sometime in August or September, when things warm up a bit, we’ll start doing afternoon and evening [sessions] a few nights a week and see where it goes from there.”

Bistro Tino

164c Arthur Street, Fortitude Valley

No phone

Hours:

Tue to Sun 6.30am to 2.30pm (moving to daily trade from August 2026.)

@bistro_tino