Coming Soon: Tino, The Mosconi Team’s Casual, All-Day Venue Next Door

Mosconi owner Mark Rotolone is going casual. Not that Mosconi isn’t – you can easily drop in for a bowl of pasta and a glass of wine – but his next project, Tino, will be even more laid-back when it launches in late April.

Rotolone’s been wanting to open an all-day venue for a while. He’s been patiently waiting for the right opportunity, and when King Arthur Cafe next door to Mosconi closed, he was quick to snap up the space.

“My team have been with me for six years and it’s a tight team,” he says. “I wanted them to be involved [in the new venue] and I wanted to still be involved in Mosconi. The only way I can do that is to have [the two venues] in close proximity.”

The former King Arthur Cafe is currently undergoing a transformation, led by George Kouparitsas Architects and Meredith Burke of By Burke Design. Expect a timeless fit-out with warm, chocolate tones and wooden floors. “I want it to feel like it could have been there for 20 years,” he says.

Rotolone’s currently working with Mosconi’s long-term head chef, Catherine Anders, on the menu, which will focus on light breakfasts, pastries and simple, fresh lunches. Think toast with grated tomato and an anchovy, perhaps, and salads come midday.

There’s also a chance Mosconi’s popular porchetta rolls – first offered during the Covid lockdowns and now a regular fixture at the James Street Food & Wine Trail – could return. Ultimately, though, value will be the main proposition.

“We go through fluctuations,” Rotolone says. “There are times when [people] want the high-end dining experience with white tablecloths, but I think we’re transitioning to a time where everybody is time-poor and more cautious. People want value.”

Further down the track, Tino will extend its offering into the evenings, serving small plates and a concise wine and spritz list. Rotolone’s vision is something like the corner bars you find in Italy, which do double duty: running as cafes during the day and wine bars at night.

“The corner bars there aren’t just for alcohol – they’re coffee bars where you can have a little pastry,” he says. “Then at night, a small menu with locally sourced ingredients, an ever-changing wine list and more of an outdoor spritz vibe – that’s where I’d like to end up.”

Tino will open at 164C Arthur Street, Fortitude Valley in late April.

@bistro_tino