Bucci Restaurant & Bar

Updated April 2020: Bucci has closed it's doors.

Stroll down Fortitude Valley's fashionable James Street any night of the week, and you'll find glamorous, red-lit Bucci Restaurant & Bar packed with diners, for this is one of Brisbane's best modern Italian restaurants. 

This iconic dining destination sits partially below street level on James Street, with windows opened in summer to give the restaurant an airy sunken courtyard feel and closed in winter to give it a cosy basement ambience. Both food and service are on par with the decor, with a delicious menu crafted from locally-sourced, seasonal produce and quality, Italian ingredients.

You'll find classic Italian dishes with a contemporary twist including Bucci's Carbonara (smoked pancetta tossed with garlic, olive oil, and house-made bucatini pasta topped with slow-cooked egg & pickled wood ear mushrooms), Linguine al Granchio (linguine pasta with spanner crab, chilli, parsley and lemon), and Spaghetti con Gamberi Piccanti (local prawns cooked with white wine, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, lemon and chilli tossed with house-made spaghetti). 

Alongside these firm favourites, are flavour-infused dishes such as Prosciutto e Melone (shaved prosciutto di parma with rockmelon, whipped buffalo fetta and caramelised apple balsamic) and Crudo di Pesce (raw diced Ora King salmon dressed with olive oil, herbs and citrus, served with Nonna's spicy pickled onions, cucumbers and garlic crostini).

Meanwhile, drool-worthy desserts include Bucci's flourless chocolate cake served with vanilla mascarpone and crushed frozen raspberries, and Panna Cotta Tropicale - coconut panna cotta with spiced pineapple, mango and passionfruit. 

Alternatively, diners can indulge in Formaggio Con Carta da Musica - delectable Taleggio cheese served with crisp flatbread, James St honeycomb, and Nonna's sweet, pickled pears. 

An award-winning wine list features a carefully-curated selection of Italian and standout Australian wines, which can be enjoyed with dinner or next door in the adjacent Bucci Bar. 

Bucci Restaurant and Bar is a valued partner of Must Do Brisbane.com