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For as long as many of us can remember, 1889 Enoteca has been the yardstick by which most Italian restaurants in Brisbane are compared and judged. Regularly topping lists for best pasta (including ours) and best wine selection, it’s hard to fathom 1889 Enoteca as being anything other than one of our finest dining institutions. But, like any hospitality venture, 1889 Enoteca had to earn its place at the top. As the restaurant reaches its 15-year milestone, we sat down with 1889 Enoteca’s co-owner Dan Clark to reflect on the last decade and a half, and discuss how the secret to its success comes down to confidence, consistency and comfort.
It’sa Tuesdayafternoon andI’m sittingwith 1889 Enoteca’s co-owner Dan Clark in one of the restaurant’srecently installed brown-leather booths. Dinner service is still a few hours away but the kitchenis alreadyalive with the sounds of prep. Soon the dining room’s energy will lift to match the kitchen, as guests – both regulars and newcomers – slide intothe booths and congregate around tables to hungrily devour serves of fried zucchini flowers filled with mozzarella and anchovies, gnocchi with pork and fennel sausage, and espresso-soaked tiramisu. It’s quiet right now, though, and Dan is in a reflective mood. This year marks 1889 Enoteca’s 15th year of operation. For Dan, using the moment’s peace tolook back on what the last decade-plus has brought, it feels like the milestone is only just sinking in. “You never reallythink that you’ll get toten years, let alone 15 years,” says Dan, who – alongside co-owner Manny Sakellarakis – opened theWoolloongabba restaurant in 2008. “It is nice to reflect, because it’s always just one foot after the other.”
The restaurantstarted with a simplegoal, which was toshowcase the timeless magic ofRoman cuisine.It also looked to fill a void between casual and fine dining in Brisbane, squeezing injust below the city’s top-heavy epicurean echelonby offering something that was high quality, but affordable.“It was meant to be a really genuine reflection and homage tothese great restaurants thatI’d been going to for years,” explains Dan, whose hospitality career started inLondon’swine sector in 1993. “We saw ourselvesas a place where someone could come once a week, grab a bowl of pasta and have a great glass of wine without it being entry-level basic or without the silverware.” Housed in the Moreton Rubber Works Building at the heart of Logan Road’sheritage-laden cul-de-sac, 1889 Enoteca looks the part of a casual Romaneatery – the kind you’d find a few turns off the beaten track in Trastevere or the Jewish Quarter. Its menu readsmuch the same as those of its Roman counterparts, too – full offlavours that1889’s website describes as ‘bold and gutsy’ and dishes that, though undeniably delicious, initially gave diners pause in 2008.
When 1889 Enoteca first opened, evenstapleslike cacio e pepe and (proper) carbonara were regarded as culinary curios. Roman cuisine as a whole was a foreign concept for many Brisbane diners – only thosewho had visited the Eternal City were familiar withits time-tested recipes, most of whichboast only a select handful of specific ingredients. “When we opened people didn’t know what Aperol was, people didn’t know what a spritz was,” says Dan. It’s crazy to think about now. Anyone spruiking carciofi alla giudia and veal saltimboccaas cutting-edge gastronomy in 2023 would be laughed out of town, but before 1889 Enoteca evolved into the paragon of traditional Roman-style dining it’s regarded as today, it had to make it familiar to the Brisbane palate.“To try and do something outside of the parametersof what people were comfortable with, it took a lot,” Dan admits. “It took a lot of perseverance and belief thatit was the right thing to do and it was good and they’d enjoy it. That’s kind of been the theme throughout the last 15 years of the restaurant, just doing things that are really good.”
Keeping up with food trends is important in parts of the hospitality market, but it’s never been a focus at 1889 Enoteca. “It’s funny, living in an era where it’s all about everything new – we’re kind of the opposite,”admits Dan. “We’ve become a standard bearer for persistence.” Dan lays a lot of credit at the feet of head chef Matthew Stubbing – who has been a firm hand at the kitchen’s helm for the past ten years – for his commitment to maintaining the standard of excellence across 1889 Enoteca’scrowd-favourite staples. The aforementioned gnocchi, cacio e pepe and carbonara (as well as other stand-outs like the bucatini all’amatriciana and risotto with goats cheese) wouldn’t have reached iconic status without his tireless commitmentmaintaining their spirit through consistency. “I think those dishes are classic for a reason,” says Dan. “They don’t need to be changed. They don’t need to reinterpreted. I personally find that trying to reinvent something makes no sense if it’s really good to start off with.”Though certain elements of the menu do change (seasonality is a big focus – we’recurrently inpeak artichoke season, by the way), italways comes back to the classics. Thedishes that were previously obscure are now ubiquitous and 1889 is known for doing them the best.
Roman-style fare isn’tthe onlything 1889 Enoteca has had a hand in introducing to local palates. Known from inception as a trove of artisan Italianwines (a sizeable chunkof which fall under the umbrella of ‘vini naturali’), 1889’s wine room and cellarhouses one of the most impressivecachesin Brisbane. While terms like ‘small crop’, ‘indigenous yeasts’ and ‘minimal intervention’ are common pieces of vino vernacular now, 15 years ago folks likely thought Dan was speaking another language. “When we first started there wasn’t really natural wine as we know it now,” reflects Dan, whose first-born business, wine importer and wholesaler Addley Clark Fine Wines, turns 19 this year. “Tryingto sell something fromMount Etna 15 years ago was crazy talk.” Through more gentleperseverance, Dan has softened stiff sensibilities and shifted tastes in fun new directions. “Atthe start it was all chianti, valpolicella and barolo,” says Dan. “But then we got to add cool things like a cesanese from Lazioand the guests here got really into it. Once you know that people are willing to experiment and sort of take your advice, then we could end up doing anything that I kind of thought was remotely interesting.” Dan’s curatorial efforts were recognised internationally whenGambero Rosso,regardedas Italy’s wine bible, awarded its prestigiousWine List of the Year prize to 1889 Enoteca in 2022, essentially dubbing the restaurant’s cellar as the finest selection of Italian wines outside of Italy. “That’s something that I didn’t ever think was even a remote possibility,” says Dan. “To go full circle andearn that award – even though we’re not really in it for those sort of things – that’s pretty cool.”
It’s easy toattribute 1889 Enoteca’s longevity to its menu and wine list.You’d be justified for doing so to an extent, such is the quality of both, butfor a restaurant to survive a global financial crisis and a worldwide pandemic (plus the labour shortagesassociated withboth), there’sgot to be somethingthat makes 1889an exampleto follow. To Dan, the secret to the restaurant’s success comes down to the smaller details, fromthe music (which needs to be just right)to the way staff interact with guests. “Restaurants demand such attention, if you take your eye off the smallest thing then you are in for a bit of pain,” says Dan. “One thing I have learned over the years isthat restaurants are all detail – if you can get the details right people subconsciously understand, but if you don’t, then they’ll notice.” The never-ending learning process as also taught Dan that no matter how beloved a restaurant’s greatest hits are, there’s always room for improvement. “You’ve got to be open-minded and want to get better at what you do,” he adds. “I think if you are just stuck in your ways, then that’s when it can go the wrong way. Our things might be classic, but we’re always trying to work out ways to improve and get better and stay relevant, so that’s part of our journey as well – that’s the next part of the game, just to keep our standards really high.”
It’s this approach that Dan hopes will see 1889 Enoteca through another 15 years. For now though, he’s thankful – to the staff that have helped make the business what it isto the diners that took a chance (and those that keep coming back). He’s not oblivious to the fact that countless memorable moments have been made at 1889’s tables or in its cellar and private-dining space downstairs – a beloved spot for special celebrations. It might actually be the achievement he cherishes most. “People’s significant events have happened in the restaurant, so you end up part of people’s lives without actually really thinking about it, which is really cool,” says Dan, whose love for hospitality hasn’t dimmed at all in 15 years. Even sitting in the leather booth hours before business time, the restaurantfeelsfull of life. “The thing I really like about this restaurant is that it still feels fresh and warm,” he says. “It’s got 15 yearsofpatina –a sort of lived-in cool.We are that great pair of old shoes that you like wearing, or a great jacket.”Even as Brisbane’s dining scene hasdeepenedand our tastes havediversified, people are still flocking back because of that one intrinsic quality – comfort. As long as it offers that feeling, one predicts that 1889 Enoteca will operate for as long as the decades-old Roman eateries it’s inspired by. Right now though, Dan’s still taking it one day at a time. “It is nice to reflect on 15 years,” Dan concedes, “but I want think that the most important thing is what are we doing for dinner tonight”.
1889 Enoteca is open Tuesday to Sunday – head to the Stumble Guide for operating hours, booking details and menu info.
The Stumble Guide is our comprehensive Brisbane dining guide with more than 2400 places to eat, drink, shop and play.
