Brisbane's Ghanem Group has opened Alfi Eatery and Bar in Everton Park, bringing a sprawling 350-seat, Amalfi-inspired venue to the Everton Plaza precinct. The restaurant, which had originally been targeted for a winter opening, began welcoming diners on Thursday, covering 800 square metres of indoor dining, private booths and an expansive open-air drinks garden.
A big venue from a group that knows big venues
The opening follows hard on the heels of Hotel Terminus on Fish Lane, another large-format project from the same team, and represents more than two decades of accumulated venue experience. The Ghanem Group portfolio includes some of Brisbane's most recognised hospitality names, among them Byblos, Donna Chang and Iris Rooftop.
Managing director Nehme Ghanem says the process of launching venues of this scale never quite becomes routine. "There are elements that get easier about opening these venues, and elements that remain challenging," he said. "You can't expect it to be smooth sailing." He recalled that when the group opened Byblos back in 2006, he was sleeping at the venue and working close to 20-hour days.
His brother and co-director Adonis Ghanem says experience helps, but each opening presents its own distinct set of problems. "You learn something with every opening and that experience helps, but every venue has its own challenges, team and audience, so you can never assume what worked somewhere else will automatically work again," he said.
Adonis describes larger venues as carrying "another layer of complexity," noting that at the scale of Alfi or Hotel Terminus, the kitchen, service team, bar and multiple spaces all have to function as a single cohesive operation.
Amalfi coast interiors meet a suburb in transition
The fitout was handled by regular Ghanem collaborator Space Cubed, and draws heavily on Italian coastal references. Expect Italian stone and marble, light timber finishes, pastel upholstery and arched windows paired with curved ceiling details. Inside, a series of curtained booths can be separated from the main dining room for a more private experience. Outside, crazy pave tiling and a timber banquette are framed by greenery, creating an inviting courtyard setting.
The location itself appears deliberate. Everton Park is understood to be undergoing a notable demographic shift, and the venue has been designed with that evolving local community in mind rather than as a destination draw from further afield.
Italian-leaning menu with pub classics and woodfired pizza
The food program has been developed by group executive chef Jake Nicolson alongside head chef Roberto D'Anna. The menu pairs reworked pub classics with pastas, shared Italian plates and woodfired pizza.
Highlights include:
- Char-grilled baby octopus with potato, celery and olives in a salmoriglio dressing
- Slow-roasted porchetta rolled with garlic, fennel and pepper, served with a rosemary jus
- Spicy vodka parmesan rigatoni and beef ragu Napoletano
- Baked barramundi with potatoes, garlic, white wine and acqua pazza broth
- Whole char-grilled heritage chicken with devil sauce and roast capsicum
- Woodfired pizzas made with in-house dough slow-fermented over 36 hours, cooked in an imported Valoriani Forte oven that serves as the kitchen's centrepiece
The drinks offering includes a wine list that leans toward Australian wines made in a European style, along with spritz, digestivo and signature cocktail menus, plus nine beers on tap.
What Ghanem Group wants Alfi to become
Adonis Ghanem says the ambition for Alfi goes beyond simply filling covers. "We'd love Alfi to become part of the local community," he said. "Somewhere people can bring their family, meet friends for a pizza and a drink, or spend a few hours enjoying the live music with a few drinks in the courtyard."
With the sheer size of the space, the live music program and the breadth of the menu, the venue is clearly positioned to function as an all-hours local anchor rather than an occasional destination. Whether Everton Park embraces it as such will become clear in the weeks ahead.
