Big Hearts, Big Flavours at Locale Noosa
Locale Noosa is bringing back one of Italy’s most sociable dining traditions, reintroducing its much-loved cicchetti alongside a nostalgic favourite that locals have been asking for. Kathy Sundstrom reports.
Tucked behind lush greenery in a sheltered corner of Hastings Street, just steps from the golden sand of Noosa Main Beach, Locale Noosa has always felt like a small slice of Italy quietly waiting to be discovered.
For more than a decade, the restaurant has drawn diners in with its warm hospitality, polished service and menu that celebrates both Italian tradition and the extraordinary produce of the Sunshine Coast.
Now, the much-loved and multi award-winning restaurant is reviving one of its most sociable traditions with the reintroduction of cicchetti, the small savoury bites that were once a ritual for many early evening visitors.
Cicchetti, pronounced chi-ket-tee, are a Venetian dining custom similar to tapas, traditionally served in small bars known as bacari where locals gather for wine, conversation and a few delicious bites.
At Locale, the reintroduction of cicchetti is about recreating that same relaxed Italian ritual on Hastings Street.
“Cicchetti have always been part of our DNA,” says co-owner Amanda Capurso. “We launched them when we first opened 13 years ago and they quickly became a favourite for locals and visitors alike.”
The small plates will once again be available seven days a week in the bar area from 4pm to 6pm, extending through the evening on Sundays when cicchetti will be served from 4pm until close. For Amanda and husband Rio, the decision to bring cicchetti back is as much about atmosphere as it is about food.
The early evening window creates a lively social energy as people drift in for a drink, share a few plates and settle into the rhythm of the street.
“It’s that beautiful Italian tradition where you meet for a glass of wine and a few small bites, and a magical evening unfolds from there.” Amanda says. “People love that relaxed, communal way of dining.”
The return of cicchetti is not the only nod to nostalgia at Locale this season. The new autumn menu will also see the return of a dish that long time locals may remember from the Capurso’s previous restaurant, Lindoni’s.
The delicate gnocchi, known for its soft texture and rich flavour, has been recreated for the new season as part of the evolving menu designed by head chef Chris Hagan. For the kitchen team, the dish carries both history and heart.
“It’s one people have been perpetually asking for ever since we stopped serving it,” Amanda says.
The return of the dish feels like reconnecting with a small piece of the restaurant’s shared history with the community and that sense of tradition sits at the heart of Locale’s approach to food.
Drawing heavily on Italian heritage, the menu changes seasonally but always to celebrate the best available ingredients, including produce grown at the Ogilvie Group’s Maravista Farm in the Noosa hinterland, alongside fresh local seafood and carefully sourced imports from Italy.
That approach is something chef Chris Hagan understands well. Chris’s culinary journey has taken him across continents since winning the NZ/UK Link Foundation Young Chef of the Year award early in his career.
The recognition opened the door to travel and work in acclaimed restaurants across New Zealand before he made the move to Australia. From there he built experience in respected kitchens in Daylesford and McLaren Vale, later working in Brisbane before heading north to the Sunshine Coast Hinterland to cook at the award-winning Long Apron.
Today, his kitchen at Locale blends those global influences with a deep respect for Italian technique. Handmade pasta remains central to the menu, traditional antipasti and desserts that echo the flavours of Italy.
Seasonality plays an equally important role, with ingredients sourced locally wherever possible and complemented by premium imports that maintain authenticity. The result is a menu that feels both grounded in place and unmistakably Italian.
The restaurant’s dedication to quality has also earned it significant recognition. Locale has received Chef’s Hat Awards from the Australian Good Food Guide in 2023, 2025 and again in 2026, an honour widely regarded as Australia’s equivalent of a Michelin star.
Its wine program has also attracted national attention, receiving three goblets in Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards in 2023. For Rio, the restaurant’s success is deeply connected to his own journey on Hastings Street.
Originally from Bari in Italy’s Puglia region, Rio began working in Noosa hospitality in the late 1990s. He started as a waiter before moving through roles as barman and manager, eventually becoming owner of the much loved Lindoni’s restaurant in 2007.
When Lindoni’s closed due to redevelopment, Rio joined the Ogilvie Group to help create Locale, bringing his passion for Italian hospitality and family values into a new space.
Today the restaurant reflects that spirit in every detail. Inside, the room feels intimate and atmospheric, with deep colours, velvet textures and dramatic lighting creating a sophisticated setting that feels almost cave like in its warmth. Outside, the surrounding greenery softens the bustle of Hastings Street and creates a secluded garden feel.
As autumn settles across the coast, the return of cicchetti is expected to bring a familiar buzz back to the bar each afternoon. Live music on Thursdays will help ease guests into the weekend, adding another layer to the relaxed energy that has long defined the restaurant.
The goal remains simple: to create a place where people feel welcome, where good food is shared easily and where the rhythms of Italian hospitality find a natural home in Noosa.
And sometimes, all it takes to start that experience is a glass of wine and a few small plates created with a lot of heart.
Hungry for more local Italian goodness? Read more about Locale then experience it for yourself!
