Picture yourself in an Italian trattoria with a glass of Chianti in hand, buttered pappardelle on the way, and the sun setting over your river-side locale. It might sound like an excerpt from a Venice-centric travel blog, but you don’t have to travel abroad to have an experience like this. Italian-inspired restaurant Ciao Papi at Howard Smith Wharves first arrived at the riverside precinct as a pop-up, but after some incredibly positive feedback it became a permanent fixture. Head chef Giacomo Favotto has held roles at Michelin starred restaurants including Le Gavroche in London, L’Andana in Italy and Ryu Gin Restaurant in Tokyo, and his Ciao Papi menu features a mix of modern and traditional Italian fare. Standout dishes from the menu include grilled lamb cutlets with salsa verde, grilled whole john dory with lemon and olive oil and fresh figs with honeycomb and Maleny dairy cream, all bolstered by a sublime selection of Italian wines. In early 2020, Ciao Papi launched a breakfast service, completing its evolution into an all-day dining option. Ciao Papi head chef Giacomo Favotto has added a host of delectable Italian-inspired day starters to the restaurant’s menu, including a mortadella, smoked mozzarella and fried-egg roll with tomato relish, eggs benedictine with prosciutto di parma, baby spinach and toasted focaccia, and coconut-milk risotto with Brookfarm granola and seasonal fruit.