{"id":84141,"date":"2026-08-31T12:39:19","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T12:39:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/84141\/"},"modified":"2026-08-31T12:39:19","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T12:39:19","slug":"sofia-a-bistro-and-wine-bar-from-a-masterchef-alum-is-coming-to-red-hill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/84141\/","title":{"rendered":"Sofia, a Bistro and Wine Bar From a Masterchef Alum, Is Coming to Red Hill"},"content":{"rendered":"

As if running Blume, one of Queensland\u2019s best regional restaurants, wasn\u2019t enough, Jack Stuart has added even more to his plate this year. First came Venner<\/a>, which he opened in February alongside partners Geroge Curtis<\/a> and James Horsfall. Now, he\u2019s preparing to launch Sofia, a neighbourhood diner in Red Hill, this October. He\u2019s joined forces with Masterchef alum Alana Lowes<\/a>, whom he met through their children\u2019s primary school.<\/p>\n

For Lowes, the restaurant is the latest chapter of a journey that began with competing on season three of Masterchef and, more recently, a return to Masterchef Australia: Back to Win. She\u2019s also worked as a food stylist, TV presenter, and spent time in the kitchens at Ach Wine Bar<\/a> and Blume.<\/p>\n

Opening a restaurant is \u201csomething [that] has been on my mind the last few years,\u201d Lowes says. \u201cNot long before I got the call to go back onto Masterchef, I started thinking I wanted to get back in the kitchen. Meeting Jack and being able to work together, I thought, \u2018This is my chance to do it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Sofia will take over a storied site, perhaps best known as the home of Olivetto\u2019s, a Red Hill dining institution throughout the 2000s, which has since closed. It\u2019s a homecoming of sorts for Stuart, who did the first two years of his apprenticeship there and remains friends with former chef-owner Paul Newsham. \u201cHe was so excited to [hear about it], it\u2019s a real full circle moment,\u201d Stuart says. \u201cHe\u2019ll be at the soft opening.\u201d<\/p>\n

Head chef Ryan Carlson (ex-The French Exit<\/a>, Agnes<\/a>) will lead the kitchen, with Stuart and Lowes working across both front and back of house. It\u2019s early days, but the pair say the menu will lean into European influences, keeping the plating simple while showcasing plenty of technique. Expect freshly rolled pasta, alongside two of Stuart\u2019s signature dishes: a pig\u2019s head and green mustard sandwich from his time at the now-closed Congress<\/a> in Melbourne, and rainbow trout with green tomato beurre blanc, which has appeared on the menu at Blume.<\/p>\n

For the fit-out, Stuart and Lowes are giving the space a refresh while retaining its old-world character. A new bar will be installed downstairs, while the courtyard will be given a lush makeover. Upstairs, a dining room will be available for private events. Ultimately, the aim is to make Sofia feel comfortable and homey.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only new thing going in is the bar, everything else is from Marketplace or I\u2019ll be pulling things from my house,\u201d Lowes says. \u201c[We\u2019re going for that] high, elevated level of food but that really comforting, nostalgic feeling you get when you walk into a space like Sofia.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sofia is expected to open at 1 Enoggera Terrace, Red Hill<\/a> in October.<\/p>\n

\u00a0@sofia.redhill<\/a><\/p>\n