Andre's Osteria joins Canberra’s Mediterranean boom in Weston

Canberra is becoming the battleground of Mediterranean restaurants, and the latest addition to the scene is Andre’s Osteria.

Opening its doors recently in Weston, where My’s Vietnamese operated for 19 years until it closed in May 2024, owner Andre Wilks and his father, Bruce, are touting the new restaurant as a small but mighty eatery and they have their sights set on it becoming a neighbourhood gem.

Mediterranean cuisine, primarily Italian and Greek food, has always had perennial appeal in Canberra, but a recent resurgence of restaurants in this genre might suggest a swing in tastes: are we favouring the hearty dishes of the Med over the fresh and spicy cuisines of Southeast Asia?

In 2023, we saw the opening of Bada Bing Dining Club in the city, where Rabble Group is delivering nostalgic Italian.

Late 2024 saw Lucas Restaurants throw its hat in the ring with the opening of Carlotta in the city.

At a similar time, the multi-million dollar revival of the iconic carousel restaurant on Red Hill by the Keely family opened Lunetta and Lunetta Trattoria, both upstairs and downstairs venues serving Italian and Med dishes, sans the original carousel.

Early 2025 saw Queanbeyan’s popular woodfired pizza and Italian restaurant Pronto open its second venue just around the corner from where Andre’s Osteria now sits.

So the question remains, what will Andre’s Osteria deliver into the mix?

The venue itself envelops you in a cozy atmosphere with a wall of olive green tiles. The bare timber tables have a casual elegance, befitting a relaxed night out. Greeting you at the entrance is a portrait of Andre’s mother, who passed away in 2023.

“It’s a tribute to my mother, and I’m excited to share it with our neighbourhood. The menu will change seasonally, based on the best produce available, including the herbs and leafy greens grown in my Dad’s vegetable garden,” says Andre.

In line with a traditional Italian meal, the menu is an à la carte selection divided into seven courses: starters, snacks, antipasti, daily handmade pasta, mains, sides, salads and, of course, desserts. The first three courses are dedicated to some form of snacking (you had me at snack).

Starters and snacks range from $4 for house made sourdough with cultured smoked butter to $11 for a chargrilled prawn with chimichurri and $23 for heirloom gazpacho, cucumber and charred sourdough.

The handmade pastas start at $27 for the classic Sicilian eggplant dish Spaghetti Alla Norma with ricotta salata; an Italian sheep’s whey cheese, and go up to $36 for a linguine with bugs, prawns and pangrattato.

If you make it past the snacks, you could dine on a $36 confit duck leg with eggplant puree and pickled red cabbage or indulge in a $60 rib-eye with potato mash, cherry tomatoes and chianti jus.

In addition to greens from Bruce’s garden, the produce on offer on the opening menu is a combination of local ingredients such as Cowra lamb shoulder and local honey which sit alongside Skull Island prawns from the Northern Territory, who supply some of the largest tiger prawns in Australia, as well as Wapengo oysters sourced from Melbourne and shucked fresh daily.

The beverages menu is a similar mix of local and imported, featuring Nathan Brown’s Gruner Veltliner produced locally under the brand Linear as well as Lark Hill’s Riesling, a well-known local biodynamic winery near Bungendore. Harder to find drops like Agioritiko, Malbec and Nero d’Avola also feature on the wine list.

For those who prefer a beer, as this writer is partial to herself, there are two choices on tap. The Italian classic Birra Moretti leads the way with its 166-year brewing background, and it’s joined by an exclusive collaboration between Beechworth’s Bridge Road Brewers and Andre himself in the form of a Mediterranean Ale.

With months of renovations behind him, the tables now set, the mise en place complete and diners raring to be the first through the door, Andre has the enthusiasm that only a 29-year-old opening his first restaurant could have.

“I can’t wait to experiment further with flavours and bring my crazy ideas to life – old dishes served in new and exciting ways. This is only the beginning, and I hope guests can feel how much love and passion have been – and will continue to be – poured into the project.”

Andre’s Osteria is located at 35 Brierly Street, Weston and is open for lunch and dinner Wednesday to Sunday. Reservations can be made on their website.