Australia’s first permanent dine-in restaurant on wheels is set to roll into Brisbane in the coming months, with the launch of Da Biuso.

The mobile fine diner is the work of hospitality veterans the Biuso family – mum Sarah, dad Biagio and son Joseph – with the trio converting an old bus into a restaurant that looks and feels like a glamorous European tram.

“The idea really came from Covid when we originally had seating limits on diners (at our restaurant) and we found that small numbers worked really well for us with Biagio’s style of food,” Sarah said. “The exciting part about it is we can go anywhere whenever we want.”

The 12.5m bus is currently being pulled apart by Van Demons Vans in Brisbane’s Acacia Ridge and refitted as an “elegant and classy” European-inspired tram with upholstered seats, curtains and wood detailing in light, contemporary tones.

It will eventually seat up to 14 guests at a mix of tables for two and four people, or the whole vehicle can be hired for functions and events for up to 18 diners sitting at a long table.

Included in the bespoke space will be a 4.1m commercial kitchen, ready for chefs Biagio and Joseph to work their magic.

That magic will consist of set degustation menus that change seasonally with the produce, described by Biagio as “contemporary European with Sicilian influences”.

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That may mean dishes such as a pasta where the noodles are actually made from fish rather than flour, or Biagio’s well-loved pistachio cake that has become a favourite at the family’s other restaurants including the now-closed Marina Paradiso in Cairns and Casa Nostra in Fortitude Valley.

Sarah will take care of wine and non-alcoholic pairings for the multi-course menus, with vino from Italy, plus a strong range of classic cocktails like negronis and martinis, plus Italian digestifs and Italian beers.

The restaurant is planning to open for lunch and dinner five days a week, especially catering to the corporate crowds at lunch; while it can also be booked out entirely for parties, functions and weddings, with a separate catering menu that can run from the casual to the high end.

Despite the restaurant’s mobile nature meaning it can go anywhere, Sarah said it will begin stationed at Brisbane’s New Farm Park, with plans to relocate to Kangaroo Point Cliffs and Manly in the future on a rotating basis.

“Wherever we go we’ll have a beautiful view,” she said, revealing she had already booked a function at a farm in Maleny.

The family is hoping the eponymous Da Biuso will be open before December – just in time for the Christmas crowds.

This article originally appeared on couriermail.com.au. It has been reproduced here with permission.

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