It’s moving back into its beautiful Luchetti Krelle-designed digs for a good time, not a long time, serving Middle Eastern-inspired favourites.
One of Brisbane’s most popular vegetarian restaurants is set to return, but for one night only.
On February 14, Ovolo Brisbane will relaunch Za Za Ta as part of its Valentine’s Day celebrations, 11 months after the hotel closed the restaurant and turned its Conservatory dining room into a private event space.
“This came off the back of a lot of inquiries about Za Za Ta,” Ovolo Brisbane general manager Daniel Sprange says. “When we shut it down in March last year, it perhaps felt quite sudden to people, because of the cyclone.
“I was definitely struck by the large following the restaurant had, and the number of people who would reach out.
“We just thought, we still have chef Kya [Knights], who was such a big part of Za Za Ta, alongside [now departed chef] Michael Jackson … And I think it was only a matter of time before we did something like this.”
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That checks out. Sprange’s predecessor, James Clark, told this masthead at the time of Za Za Ta’s closure that it was a strategic decision, and that “from a financial perspective, the restaurant was performing very well”.
On February 14, the restaurant will serve a set shared menu that taps a bunch of classic Za Za Ta dishes, such as halloumi doughnuts with chilli jam and pomegranate; silverbeet and feta borek with whipped tahini and green salsa; “old school” hummus served with braised chickpea stew, tatbila and smoked chilli oil that’s accompanied by stone-baked za’atar flatbread; and chraime-spiced eggplant with green chilli, cucumber, labneh and tomato broth.
Paired beverages will be available, and diners will receive a take-home gift. The hotel is also offering the dinner as part of a wider Valentine’s package that includes a discount on accommodation.
Sprange says if the Valentine’s dinner goes well, it’s fair to expect the restaurant to be rebooted again for future events.
“I always thought that if it did go well, we would do that,” he says, “if that’s what people wanted. But it’s a balancing act, right?
“It’s a decision we’d need to make as a group off the back of this event.”
Za Za Ta opened in mid-2019 on the ground floor of Ovolo Brisbane, turning heads with its Middle-Eastern menu and distinctive, multi-room Luchetti Krelle design. In the kitchen was executive chef Luchetti Krelle (formerly of Nour and Lillah in Sydney, and known for his appearances on SBS TV) and head chef Dario Manca, who now owns and operates Attimi in Paddington.
Later, the restaurant shifted focus under chef Jackson to cook an entirely plant-based menu. It was a favoured spot among vegetarian and vegan diners – including singer-songwriter Billie Eilish, who tagged the restaurant in a worldwide Google Map round-up of plant-based eateries.
Jackson left in 2024 and was succeeded by Knights, who continues to oversee food and beverage across the entire hotel.
Matt Shea is Food and Culture Editor at Brisbane Times. He is a former editor and editor-at-large at Broadsheet Brisbane, and has written for Escape, Qantas Magazine, the Guardian, Jetstar Magazine and SilverKris, among many others.
