Top Brisbane fine diner Elska moves to New Farm

It’s continually booked out, but one of Brisbane’s best restaurants is planning a massive shake-up, taking on a new site in a totally different suburb.

Brisbane fine diner Elska in Wilston is on the move.

The intimate 12-seat restaurant from husband and wife team Freja and Nathan Dunnell is taking over the former Allium site along Merthyr Rd in New Farm – closing up shop in Wilston on January 31 and reopening in its new digs on February 18.

Nathan and Freja Dunnell at their Wilston restaurant Elska. Picture: Richard Gosling

Mrs Dunnell said the change of location would enable the couple to take the restaurant to the next level.

“We want to refine it a little bit,” she said.

“We love Wilston and love the locals but the al fresco area there – while it was great for the cafe (Freja’s, which they used to operate in the space) – for the restaurant it just hasn’t seemed to work as well for us.”

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She said the new restaurant would allow them to create a more comfortable, peaceful experience for guests with airconditioning, and would enable her chef husband to connect more with the diners through the huge open kitchen.

“That’s really important to him,” she said.

A wallaby dish at Elska. Picture: Richard Gosling

As for the space, the couple is giving the all-black former restaurant a complete makeover, bringing in their signature minimal Scandi style with spotted gum panelling on the walls and hardwood detailing throughout, lots of white and elegant Nordic touches.

While Mr Dunnell will continue to offer his unique modern cuisine combining influences from Asia, Scandinavia and Europe harnessing local Australian ingredients, particularly natives.

They will also expand their wine offering, hiring sommelier and wine merchant James Horsfall to curate an ever changing list – up to 90 per cent of which will be Australian.

“[Nathan and I] we lacked that last bit of knowledge [about the wine] so he’ll be a great addition to the team to help take us up a level,” Mrs Dunnell said.