Celebrating 25 years of service

Zia Teresa is a family owned, licensed restaurant specialising in authentic, provincial Italian cuisine.

Thanks to continued support and word of mouth from our loyal patrons, 2010 marks our 25th year of service. We proudly continue in our commitment to to delivering the quality food and dining experience that has earned us a glowing reputation with  locals, celebrities and guests from all around the world.

If you love a truly authentic Italian experience, delicious food and wine, charming hospitality and a relaxed, homely dining atmosphere, you’ll love Zia Teresa.

Come, enjoy it for yourself. We’ll be here to welcome you.

How it all began

Zia Teresa Owner/Chef, Teresa Bruno making Pasta in Brussio, 1981.

In Italy, my husband and I had heard so many wonderful things about Australia that we became excited about the prospect of starting a new life. With all our enthusiasm, in 1970 we decided to migrate to Australia, arriving in Melbourne with much anticipation.

But of course nothing like that is ever easy. We left all our loved ones behind to begin our new journey. The language barrier also made things very difficult. We didn’t have children yet, so we were able to attend English language classes after work every day.

In 1972 my husband and I worked in these same premises we are in now, only at the time the restaurant was called ‘Papa Pizza’. We worked there until 1976. One day the owner asked me if I could cook in the kitchen as he had lost his chef. I was more than happy as I always loved cooking and started right away. He was very impressed with me and soon offered me a partnership in the restaurant, but I told him I could only be in partnership with my husband.

We were missing our families back home so much. So that year we decided to go back home to see everyone, staying in Italy for 6 months.
The offer of partnership as a chef had stirred my deep passion for cooking (that I inherited from my mother). I felt I had so much to offer and wanted to contribute in promoting authentic Italian cuisine here in Melbourne. So my husband and I, together with with my brother in law decided to buy ‘Brussio’, a small, run down restaurant in Collingwood. We were there from 1977 to 1980. Our home made pasta and characteristic regional Italian dishes made this little restaurant become very popular.

After that we returned to Italy once more and opened a small Rotisserie restaurant. But it was not meant to be. My husband started to develop heart problems and so in 1983 we came back to Australia. We had missed the tranquillity of the place and decided to settle here for good.

We worked very hard, until one day we were asked if we wanted to buy ‘Papa Pizza’. This was a perfect opportunity but we had lot of difficulty borrowing money from the bank. Fortunately we were blessed to have a friend who very kindly lent us some money. So in April 1985 we open the doors to ‘Zia Teresa Restaurant’. My husband built tables, I made the table cloths, and we worked hard to make the place look as nice as possible. Soon we acquired an excellent reputation and grew to become very popular. Our home made pasta and completely new dishes people had never tasted before were our specialty. Zia Teresa became the place to be, to enjoy authentic Italian food.

Sadly, 4 years later, my husband died following a heart transplant and I was suddenly left on my own with 3 young children. It took all my strength and a lot of hardship to keep going, but I wanted to keep our dream alive, I know that’s what my husband wanted for our family.

Today 25 years strong, ‘Zia Teresa’ is well known and popularly frequented by all kinds of people from all over Melbourne, Australia and around the world. We pride ourselves as a welcoming restaurant where all our faithful customers, regulars, old and new, are treated as part of our family.

I wake up every morning with new ideas and new tasty dishes in mind. My passion for cooking and my love for people makes me feel alive! The happier our customers are the more creative I become with my cooking. I hand pick my produce, making sure it is fresh and full of flavour. I never compromise on quality.

I look forward to meeting you. Come, sit down, let us look after you. Relax and enjoy our food and wine. We trust it’ll be a meal you’ll always remember with a smile.