A new restaurant has opened on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast and while the space speaks volumes, it’s what unfolds within it that completes the conversation. Ēthos (read: ēthos), the first public chapter of the 30-acre Alsahwa Estate, is a place where architecture and agriculture speak in the same soft tone – where design doesn’t shout but listens.
The architectural and interior design direction was conceived by Alsahwa’s Design Director Alex ZabottoBentley and the team at AZB Creative – the same minds behind Alsahwa’s sister property Fila Casablanca – and form a sensory framework for the Estate’s culinary story. This is not a restaurant built to impress. It’s one built to hold.
“I imagined a space where nature leads, and design follows,” says Zabotto-Bentley. “It’s not about spectacle, it’s about soul.”
A Sanctuary, not a Statement
Set among wild botanicals and dam-fed paddocks, ēthos draws its strength from the land rather than its silhouette. Its form – a long, low barn softened by casement windows and sandstone flooring – feels less like a structure and more like a continuation of the hinterland itself.
Inside, the space is anchored by tactile detail: rough-hewn timber posts, Ghanaian woven pendants casting patterned light, a full-height timber-panelled feature wall, and curated relics of agrarian life.
“There’s nothing accidental here. Every material has been selected for its texture, integrity, and story – from local hand-sawn timber tabletops to antique bread-making tools, aged pots, and sculptural botanicals planted with intention,” says Zabotto-Bentley.
Even the bathrooms have a story: behind a hand-hewn timber feature wall, antique brass taps and a trough sink turn a functional corner into what Zabotto-Bentley calls “an elevated photogenic farm garden shed…it needs its own podcast.”
“The palette is grounded in honesty and tactility,” he says. “Every material had to serve a dual purpose: functional endurance and emotional connection.”
Movement, Mood and Light
“Ēthos is choreographed, not just constructed,” explains Zabotto-Bentley. Guests arrive through a palm corridor and enter through towering timber posts into a triple-height void. A weathered worker’s bench greets them styled with Alsahwa’s own products, sculptural flora, collectible books and small batch objects all available for purchase. From there, the dining space unfolds. It’s open but intimate, considered but not contrived.
“I wanted guests to feel drawn in without being directed,” says Zabotto-Bentley. “There are thresholds that invite pause, moments of compression and release.”
The casement windows, painted in a soft putty white, do more than frame the view. They blur the boundary between dining room and landscape, drawing in the nearby gardens, native flora and the long light that washes over sandstone floors and timber surfaces throughout the day.
A Menu in Step with its Surroundings
At the helm of the kitchen is hatted chef Sophie Phipps (ex-Spice Bar), whose Mediterranean-leaning menu mirrors the architectural intent: restrained, generous, rooted in place.
Produce is sourced from Alsahwa’s own spray-free gardens and from trusted local growers, with dishes shifting based on what’s fresh, ripe, and real. Everything is made to be shared, everything made with intention. There are no tricks. No excess. Just food with flavour, clarity, and a sense of rhythm.
“The restaurant reflects everything we value,” says Phipps. “We tread lightly, we work closely with our growers, and we let the ingredients speak for themselves.”
The First of Many Chapters
Ēthos is just the beginning. The restaurant marks the first public opening of Alsahwa Estate, a regenerative agritourism destination grounded in the philosophy of Mind. Body. Planet. Founded by Jo Walker in 2020, Alsahwa invites guests to slow down, reconnect, and take part in a more conscious way of living.
In the months ahead, the Estate will open further experiences: curated garden picnics, long table lunches, workshops, wellness events, and nature-led gatherings designed to nourish more than appetite.
“Ēthos stands apart because it doesn’t try to perform,” says Zabotto-Bentley. “In a culture that often craves distraction, ēthos offers presence.”
Details:
Restaurant: ēthos at Alsahwa Estate
Location: 20 Rifle Range Road, Palmwoods, QLD
Opening Hours: Wed – Sun 11am – Late
https://alsahwa.com/restaurant/
Image credit: Aimee Dodge
