About

Bocca Italian, located at the beautiful Bokarina Beach is an Italian restaurant that offers a fresh take on the Italian classics. Our menu is designed for sharing with a selection of Antipasti, Pizza and Pasta.

Tony Kelly

Owner / Director

Tony lives and breathes the hospitality industry. A chef by trade, Tony was the Executive Chef who opened the iconic Stokehouse Restaurant in Brisbane which went on to achieve 2 chefs hats under his leadership.

Tony has a foraged a pathway for the restaurant industry on the Sunshine Coast, masterminding & developing brands which are now cemented into the Coast food scene.

Tony has created a plethora of powerful successful brands including The Wine Bar, Riceboi, Spero, Giddy Geisha, Piggyback, Market Bistro, Market Wine Store, Bocca Italian and Playa Mexican.

Luke Stringer

Co-owner / Restaurant Manager

Luke began his career in Noosa Heads working for Luc Turschwell and assisted in the opening of Café L’Univers and La Sabbia. This is where his love for hospitality began and his 30 year career has led him to run award winning restaurants in Melbourne, Brisbane and Indonesia.

Luke's passion for the hospitality industry, his team and guests is evident from his vibrant personality. In 2006 Stringer received the Age Good Food Guide Service Excellence Award.

He now calls the Sunshine Coast home and is General Manager of Market Bistro, Market Wine Store, Bocca Italian and Playa Mexican.

Harry Lilai

Co-Owner / Executive Chef

Melbourne born Chef Harry Lilai has been cooking professionally for over 30 years, starting with his apprenticeship at the eponymous Melbourne institution of the 1980’s, Menzies at Rialto.

A career heading up kitchens from a young age, including the hugely successful Barretti in Brunswick Street Fitzroy, Byblos in Greville Street Prahran, a 10-year stint running Cecconi’s, then at Crown Casino and achieving a 2 Chefs Hats status. Lilai further achieved consultancy positions with Orange, Pandora, Cecconi’s Hong Kong, Gradi group, Lucas Group and owning and running the much awarded Town Hall Hotel Fitzroy for 5 years, where old-fashioned hospitality married perfectly with Harry’s generous, Italian inspired cooking style.

With an Italian background Harry’s food is all about giving. His experience as a boy growing up with six siblings an Italian mother, Albanian father and an enormous extended family have influenced the professional side of his cookery and shows through with generosity and depth of flavours.

PART OF THE

Tony Kelly

Luke Stringer

Harry Lilai

TONY KELLY RESTAURANT GROUP

@BOCCAITALIAN