Best Wine Bars
Go back in time about a decade and Australia had a dearth of wine bars - those that existed were good, but they were seriously few and far between. How things have changed... These days there seems to be a neighbourhood wine bar in each suburb, and neighbourhoods are all the better for it!
There's never been a better time to explore the world of wine, all from the comfort of your local wine bar. Here's our list of what's great around Australia at the moment!
Melbourne Wine Bars--red
Melbourne – perhaps the only city in Australia that never sleeps?
Known for alleyways and black fashion, great restaurants and inclement weather. It also is home to some of Australia’s best wine bars.
Here’s a short list of some of our favourites!
NEIGHBOURHOOD WINE - 1 Reid St, Fitzroy North
You want the choice of over 500 wines? Whiskeys you’ve never heard of? Beers so bitter they melt your face off? All served in an old secret gambling den that was formerly run by one of Melbourne’s infamous crime families? You’re welcome.
CITY WINE SHOP - 159 Spring St, Melbourne
The veteran of the wine bar scene in Melbourne, and still going strong today. An incredibly deep cellar, jammed to the rafters with the classics of the wine world, often with years under their belt. Head here for rare Champagnes, single vineyard Barolos and hard-to-find Burgundies.
EMBLA - 122 Russell St, Melbourne
The new wave. AN instant hit in the middle of town, Embla is more than just a wine bar – it’s a casual restaurant that just happens to have some of the trendiest wines around. A great list with friendly staff and excellent food. Tops.
THE MOON - 28A Stanley St, Collingwood
The Moon is more bottleshop than winebar, but you can still sit in and munch on a toastie whilst enjoying a far-out natural wine from Georgia, the Loire Valley and closer to home. Friendly prices and enthusiastic staff seal the deal.
MR WEST - 106 Nicholson St, Footscray
With a strong focus on the burgeoning craft beer scene, without forgetting a great little selection of wines, Mr West really kicked off the reinvigoration of drinking in Footscray. Drink in or take away, and be guided by the energetic staff, who always have a great suggestion on hand.
BAR LIBERTY - 234 Johnston St, Fitzroy
Full disclosure – the author of this article was formerly a co-owner of Bar Liberty…but don’t worry about that, there’s plenty of other people who will tell you that Bar Liberty is one of the best wine bars in the world! (or at least Melbourne). Another one that straddles the line between restaurant and wine bar, the food here is as much of a draw as the wine. A big selection of aged wines at great prices, and plenty of interesting beers, sakes and spirits as well.
Perth Wine Bars--aromatic
The east coast of Australia is by no means in short supply of places to grab a delicious meal paired with a great drop. But what about our mates in the west?
Arguably one of the most isolated cities in the world - Perth is punching well above its weight in showcasing some fantastic food and wine venues. Here are our top 5 places to wine and dine in Perth...
NO MAFIA - 252 William St, Northbridge
Nestled in the bustling heart of Northbridge, No Mafia does not disappoint when it comes to everything Italiano! With their no fuss approach, you feel like one of the family - a family of brilliant chefs and switched on sommeliers. Their generous wine list shows off some cracking bottles from Italy as well as some local gems.
The owners and staff are perhaps some of the most passionate foodies and wine lovers going around Perth - There is always a new wine or dish that they can’t wait to show you - and take my advice - let them! Their modern take on traditional Sicilian dishes, created with the freshest West Australian produce is not to be missed.
SHADOW WINE BAR - 214 William St, Perth
Just a stone's throw from No Mafia, Shadow Wine Bar is a sophisticated and stylish hideaway from the sometimes hectic streets of Northbridge.
Step into a buzzing world of class and quality as their modern Australian cuisine paired with some impressive local and international wines takes you away for a few hours. You could really set up shop here and stay all night!
The staff are a massive drawcard - cool and calm they really know their stuff, especially about wine! This place is oozing with chic-ness. One of Perth's best, if you're looking to spoil yourself.
LALLA ROOKH - 77 St Georges Terrace, Perth
One of the stalwarts in the Perth wine scene, Lalla Rookh is a place with a big heart and even bigger wine list. Plenty of great drops from producers you've never seen before (but will want to). Eat, drink, be merry - this is the perfect spot to while away the afternoon.
PETITION - State Buildings, St Georges Tce &, Barrack St, Perth
We’re really in the heart of the CBD now! Petition wine bar might have one of the coolest things in the world - a wine library. Choose from the shelves what you want to drink right there and then or take it away to enjoy later!
The carefully curated selection of boutique wines has something for everyone, whether you’re new to the wine game or are a veteran, you'll find something to tickle your fancy.
BALTHAZAR - 6 The Esplanade, Perth
Sitting at the base of an original Art Deco apartment block, the ‘Lawson’ just opposite Elizabeth Quay, Balthazar really takes you on a complete food and wine journey. A journey which you can continue at home as they’re licensed to sell wine to take away!
The ever changing wine list features some quality organic and biodynamic wines which matches their minimalist intervention menu. Balthazar gets top marks from us!
Sydney Wine Bars--racy
Sydney, the grande dame of Australian cities. At once modern and cosy, bright lights and hidden secrets. Plenty for the locals, but certainly the big ticket item on the Aussie destination list.
There's plenty of great wine destinations too - here’s a short list of some of our favourites!
LOVE, TILLY DEVINE - 91 Crown Ln, Darlinghurst
POLY - 74-76 Commonwealth St, Surry Hills
TEN WILLIAM ST - 10 William St, Paddington
MONOPOLE - 71a Macleay St, Potts Point
COOGEE WINE ROOM - 222 Coogee Bay Road, Coogee
BIBO WINE BAR - 7 Bay Street, Double Bay
Brisbane Wine Bars--aromatic
1889 ENOTECA - The Moreton Rubber Building, 10-12 Logan Rd, Woolloongabba
Owned by renowned wine import Dan Clarke, this is a great spot to explore a wide range of Italian wines, not just those of the more famed regions. Plenty of great eating and drinking to be done here.
CRU BAR - 1/22 James St, Fortitude Valley
An oldie but a goodie, Cru has been at the top of the wine bar game in Brisbane for many years. With a huge selection of interesting wines by the glass, it's a great spot to pop in and try something new.
GERARD'S BAR - 13A, 23 James Street, Fortitude Valley
The next-door-wine-bar-neighbour to famed Gerard's Bistro, this cosy little bar (with a handy deck for sunny days) has a focus on charcuterie and tasty things by the glass. A great spot for a pre-dinner drink.
GRAPE THERAPY - cnr Adelaide St & Macrossan St, Brisbane
Flys under the radar sometimes, but if you want a cosy spot to curl up on a huge couch with a glass of something comforting, well this takes some beating. Steeped in vintage charm, and with a bottle shop to takeaway your new-found discovery, this is a great place.
Adelaide Wine Bars--cellar
Adelaide is known as the City of Churches, and whilst there are certainly quite a few places of worship in South Australia's capital, there are also a host of great food and wine options. Here's a snapshot of our current favourite places in Adelaide.
LEIGH ST WINE ROOM - 9 Leigh Street, Adelaide
Owners Nathan and Sali Sasi moved from Sydney to Adelaide in 2018 and quickly set to work looking for a space for their dream venue. Amazing produce translated into great food, with a huge list of low-intervention and organic wines to choose from. Very polished and fun.
MOTHER VINE - 22-26 Vardon Ave, Adelaide
A great wine bar owned by the same team as the famous bottleshop East End Cellars across the road, Mothervine has super-reasonably priced bottles for all tastes. A great collection of Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot especially.
LA BUVETTE - 27 Gresham St, Adelaide
This little piece of Paris transplanted to downtown Adelaide is a great spot for enjoying a bottle of something French teamed with classic and tasty bistro style snacks. Helpful staff guide you to the right selection every time.
HELLBOUND - Basement, 201 Rundle St, Adelaide
Descend the stairs, not to Hell, but to wine Heaven really. Only a few years old, Hellbound is totally focussed on the grape. Only a few snacks here, but plenty of bottles to choose from.
London Wine Bars--red
For a long time now, London has been considered one of the drinking capitals of the world. Whether it’s a cocktail from one of the worlds best bars; a local craft beer, or a delicious glass of wine... England’s capital has you covered.
Here is a round-up of some of our favourite wine bars in London...
Sager & Wild is headed up by Michael Sager and his team who are true champions of small, boutique producers. The company now operates out of two sites; their original grassroots venue on the Hackney Road, and under the arches on Paradise Row, Bethnal Green. Wherever you choose to go, you can be sure you will be met with a loaded wine list, delicious small plates and a super friendly team who really know their stuff! Evenings in here are easily sipped away when the lighting drops and the candles flicker.
A true champion of the natural wine scene right here. Situated just a couple of doors down from Sager & Wilde’s flagship site on the Hackney Road, Charlie and Tom at the Laughing Heart have created one of London’s coolest spaces for getting lost in wine. When you walk in, you have two choices: proceed into the relaxed dining room and get involved with some serious grub, or descend to their Cave - no reservations needed, just good wine and good company. If you land yourself there on a Saturday night, there will probably be a DJ doing his or her thang... did somebody say wine and vinyl?
Drop down into Soho and you are NEVER short of a place to go for a drink. But we have found that whilst Soho is awesome for pubs, eateries and cocktails, the wine scene in this part of London has been lacking (excuse us, Andrew Edmunds sir...). So when Antidote opened its doors, were were thrilled! Light, bright and airy with a deli style offering of cold meats and seasonal small plates, Antidote offers a wide range of wine with a fabulous selection of natural and skin contact styles alongside their main focus: France.
If you are in London, then you would be foolish not to check out Gordon’s Wine Bar, the oldest of its kind in London. Situated on Embankment, make sure you get there early in the summer, as the outside seating area fills up very fast. Gordon’s offers an approachable selection of wine, and they pour Sherry by the glass or carafe straight from the tapped barrels behind the old bar. Inside there is a deli, with plenty of meat and cheese to choose from. Tall people watch out, this place is old school, watch your head on the eaves. Gordon’s should be on the sightseeing bus route, it really is that special!
Total legend John Baum has taken this site, which is an old cellar in the arches in Farringdon and turned it into something quite spectacular. This is probably the most rustic place in London to enjoy a glass of something delicious. Charcuterie is on the menu, however it is John’s sharp palate and access to exclusive wines that he imports himself that gets our juices flowing. Step back in time at The Winemakers Club.
For these guys, the letters ‘WC’ take on a double meaning. More importantly they stand for two of our favourite things: wine and charcuterie. However both sites in Clapham and Bloomsbury are of particular interest - they are converted victorian WC’s or Water Closets. Who would have thought it, these places are seriously cool and extremely cosy. It is easy to get lost underground at either of these bars for a very long time. Lovely small ‘tapas’ style plates and a diverse wine offering make WC a must visit if you are in the right part of town.
wine and meat board
Perhaps one of the bigger success stories of the UK’s wine scene in the last decade, Vagabond now operate across ten sites (we were about to say “in London”, but there is a gorgeous Birmingham site now too). Vagabond offer a wine drinking experience like no other. They have taken the concept of enomatic machines, and turned them into something that is worth revisiting. This is wine on tap at it’s best. Rock up, load up your (Oyster style) card and stick it in the machine. Don't forget to put a wine glass under the right tap though... we haven't made that mistake, ever.
This place if fast becoming an East London institution. From the team behind some of our favourite London eateries, P Franco feels like a home away from home. Walk-ins only, if you want to ensure you get a spot here, we advise clocking off a bit earlier to bag yourself a seat! One goes to P Franco to chill out, it’s not about silver service, or to have a somebody hanging on your every move. You arrive, you order a few small plates (the kitchen opens from Thursday to Sunday) and indulge in a bottle of wine or two whilst you feel like you're at a dinner party.
If you find yourself in Covent Garden and in need of a glass of wine then there is only one place you need to know about: 10 Cases. Wine Buyer Alex Pitt is fast gaining a reputation for one of the sharpest palates in the game and the 10 Cases wine list is absolutely singing! Why ‘10 Cases’ we here you ask..? Historically the crew would only commit to 10 cases of a given wine in a bid to keep their wine list new and fresh. We are pretty sure they still take this approach, but there is also a fabulous core range that runs thought the spine of the wine list. So don't worry, if you have something delicious here, it’ll probably still be there 10 cases later! Drink and/or dine in the Cave À Vin or the Bistrot a Vin, or even book out the delightful underground private dining room, it doesn't matter, the food and wine at 10 Cases is always on point, and so is the service.
Looking for a truly authentic, rustic wine and food experience? Head to this place folks. This is the personification of home cooking with a seriously exciting wine offering. 40 Maltby St is owned by Gergovie Wines; a specialist importer with a focus on natural tipples that un-employ the use of chemicals and fertilisers, and so on. So a trip here is never wasted if you're into vino and you would be hard pushed to find a lot of these bottles elsewhere. No reservations, get in there early and settle into your cloudy wine as the trains rumble overhead.
About the Author
Banjo Harris Plane is the three-time winner Sommelier of the Year Australia and a certified advanced Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers. He first cut his teeth in the wine industry working as a sommelier in Australia's best restaurants, before starting multiple businesses in the space of a few years... these included two restaurants, a wine import business and co-founding Good Pair Days!