A bar, coffee shop and restaurant all rolled into one, Bar Vino is a newcomer with serious credentials and a wine offer to back it up.
The concept of a coffee shop by day and wine bar by night could be distracting, the risk being that the eye is never quite on one purpose. Immediate impressions are, however, that this is a team that knows what they’re doing. The cohesiveness of the offering and the service belies the age of the freshly opened venue and there’s certainly nothing lacking in focus. A serious Italian, French and Australian wine list is true to the name, with Sicilian frappato, say, from new-wave maker COS, local chenin blanc and stacks of Sangiovese, with plenty on by the glass, and a killer reserve list playing support. It’s a match with homely Italian dishes ranging from ciabatta to go with La Delizia stracciatella to crisp Exmouth tiger prawn fritti, hearty lamb ragù with casarecce, and golden-crumbed pork cotoletta. The crowd, meanwhile, takes in first dates, families, locals and wine buffs, meaning even midweek sees the place pumping. And with polish like this, Bar Vino’s reputation is surely only going to grow. Especially when the tiramisù is this good.
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