Wine
Top 5 Sydney Wine Bars
Whether you're a connoisseur or simply looking to foray into the beautiful world of wine, there are thousands of wonderful options to choose from.
From household favourites to adventurous flavour profiles, we’ve compiled a list of five of our top wine bars to visit in Sydney:
Fix Wine Bar
For those looking to introduce their palate to the adventurous side of wine, Fix Wine Bar is the place to be. The amazing wine list at Fix is "dedicated to the hands-on makers, the small growers, the crazies and the fanatics." With a mix of 250+ varieties you've most likely never seen and producers you've never heard of, Fix Wine Bar delivers an experience like no other.
Owner: Stuart Knox: “Here at Fix we strive to bring an extensive array of the wines of the world to your table. With over 110 wines to try by the glass, customers can be assured that they’ll try something unique and amazing. Every wine has been selected because we feel it has a story to tell, be it about the grape, the place or the person that made it.”
Click here for Fix Wine Bar's unique Wine List.
111 Elizabeth St, Sydney
Open Monday – Wednesday: 8am-10pm, Thursday – Friday: 8am-11pm
https://fixwine.com.au
Monopole
If you've ever worried about selecting a 'good' wine while out for a meal, worry no more. European-style wine bar and eatery, Monopole carries more than 500 rare and boutique wines. Overwhelmed?
Don't be.
The venue's wine list has been carefully compiled by one of Australia's most renowned sommeliers, Nick Hildebrandt and has won multiple awards, including Wine List of the Year in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2017. Dine with confidence knowing you can't make a 'bad' choice, and enjoy a range of wine-friendly dishes while you're at it.
Owner: Nick Hildebrandt: “Monopole is a must-visit wine bar for a number of reasons. Obviously, our wine list is very extensive and features a lot of rare, cult and up and coming prodders that won’t be found anywhere else. Along with this, we have an extensive and ever-changing wine-by-the-glass selection featuring wines from all over the world. Added to this, our food offering for a wine bar is unrivalled. We’ve been awarded two hats for the last three years.”
71a Macleay Street, Potts Point
Open till late Monday – Sunday
https://www.monopolesydney.com.au
Love, Tilly Devine
Photography by Nikki To.
If you thought wine was 'just wine' and that's that, you would be incorrect. Love, Tilly Devine has been paving the way for a more natural approach to the wine scene. The Darlinghurst haunt has spent the last eight years carefully crafting a 300+ wine list with a twist – 90 per cent of the list consists of wines made with organic or bio-dynamically worked grapes, creating a generation of new flavours and tastes. As said by the owners, it "is a list of delicious Australian wines, enhanced by the inclusion of a few international ring-ins."
Owner & Sommelier: Matt Swieboda: “Over the past eight years Love, Tilly Devine has evolved significantly. Our wine programme has evolved, several excellent chefs have made the bar their home, as have many memorable sommeliers. But, the heart of the bar has remained the same. It’s a warm, genuine place to drink exceptional wine. Certainly, the focus is now on Australian natural wine and Australian fresh produce. We’re focused on celebrating the next generation of Australian winemakers and all of the incredible new styles of wine that are being produced. It’s a very exciting time to be an Australian wine drinker and a we’re thrilled to be a part of it.”
Check out Love, Tilly Devine's extensive Wine List here.
91 Crown Lane, Darlinghurst
Open Monday – Saturday: 5pm-Late
http://www.lovetillydevine.com
10 William St
10 William St is an iconic European-style bar and restaurant that always looks full (because it is) and is brimming with authenticity, warmth and cosiness. Adding to its rustic charm is the ever-evolving wine list, chalked up lovingly on a blackboard near the front window.
Offering a wide variety of red, orange, white and natural wines (paired with any of the specialty menu items, you can't go wrong), this tiny venue is bursting with attitude and flavour. It's the kind of hole-in-the-wall joint you will find yourself coming back to.
Manager: Andrew Ainsworth and Owner: Giovanni Paradiso: “There’s an energy inside 10 William St that’s unique, dynamic and ever changing. This energy is created by the interaction between our customers, the winemakers behind our wines, the farmers, the pasta machine, an eclectic soundtrack and a knowledgeable, engaging service. When you’re there, you are an integral part of that energy, you’re not in Sydney anymore – you’re in 10 William St.”
“The wine list takes you on a journey from Piedmont to Catalunya; the Adelaide Hills to Sicily; the Loire to the Roussillon and everywhere in between. It doesn’t stand still and it isn’t dogmatic – it reflects our ever-evolving tastes and interests and offers wines that will excite and intrigue the open-minded customer,” explains Andrew.
10 William Street, Paddington
Open Monday – Thursday: 5pm-12am, Friday – Saturday: 12pm-12am
http://10williamst.com.au
Bibo Wine Bar
For a little help along the way, Sommelier, Louella Mathews' curated wine list at Bibo Wine Bar makes choosing easy. As well as a blackboard featuring the 'Wine of the Day', Mathews' wine list contains three-word flavour descriptions alongside them. For example – "complex, mineral, brioche." With approximately 200 featured wines, these descriptions make the process less intimidating and guides your choices along the way.
The addition of an extraordinary private cellar available exclusively to Bibo is the cherry on top of an already amazing establishment.
Restaurateur: Jonathan Mallet: “Bibo is the perfect balance of quality Mediterranean-inspired food, an award-winning wine list, great atmosphere and friendly service from our young and passionate team. Variety is spice of life and Bibo is home to a large and diverse wine list to suit every palate and budget, with older classic drops and interesting newer styles from Australia and around the world. The private museum collection is a sight for sore eyes and you can even enjoy some of these special museum wines by the glass.”
7 Bay Street, Double Bay
Open Wednesday – Thursday: 530pm-12am, Friday – Saturday: 12pm-12am, Sunday: 12pm-5pm
http://bibowinebar.com.au