Never let it be said I don’t listen to readers – and so when someone recommended a new small Italian wine bar in Bar Zine’s forum section (it’s a new part of the site that you can use to talk to each other or me about bars, drinks, events or felines) I took a deep breath, asked my cat to bless me for luck, and headed over to the dark side (aka Cremorne) to check it out. Vino … [Read more...]
Spiedo – Westfield, Sydney
There’s something about Westfield and Italian wine bars. First there was Ragu, which I reviewed a few weeks back, and now there’s Spiedo (and I’ll try not to make a budgie smuggler joke). Spiedo is a Northern Italian restaurant and bar from chef Alessandro Pavoni (one of the many bald guys who appeared on Master Chef) that’s on level 6, which is one level above the … [Read more...]
Ragu Pasta and Wine Bar at Westfield – Sydney CBD
It’s 1.30pm on a Saturday, I’ve barely been awake for an hour, and while I should be scoffing scrambled eggs and coffee to deal with my hangover I find myself at Ragu Pasta and Wine Bar in Westfield instead. It’s been a while since I've had red wine for breakfast but I have to say – it works pretty well. I’m here because a Kiwi friend of mine is in town for the day and … [Read more...]
121BC – Surry Hills
Some might think the photo I took of 121BC, a hole-in-the wall Italian wine bar hidden in a Surry Hills laneway, is awful. Actually, I suspect most people will think my photo’s crap and they'd probably be right. Still, after a few drinks, I've managed to con myself into thinking that, like 121BC itself, it has a European-style 1950s minimalist aesthetic to it. And yes, I … [Read more...]
Pendolino – Sydney CBD
What’s surprising about Pendolino, an elegant and subdued Italian wine bar and restaurant on the Strand Arcade’s top floor, isn’t so much that it has a separate room dedicated just to showcasing olive oil - although that alone makes it somewhat quirky (they do olive oil tastings here) - but the sheer size of the main dining area. Having only ever walked past it before I … [Read more...]