Neighbourhood Wine

When I was invited to try the Yumtable booking service one of the first places that caught my eye was Neighbourhood Wine. I think I had read about it… I couldn’t remember the context, but I loved the name. It speaks of a friendly, relaxed vibe in which to enjoy wine. And TAH-DA, they have achieved this with aplomb.

The decor is a bit ‘share-house lounge room’ with mismatched chairs from a number of vintages, bright paint and wallpaper and plenty of candles. It instantly felt homely and relaxing.  

Not two days earlier I had a conversation with my osteopath about so many Melbourne venues all looking the same – blond wood perching stools, a touch of metal, exposed concrete, perfectly styled flower arrangements. I love that look but as a bona fide dag I sometimes feel too uncool for stool(s). Neighbourhood wine stands out for its comfortable cosiness.

To add to the cosy, we were seated near the fireplace. It felt a little magical to come in from the cold, rainy evening to a real-deal open fireplace. None of that ornamental fire business here.

It was a special occasion (celebrating a new job) so we started with a glass of NV Béréche Et Fils Brut Reserve Champagne. It was crisp and delicate with some lovely toasty, almond characters.

This gave us time to peruse the sizeable wine list. It really is a fantastically put together list with a good representation of red and white from all the major wine-producing countries. The big’uns like France and Italy (as well as local Aussie listings) are split into regions, which helps with navigation. There are also listings from America (hard to get here), South Africa and Portugal; in fact most wine-producing countries get a mention – even Lebanon.

We decided on the  2012 Calabretta ‘Cala Cala’ Vino Rosso Nerello Mascalese (Mt Etna $59). Quite a lot of graphite and red fruit opened up over time to some beautiful floral (rose) aromatics. With grippy tannins and fresh acidity, it reminded me a little of a nebbiolo.

As we watched the rain come down outside, the best way to make the most of the cosiness was with some big, rich meals. I went for the grass-fed O’Connor bavette steak with shallot and herb butter, ($32)

On ordering I asked the waitress how the chef preferred to serve bavette steak, as it is a fickle cut of meat. It was a little more cooked than the medium-rare that was intended and as such was a little chewy. However, there was ample shallot and herb butter to overcome this, and the crust of the steak was beautifully charred. The chips were insanely good. Fat and so so crunchy, whilst perfectly fluffy inside. 

For My Love, Osso Buco with soft polenta and gremolata ($28)

The meat was fall-apart tender and the sauce, lick-the-bowl rich. 

If you are into trying new wines, there is a big list by the glass and each of the dishes has a recommended wine match to take the guess work out of it for you.

The night also called for dessert. For me, pumpkin custard tart and praline ice cream ($12)

I haven’t really ventured into pumpkin desserts much before and was a little unsure. I needn’t have been, the tart was earthy and spicy with luscious crunchy toffee ice cream and flaky pastry

And for the fella – Dark chocolate pot, elderberry rippled ice cream and honeycomb ($12)

 The honeycomb did induce slight dessert envy. This was a beautiful dessert with lovely textures and balanced sweetness. 

To fortify ourselves against the cold waiting for us outside, we finished off with a little nightcap. Again the list is impressive with a huge range of good quality spirits and an amazing selection of fortified wines, including, to my delight, Justino’s 10 year old Boal Madeira. I wasn’t really thinking about tasting notes at this point but it hit that beautiful point of toffee and flamed citrus with palate cleansing acidity (I LOVE Madeira- you must try it).

Neighbourhood Wine is delightful – cosy and quirky with delicious, indulgent meals served in a relaxed and friendly environment. And the best damned wine list in the Neighbourhood

Disclosure: We received a discounted meal at Neighbourhood Wine as a guest of Yumtable. All opinions and ideas remain my own.