By Franz Scheurer
There are very few wine bars in Sydney that I really enjoy. Love Tilly Devine, 121 BC Italian Wine Bar and Wine Library about sum it up. However if I had to chose just one to go to, I’d visit The Wine Library. Why? Because I love the vibe, am impressed by the casual but ultra-knowledgeable service and simply adore their food. This is a bucket-list kind of place only you’re allowed to put it there a hundred times…
The Wine Library is right at the top of Oxford Street, near the turn off to Queen Street, a simple shop-front that’s easy to miss. Opened by the über-professional team of Buzo, the ever-popular Italian restaurant around the corner, they get it right. The décor is such that it attracts a wide clientele, from locals to wine or food aficionados from afar. A large bar with a few small tables opposite dominates the front room, opening to a larger, not quite as narrow backroom with tables and chairs. A lovely courtyard invites you to sit outside on the rare Sydney summer days when it’s not raining. The courtyard is also the space where they roast suckling pigs and other delicacies and the smell permeates the whole neighbourhood. They keep their own bees on the veranda upstairs and you won’t believe the terroir-driven taste (due to nearby Centennial Park) and the quality.
Sydney designer Bill McMahon is responsible for the clever use of cut-outs depicting bottles and glasses, backlit in strong colours, with actual bottles standing in front of the cut outs, giving you the impression you already had a few too many, but thankfully it will take a while before the floor becomes uneven…
I love the zinc bar! A great return to the glory of bars of yesteryears.
The wine list is impressive, the specials gems waiting for you to try them. There are few things you won’t find here, from Grand Crus to Orange Wines, from Sherry to Moscato with the odd Champagne thrown in; they have it.
The menu is equally impressive, ranging from all day snacks to more serious plates. The best way to eat here, in my opinion, is to order a plethora of smaller dishes and keep on snacking. Let me tell you it’s worth leaving the selection of wine(s) to the staff; not only do these guys know what they’re doing they also seem to be mind readers. They get it right.
You may want to start with a beer (yes, they do serve beer) with a plate of what they call ‘Pork Scratchings’ (really just strips of crackling) while you peruse the menu + wine list or maybe a platter of their excellent cold cuts. Either way you won’t be disappointed. I loved the Grilled Scallop & Rosemary Spiedini & Lemon; perfectly glassy scallops with a lovely, salty, sea aroma and a spicy kick. If you never had their Salted Cod Fish Fingers, Chilli & Mayonnaise then you have not lived and I adored the Pork & Paprika Empanadas, for me the dish of the night, although the Gozleme (served with a Pea, Persian Feta & Mint Insalata) would have to give them a run for their money. If you have a craving for something sweet, try the Mascarpone, Treacle & Lemon Cheesecake or the incredibly soft, gooey Delice de Bourgogne (soft cows’ milk cheese from France) served with some of their own honey, or (as we did) have both. The food, as you can tell from my rave, is up there with the best and food I want to eat; naturally their selection of beverages is extremely comprehensive and adventurous.
Would I go again: Preferably daily
Would I recommend the Wine Library to my friends: without hesitation
Noise: 87 db
Best dish: Pork & Paprika Empanadas
Score: 7.5/10
The Wine Library
18 Oxford Street
Woollahra NSW 2025
Tel.: 02 9328 1600