Sydney Wine Bars to check out

Things have been a little hectic lately in the life of Alex Mac and the spare time that I would normally use to research all things wine seems to have evaporated just as wine does from my glass. Something that I can talk about without having to do further research is wine bars in Sydney.

Since the liquor laws changed and licences became more affordable for cafes and the like, it seems that there is a wine bar popping up on every corner. The transformation provides the late twenties, early thirties crowd somewhere to go where they can still enjoy drinking the evening away, without the hassle that accompanies monster bars like The Sheaf or the Ivy.

Some of my favourite wine bars in Sydney are as follows in alphabetical order.

Bambini Wine Room 185 Elizabeth St, Sydney
This is a truly stunning wine bar where the decor is fit for a French royalty of days gone by. The wine bar is a small room near the restaurant where more formal dining takes place. There are chandeliers hanging from the beautifully decorated ceiling, deeply enticing wall paper which creates a comfort and sophistication to the room. The wines are good and there are lovely little nibbles to accompany many different types of wine. Value for money is not really the point here though. The extra money you pay on your glass of wine and food goes to maintaining a superb ambience which is why I keep going back.


Bar H 80 Campbell Street Surry Hills
You must know by now that Bar H is one of my all time favourites. Other than the fact that it is literally two blocks from my front door, there is a calmness and elegance of this place that lures me time and time again. The walls are ingeniously decorated with steel frames filled with wine bottles from floor to ceiling. You can sit at the bar and nibble away on some chilli nuts as the lovely sommelier lets you taste some interesting and ever changing wines until you find something you like, have a full meal at one of the cosy booths or watch the world go by from the window. The light is low and warm, and the employees welcome you as if you were an old friend. Perhaps I have become one though...

Bootleg 175 Victoria Street Potts Point
This is a great little bar that I have met friends for a pre-dinner glass of wine. They do serve Italian food and the restaurant is very popular however to date I have not eaten here. The novelty of Bootleg is that they have an enormous wine list and are constantly changing it around. Each week or so they open several white varieties and several red varieties. Customers are encouraged to try some different types of wine to expand their wine knowledge and excite the taste buds with something a little different. I think that this is a pretty cool concept as it forces people out of their comfort zone and enables them to delve just a little deeper into their wine appreciation.

DeVine 32 Market Street, Sydney CBD
This is a little gem in the middle of the bustling CBD. I have again frequented this place. It was here that I discovered the wonderful world of wine from Alsace. It was like a ray of sunlight shone through the window and onto my heavenly glass of wine. There is a wine bar at the front but this becomes absolutely packed after work so you had better get in early to get a seat. The restaurant in the back is also nice but much less social. They have a great selection and the staff know what they are talking about when it comes to wine. Finally the food is definitely value for money. The antipasto plate offers a large assortment of goodies and not just a small piece of parmesan, two olives and some shaved parma ham (hello Felix!).

I have just realised that I am only up to D yet have filled a page more than I expected. I guess it is easy to see where my evaporated spare time goes. We will have to continue with the wine bars in later blogs, as we have only just begun! Until next time, have a glass for me. Alex Mac :)