The lowdown
Parisian-inspired bistro/bars are in vogue, but Caravin is shifting briskly through the gears, keeping everything on the wine list and on the menu changing frequently. Upholding a mantra of “don’t stagnate”, this venue insists that you’ll need to visit regularly to keep apace of its eclectic 100-wine list.
The regular’s tip
The 300 wines on the 16-page list provide plenty of exciting options, but also keep a keen eye on the rotating list of 25 wines by Eat Crab toast outside and make your way through Caravin’s selection of orange glasses by the pour.
Caravin has been designed by owners Greg Bampton and Phil Stenvall (who previously ran the Swedish and Scandinavian-flavoured Bar Suze in Sydney) to reflect the cool new generation of rock and roll bistro bars in Paris.
It’s a stylish, intimate space – a 30-something seater that replaced the former Dumpling and Beer site in Potts Point – and the theme is don’t stagnate.
“I try to keep the list tight and under 100 wines,” explains Bampton. “Our object is to promote a fun, natural and organic focus, along with an assortment of more classic styles. We have something for all types of wine drinkers.”
This can mean selections from Erbaluna dolcetto d’Alba from Piedmont, to Matthieu Barret grenache rose from the Rhone, to chilled Claus Presinger blaufrankisch from Austria – or Bande Apart chardonnay from the Adelaide Hills.
By constantly rotating new wines into the Caravin mix, the house pour also changes very frequently – sometimes throughout the night. “The wine theme matches the food theme in this venue, with the emphasis being to keep it vibrant.”
With this in mind, the menu places careful attention to seasonality but stretches beyond the expected Paris Bistro fare, instead offering smoked beetroot tartare, lamb cutlets with garlic and carrots, and an espresso and mandarin parfait with burnt marshmallows.
A steady rotation of small plates is mindful of being both affordable ($5 to $30) and interesting – crab toast or a saucisson plate one day, gruyere gougeres the next. “Our kitchen is evolving to introduce new dishes and therefore the menus are changing pretty much daily. Because we’ve only been open for a few months, we’re trying to keep service casual, fun and fast-paced but I’m sure this will evolve.”
There’s also plenty for return guest to turn their attention to, with Bampton saying the staff printing new wine lists almost every day. “It means there’s always something new to try. We don’t sleep on the by-the-glass page, and because of that we see lots of locals coming in during the afternoons for a wine while they read a book – and then we also see them taking advantage of $12 Martinis & negronis that we serve between 4.30pm and 5.30pm on Thursdays and Fridays.
