When Cru Bar opened, it wrapped the wine store and wine bar ideas together in its own individual way, going somewhat bigger and more boldly than other pioneers into this territory. Indeed, this is no street-corner enoteca, but rather a wine store of vast liquid resources, a fully equipped cocktail/wine bar and a restaurant that can seat 80 diners. There’s also a covered al fresco area at the entrance, and a more classic private dining option amongst the cellar’s bottle-stacked shelves.
Thanks to the magic of Coravin, Cru Bar offer around 110 wines by the glass or taste. Perhaps a 1969 Marc Brédif Vouvray, a 2009 Bouchard Corton-Charlemagne or a 2005 Rockford ‘Rifle Range’ Cabernet Sauvignon? Or maybe names like Tempier, Chidaine, Vietti, Hudelot-Noëllatmight stir your interest. There’s an extraordinary choice across the new and old world and across many regions, with vintage depth being a particular feature.
If you’re after a bottle of wine, the list runs to about 1200, with more resources in the cellar, too. The range takes in pretty much everything, appealing to those with more classical tastes, while also carrying plenty of pét nats, natural and orange wines, and a healthy selection from the Jura. If there’s any bias, it’s for Champagne, Burgundy and Barolo, which are more than understandable obsessions. Sherry, saké and whisk(e)y are also very well represented.
Ex-Stokehouse Brisbane chef Richard Ousby has recently taken the reins of the kitchen. He has an open brief, the only caveats being that the food is wine friendly, and that the produce is sustainably grown or reared and locally sourced, where possible. Charred brussels sprouts with pumpkin yoghurt, fried pork belly dumplings and Fraser Isle spanner crab spaghettini with chilli, lemon and pangrattato have quickly become customer favourites.
Providing a definitive note on inner urban cool, The End captures a funky loungeroom vibe, complete with a collection of vintage films and an oddball collection of dangling light bulbs and potted plants. Taking over a former video store on Vulture St in 2011, The End was among the early wave of Brisbane small bars to emerge and has maintained a solid following due to its lack of pretentions.
The development of Howard Smith Wharves has taken grip of Brisbane like nothing before it, launching a raft of celebrated venues that are redefining that city’s dining and drinking scene. Arc Dining & Wine Bar is no small player in this revolution, with the 100-seat restaurant and 140-seat wine bar opening in early 2019 to…
Over the last little while, Lyndon Kubis and Renton Carlyle have amassed a considerable collection of well-loved wine bars in Melbourne (The Moon, Toorak Cellars, Milton Wine Bar, The Hills and The Alps), and perhaps it was only a matter of time before they spread their wings. Leaping over closer neighbours, notably Canberra and Sydney,…
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