The lowdown
The latest instalment of the Fino story from industry legends, brings this regional dining name to Adelaide’s CBD. A composed and confident approach delivers seasonal food in an unfused way, with wine culture inherent in the DNA.
The nuts & bolts
- Walk-ins welcome
- Opened 2019
- All indoor
- Open kitchen
- Wheelchair access
- Relaxed mature vibe
- Riedel glassware
- Use Coravin wine preservation system
The Fino philosophy has been built around simplicity and high quality – which has been maintained as co-owners Sharon Romeo (restaurant manager and wine buyer) and David Swain (head chef) have developed three winning venues over 16 years, culminating in their Adelaide CBD venue Fino Vino.
Their earlier ventures – Fino Willunga, a modest villa in the heart of McLaren Vale’s wine region, and Fino Seppeltsfield, located within the expansive Seppeltsfield wine and tourism compound in the Barossa – were essentially dining venues with smartly curated wine lists, but Adelaide’s Fino Vino offering takes a more eclectic form, with dining tables augmented by stools at the bar to accommodate casual drinkers.
The simple, unfussed elegance of what is provided to the customer remains integral to the fundamental appeal of Fino Vino. David insists that the food is understated but thoughtful, seasonal and locally sourced; Sharon directs the service team to be intuitive, friendly and to treat customers with care. It sounds easy, but requires ongoing attention to detail.
For the drinks, this equates to Sharon carefully selecting an intelligent wine collection spanning a broad church of regions, flavours and textures that sit effortlessly in the company of food, rather than being an encyclopaedic list trying appease every style and variety.
There’s a choice of Sherry, of course, and a deliberate focus on light-to-medium bodied wines that tease and challenge the palate rather than overwhelm the senses.
“As seasoned restaurateurs, we decided to bring Fino – which had always been a very regional brand, which started in 2006 – into Adelaide’s Central Business District by offering the same recipe of simple, seasonal food alongside thoughtful and caring service in a stunning venue,” says Sharon.
The building’s unfussy, stripped-back interior has raw stylings that sets the mood, with exposed ceilings and rugged brick, tan leather low-slung chairs and banquettes around pensive grey and ochre stone tabletops. The bar is busy, and the open kitchen hums with focused energy to deliver a compact menu that can celebrate the bright acidic zing of ripe tomatoes in ceviche-style curing of fleshy mulloway strips, or luscious pork cutlet with celeriac puree and toasted quinoa, through to a winning bowl of braised king mushrooms with riced potatoes.
“Walking into Fino Vino is like walking into my home,” says Sharon. “From the interior design, to the menu, to the drinks offering and service, it is all about quality, integrity and care.”
