Decorated sommelier Stuart Knox has run his wine bar/brasserie for 15 years. It’s a favourite lunch spot for city workers, but is equally loved by those transfixed by Knox’s eclectic wine selections and the ability to order across around a 100 by-the-glass options in various pour sizes.
Fix has somewhat of a dual personality, mainly due to its location on the ever-busy Elizabeth Street. Proof perhaps that the long lunch will never die, Fix does healthy daytime trade, with a high ratio of suited customers. At night, that mood shifts into a more relaxed gear, though the constants of the wine-friendly European/Asian menu and the relaxed but deeply informed service of Knox and crew remain constants.
With about 250 wines on the list, Knox offers 100 of these by the glass or half-litre flask. Through the magic of Coravin, about 40 percent of that vinous century are premium offerings, with all listings (bar the fizz) available in both 75ml and 125ml pours. While Knox is clearly a fan of natural wines, you won’t find any dogma at Fix. His agenda is a very personal one, to have a list that reflects his self-described “eclectic” tastes, the wines that engage him right now. And if you’re in any doubt about what interests and engages him, aside from the selections themselves, the list is punctuated with anecdotes, explanations, maps and articles, ranging from the edifying to the amusing. Indeed, it’s enough to keep any lone diners engaged right through their meal, and well beyond.
An offshoot of Potts Point’s much-loved Fratelli Paradiso, 10 William St shed the skin of modern Australian-Italian dining with a push away from fried calamari with rocket et al, delving into a new form of Italian experimentation. Respectful and subtle experimentation, that is. And while Fratelli Paradiso has long stuck to a wine list that…
On the banks of the Murrumbidgee River, in a beautiful quiet valley at Jugiong in central New South Wales, The Sir George Hotel stands as an oasis between Sydney and Melbourne.
While this grand old pub was established in 1854, the current Sydney-based owners – general manager and wine buyer Leonie Sassall and executive chef Anthony Davis – bought the business in 2021 and introduced new energy and vision. “We are endeavouring to make this pub a food and beverage destination in addition to offering 5-star accommodation in an award-winning garden setting,” says Sassall.
The combined talents of bar guru Stephen Smooker and wine luminary Sophie Otton doing their thing in a warm and friendly bar makes for a damn fine local, and one worth travelling for, too.
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