A wine bar of rare character, Geralds is as much a locals haunt as it is a destination venue for Peter Savage’s thoughtful cooking, Gerald and Mario’s smart wine and drinks selections and the uniquely personal ambience.
Fast forward, and not much has changed – although an Iberian Gerald’s, in San Sebastian, was added to the roster in 2014. They’re a bit more receptive to making cocktails. Well, a lot more. The walls are more heavily adorned with ornaments and collectables, and the shelves boast more drained prime bottles, spilt into glasses in good times past. But the vinyl, the eclectic selection of wines, the 1960s David Bailey portrait of Michael Caine that watches over all, and, most importantly, the attitude, has remained the same.
The by-the-glass policy has been similarly enduring, with the early arrivals dictating the open bottles, which can be switched around once exhausted, with ten typically open at any one time. The main list sits at a tick over 200, with and even international and domestic split, though Victorian wine makes up over two-thirds of the local listings. The soft drinks, cordials and bitters are all house made, and there’s a tight but broad-ranging beer offering, with both classic and original cocktails available. Food stretches from charcuterie, cheese and other typical wine bar snacks to changing small and large plates and deserts, with a “feed me” degustation option for those in for the longer haul. Indeed, under the decade-long stewardship of chef Peter Savage, Gerald’s Bar has become as a much a dining destination as it has a temple to liquid pleasures.
Started as a cellar door slash to represent the Mitchell Harris wines, this wine bar has become much more than that, with an exciting selection of wines from around the world (the avant-garde nestling up against the classic) and simple but clever food to match.
If you’re of a mind to put up a chardonnay from new-breed local star Mulline against a Raveneau Chablis, you can do that here, paired with some of the best food in the region. If it’s hot, you can then kick off your shoes and walk across the sand to cool your heels in the ocean. Perfect.
Up a flight of stairs above long-term wood-fired pizza player Woodstock in Fitzroy North, Neighbourhood Wine occupies a site of both individual charm and somewhat dubious history. Before Simon Denman and partner and chef Almay Jordaan took possession of the first-floor title that stretches over two shopfronts, it had remained idle for a quarter of…
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