Stone House may be Darwin’s only true wine bar, but it’s not complacent about its monopoly, with a wine list that traverses the globe and staff that really know their beans.
Stone House was originally founded as a northern sibling of Bullen’s former Melbourne wine bar, Cohen Cellars, with twice the capacity of its southern sister. It also comes with a good slice of history, which is echoed in the artfully distressed render on the walls, a palimpsest chronicling the building’s history. Starting as an opium den in the 1880s, it endured an unexploded bomb in the back garden and bullet holes in the walls from the Japanese bombing during WWII, as well as having its roof ripped off during Cyclone Tracy.
Stone House would slip quite comfortably into any of this country’s major cities, with a timeless wine bar feel and a deeply thoughtful offer. The wine list traverses about 300 listings, both domestic and imported, with about 25 by the glass. And the Coravin revolution has well and truly made it to Darwin, too, with half a dozen or so premium pours available.
“For the last past five years, we have been bringing some exclusive wines, small batches and lo-fi wines to the NT,” says manager Julie Borel. “As the only wine bar in Darwin, we are a reference in the hospitality industry and for the locals, therefore our wine list has been evolving following the trends of the market but also our own tastes.”
Bullen also exclusively imports wine, with forays into Europe and the United States resulting in containers of wine heading back for her venues. And for those more connected with beer, as may happen, there is strong selection of craft beers, with eight on tap. Food mainly follows a grazing route, with charcuterie, imported cheeses, dips, bruschetta, sliders and the like filling the offer.
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