Vine Double Bay
Address: 2 Short Street, Double Bay
Open: Tuesday-Wednesday 3pm-midnight, Thursday-Saturday noon-midnight, Sunday noon-10pm
There's a spring in Double Bay's step and it's not just the November weather.
Lockouts and alcohol restrictions up the road in Kings Cross have sent the crowds further east, sparking a rash of new bars, restaurants and screeching young drunks.
This classy newbie doesn't have any of the latter and seems to be pulling an older, richer, but-still-can't-quite-stop-getting-tipsy-on-Saturday-night crowd.
Owners Gavin Douchkov and Manny Karson have transformed a fairly drab laneway spot, formerly Zigolini's, into something that reminds me of Noosa. Vertical gardens, huge airy skylights, white walls adorned with minimalist abstract paintings and scarily well-dressed waitresses smack of fancy resort town.
Parts of it stray into overkill but others parts of this drinking/dining experience are wonderful.
We start with a cocktail at the tall bar tables at one end and finish with a sit-down meal and wine on a communal table at the other. It's an awkwardly shaped space - long and narrow with zero flow - so they've done a good job creating a vibe throughout.
Cocktails are light, fruity and poolside-worthy. Even the Old Fashioned ditches the dark spirits for raspberry-infused Tanqueray gin, lemon and an ice sphere with a raspberry frozen inside, creating a sharp, fresh sipper ($19). The shorter cocktails are the better ones and, despite the bartender's promise, the Espresso Martini (Ketel One Vodka, Gypsy espresso, coffee liqueur, vanilla sugar, $19) is nothing special.
The focus here is on wine, served in big, beautiful glassware and matched well with the help of excellent general manager Mikee Collins, who needs to be cloned 10 times to replace the lacklustre bar staff.
Amid the 50-or-so wines are plenty of lesser-known, standout boutique wineries and some new-age organic and biodynamic styles.
And the beer list is worth a gander too with some interesting share beers from Europe like a champagne-style bottle of Deus Brut Des Flandres Belgian ale ($70 for 750 Ml) or French Trois Mont Golden ale ($25 for 750 mL).
Lucky we nibble a few delicious bar snacks (duck and ham croquettes with gribeche and smoked pork hock and manchego donuts, both $14 for 4) first because it takes us and the couple opposite us 15 minutes to be noticed once we sit down in the restaurant.
There is serious pedigree in the kitchen with chef Drew Bolton, who has worked at Quay and French Laundry in California's Napa Valley.
Some of his dishes are great like the beef tenderloin with parsley root ($38), smoked pork jowl and crackling with parsnip, tangelo and cumquat ($22) and a work-of-art ceviche. It's a sophisticated take on modern, homely food that is fresh and vibrant. Nothing fried, nothing in slider form. You're in Double Bay after all.
Most groups are tucking in to big share dishes for two to four, like whole duck with lavender, star anise, rhubarb and celery heart ($70). Together with a bottle of red and some good conversation, it's hard to see how your night can go wrong.
It's an expensive outing but if you have anything left, the party continues late around the corner at Mrs Sippy and the revamped Pink Salt and even later at the new nightclub Casablanca. Damn Double Bay, you're looking fine.
Twitter @rachelolding
YOU'LL LOVE IT IF... a Noosa resort bar/resto is a little too far away for one night
YOU'LL HATE IT IF... you're looking for the young party crowd
GO FOR... biodynamic wines, Raspberry Old Fashioned, whole duck
IT'LL COST YOU... wine by the glass $9-$13, cocktails $18-$22, bar snacks $4-24