Thru The Grapevine

Think small bar. Very small bar. Don't arrive at Thru the Grapevine with your closest 20 friends and a big night planned. This beachside bar is about the size of my bedroom. But that's what makes it so alluring. You'd think the eastern suburbs barflies had enough swanky bars to sip low-carb beers in and roll their eyes at Bingle-spotting photographers but they've got another one and it has the makings of a hit.

SPACE IS USED WISELY when it's at a premium. Cushioned benches line the outside walls, ottomans litter the ground, diner-style bar stools line a bench that opens on to Curlewis Street and Jimmy Love, our tall bartender, is neatly squeezed into a hotel mini-bar in the corner. Talk about packin' it in. The place is dark, sleek and furnished with retro bar stools, plush cushions and 12-inch record sleeves. Love, who introduces himself to every patron as such, has his iPod on shuffle playing a mixed bag of laid-back beachside tunes from Lykke Li and Bon Iver.

IF THE NAME DIDN'T GIVE IT AWAY, this is a wine bar so it's all about the wine. Other than a succinct and worldly wine list, there is just one beer choice, no cocktails and a set cheese platter. Unsurprisingly, everyone is sipping wine. Love comes over to announce that today is Jimmy Love Tuesday and bottles of wine are half price. We order a bottle of the 2009 See Saw semillon sauvignon blanc from the Hunter Valley ($39 full price) and follow it with a recommended 2008 Stumpy Gully pinot noir ($13 a glass) and 2009 Paxton shiraz rosé ($10). The former has an intoxicating smell and is quite light and spicy; the latter is crisp and deliciously lipstick-coloured.

WHEN LOVE IS NOT HAVING A QUICK CIGARETTE on the other side of the open window or skating up and down the footpath with his surfie mates, he's inside the hole-in-the-wall bar flexing his bartender muscle. With much charm, he moves from table to table filling glasses and recommending wines from the list created by owner Tyson Mullane and wine consultant Stuart Gregor. Mullane says it's a wine list for a crowd that ''enjoys their wine but aren't going to pay $16 or $17 for it''. Amen to that. With some generously casual adding up of sums by Love, we leave having spent $55 between two for six glasses of wine and a makeshift cheese platter.

ONE TRAPPING OF OPERATING A SMALL BAR is unpredictability. Tonight is a Tuesday - the bar's only late night - and the place fills up seemingly out of nowhere. Other nights, it could be empty. Because of this, a couple of cheeses and wines are unavailable so we have to make do with others - hence the makeshift platter. But Mullane has done a deal with the next-door Bondi Pizza and this week he launches a pizza menu. He's picked his favourites from their list which will be delivered to your table. Good idea. Pizza, wine, cheese and more wine.

YOU'LL LOVE IT for its grungy friendliness and great wine.
YOU'LL HATE IT if you've got a big, rowdy group.
GO FOR Stumpy Gully pinot noir and Jimmy Love Tuesday.
IT'LL COST YOU wine by the glass $9-$15; wine by the bottle $36-$64; cheese platter $24