Wine Bar

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Whitebark – West Melbourne – Thursday 15 May 2025 – Dinner

I had booked Benchwarmer several weeks in advance to try before a show. We were only there for a short amount of time. The whole experience was confusing. When we arrived, we were immediately asked if we were there for “the event”. We looked blankly and said, “No, we’ve got a booking for two people”. We were led to a table out the back, right in front of the kitchen window.

Once we had moved from the rather uncomfortably placed table, we were told tonight’s menu was very restricted because of an event (“the event!”) In actual fact, the menu was completely different and ridiculously brief. We’d made a booking several weeks before but had not been notified of the change, which was incredibly disappointing. We did get an apology the next day in response to my slightly irate email, and it was sincere and well written.

With all of this threatening to derail our dinner before the show, we decided to have a look around West Melbourne to quickly find somewhere else. We came across Whitebark, a great looking, small venue with a long rectangular bar dotted with some bar stools, and a few smaller tables placed towards the back. We were greeted professionally by the friendly staff behind the bar, one of whom is the main person serving.

The only other person behind the bar is doing the cooking, with no verbal interaction with customers, though not in an unfriendly way. We were told that the premise of the bar is to serve Australian and New Zealand ingredients, play Australian New Zealand music, and serve Australian and New Zealand drinks. The menu is not necessarily what I would say is approachable, but if you give your trust to the chef, you’ll be rewarded with some great diversity of unusual flavors and contrasts.

For example, the emu dish earlier being made in front of us looked delicious, but is one that not everyone would be keen to try upon reading the menu. It is rubbed with bush tomato and ultimately torched with a flame briefly, keeping the emu extremely tender, but adding that beautiful, fiery flavour. Then there’s a “green pea brick”, which, again, we needed a description of prior to putting our trust in the chef to have a go. It is absolutely delicious. Split green peas have been cooked, then pressed into a brick, before being scattered with herbs. Next, we tried the barra skewers. Deboned and diced Barramundi is combined with other ingredients, and turned into a fish cake like texture, before being skewered and grilled again. Another great dish, but it did leave a lasting impression on us, acting as a date-night warning!

As we went to the Ball Park Music concert (an Australian band), we could still taste the barra, but it was worth it. As a finale, we had some blue cheese, which is served with some roasted grapes, and some local jam. A touch earlier, we tried the tart covered with local bush tomatoes that have been preserved. There’s some novelty shown, but the chef has a knack for beautiful combinations of flavours.

On the drinks front, the wines by the glass list has some delicious options. My Roussanne blend with some Grenache Blanc (by Riley Harrison) was so good I went back for a second glass when I would normally try something else. Catherine had a Chardonnay (by Small Wonder in the Tamar Valley) that was equally well chosen. I went on to try the orange Viognier (by Honky Chateau), that was also superb. I must admit I can’t remember trying wines from any of these producers previously.

We like places like Whitebark. They’re growing custom through excellence in what they provide, as opposed to being a large enough venue that word of mouth will necessarily spread like wildfire. Tonight, there were a number of places available on the bar, but it feels quite full, and people are enjoying a few drinks and a few nice dishes from the chef. There’s a good atmosphere and vibe.

I find that the service, whilst there’s only one main server, is enough. An extremely capable individual, there’s almost not a time where we need to look up to gain attention amongst twenty or so other diners. It’s a wonderful wine bar that you’d love to have down the street. We had come across town for Benchwarmer. And whilst we understand the food on a normal night is supposed to be excellent there, there is no way we would cross town to return again. Serving from the heart, we would definitely cross town to return to Whitebark.

Whitebark
https://whitebarkwine.bar
313 Victoria Street, West Melbourne
Mon; Wed-Fri 4pm-11pm
Sat-Sun 12pm-11pm
drink@whitebarkwine.bar
0493 028 334

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Cafe Paci – Newtown, Sydney – Saturday 25 January 2025 – Lunch

One of our superpowers when it comes to restaurants is taking recommendations. When combined with personal research, it is hard to go wrong, especially in a town like Sydney. Taking recommendations is not blind, and filtering them is, similar to research, the most important part.

I have a handful of friends, and acquaintences, who I intently listen to when offering thoughts on their restaurant experiences. After many years, there are many others I know when to follow their advice, or divert. It is often a matter of understanding what is important to the person offering advice, and finding those who align with your preferences.

Introspectively, I know that people do not listen to my advice when it comes to value for money. I’m someone who gets asked once or twice a year by some people for a special occasion; not where the best burger joint is (though I am interested if you know!)

On a three night holiday in Sydney there are a plethora of options, and the stars aligned when I noticed a friend had loved Cafe Paci, and their meal was around the time I flicked through the Australian Gourmet Traveller restaurant guide, and saw it had taken out their top spot in NSW. The way it was described was compelling, and the offerings were not necessarily what I have become used to with the winners in the AGT guide. I was curious.

Catherine, Sydney, and I, headed to Newtown by train, getting off at Macdonald, which is a stroll to Cafe Paci and the vibrant neighbourhood that is Newtown. The thin rectangular restaurant with tables down the right, and a long inviting bar down the left, doesn’t scream fine dining, but it does announce itself as smart casual and contemporary. It is comfortable, not luxurious; a short stay, not resort accommodation.

When we start with a wine it comes out immediately, poured by the waitperson who served us. It’s a nice touch, and the service style, a balance of relaxed and professional, continues along this path for the entirety of our meal. We are made to feel at home in a way a wine bar often does, especially when any stuffiness or pomp is removed.

The menu is diverse, though not outrageously, and narrowing down our selections is a delicate pursuit. To begin, Catherine opts for the devilled egg with trout roe; I with the rye taco with ox tongue and sauerkraut. My ox tongue snack is outstanding, and Catherine’s devilled egg is nostalgic (and filling).

Snapper ceviche is dotted with nectarine and radish that requires a keen eye to decipher between. The flavour matches the presentation, along with the Garganuda Soave. Moving through to glasses of the Marsanne blend from the Loire Valley, and the Rasa Sal Vine Vale Semillon (SA), we are served the Skull Island king prawns. They’re not cheap, but there is a generous serve of utterly beautiful large prawns split in two, with lashings of black pepper butter and lime.

Next, Black Angus steak frites comes with sauce Diane. Intuitively I know what Diane is, but if you asked me to explain its history and ingredients I would have no clue. In simple terms it is a mushroom cream sauce with plenty of pepper, and originally served with venison (and containing truffles rather than mushrooms). There’s a bit of a nod to the old school here, and it is coolly executed. An Emilia-Romagna Sangiovese washes it down, and a leafy salad with a sweet vinaigrette cuts through the richness.

At this stage of proceedings we are more than satisfied, but dessert beckons. It’s yet another mild surprise in a meal that has presented fairly straightforward and delicious food, but always elevated an aspect, whether it be presentation, flavour, execution, or a bit of all three. Here it is the trickles of caramel that add a burst of the sweetness we yearn for, with amaretto ice cream and peach granita balancing each other wonderfully.

The whole experience had been a pleasure. The final surprise was the bill, which in my book is value for money, but I’m not always the greatest judge!

Cafe Paci
https://www.cafepaci.com.au
131 King Street, Newtown, Sydney
Dinner Mon-Sat 5.30pm to 10pm; Lunch on Saturday
Email: info@cafepaci.com.au
Tel: 0402392189