EAT > Carlton Wine Room, Melbourne (16/20)

There is something so completely Melbourne about the Carlton Wine Room. I cannot imagine a bar or restaurant quite like it anywhere else in the world. The combination of wood, light, food, service and wine. A wonderful mix that comes from our cosmopolitan population and the wonderful venues that have come before, each bringing something special to the city. Venues like the original Melbourne Wine Room (sadly no more) in the George Hotel, St Kilda where chef Karen Martini and restauranteur Maurice Terzini (Bondi Icebergs) created a special magic. The European and City Wine Store, Cutler & Co, Cumulus Up and of course Gertrude Street Enoteca (also sadly no longer with us).

Yes Carlton Wine Room is quintessentially Melbourne and that speaks to its own quality. A place you are guaranteed to find a wine you like, food you adore and warm service.

The menu is not huge or complicated. You can take the chef’s selection ($95 per head) or select a few dishes and share which is what we did on a wintery Sunday evening in May. Meals are designed to be bistro style, the duck and pork croquette, with prune vinegar ($9 ea) are an enormous hit. Kingfish rillettes, served in a tin with smoked roe, chives and rye ($36) are delicious. The Stracciatella served with pickled mushrooms, chive oil and the famous potato focaccia ($28) is delicious green goo so moorish.

For mains we shared the ‘Trottole’ pasta which is yellow tomato, capsicum, basil, pecorino and chilli ($34) and goes up in the list of top 5 pasta’s for this year, really delicious flavours. A flathead served with salina capers, sweet prawns, veloute and sorrel ($56) was delicious but sadly just a tiny bit over cooked for me. We had this with a green salad ($12).

For desert we shared a slide of Olive oil cake served with a lemon cream ($18) how they can make a cake so light with so much flavour is beyond me but we were enthralled with this and I was keen to lick the plate (I didn’t but it took a lot of perseverance).

Image Credit | Crispy ALMANAK Magazine

WINE >

The wine list has hundreds of wines with a good range of choice by the glass as well. We chose a bottle of ‘Intrinsic’ Pinot Noir from Eastern Peake (2021) wine review coming. It is a delicious wine and ideal for the meal matching the richness of the kingfish rillettes, the creamy stracciatella and the trottole pasta effortlessly.

THE ROOM >

It is actually a few distinct spaces two downstairs and the larger upstairs (and if weather suits outside). But downstairs at the marble bar is the best seat in the house and closest to the action. Here you will get up close and personal with the excellent wine list, including some fabulous choices by the glass.

For functions they have the Faraday Room which is a lovely dining room suitable for up to 18 guests, the Drummond Room which is a little larger and seats 20, the cellar which can seat 24, as well as the dining room and front bar.

CONCLUSION >

The Carlton Wine Room is the kind of place that just stays on your list of great Melbourne bistro restaurants, not too fancy, but exceptional food, amazing effortless service and delicious wine make this your go to date night, mates night or just a drink with friends place. Perfect for a glass of wine and an afternoon snack late summer but also warm and welcoming on a winter evening.

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