Come for the wines, stay for the food. You may linger a little longer than you first thought you might at this intimate wine bar-cum-cucina.
There’s no lack of warmth in this tiny wine bar. It comes from the staff, who brim with vigour and talk about the Italian (and Italian varietal) wines like they crafted them on site. They speak of the menu with the passione of a lover, making you want to just lounge and be sated. And you can.
A meal can be as simple as crostini with roasted capsicum, whipped ricotta and chilli oil, as lusty as fazzoletti with duck ragù and duck-fat pangrattato or as a comely as ravioloni stuffed with mushroom and béchamel in a porcini broth.
The magnà e zitt’ menu means “shut up and eat”. Chefs may rotate in the kitchen, the same way artists do in a residency, with dishes changing as the cooks move through. A meal can be as simple as crostini with roasted capsicum, whipped ricotta and chilli oil, as lusty as fazzoletti with duck ragù and duck-fat pangrattato or as a comely as ravioloni stuffed with mushroom and béchamel in a porcini broth topped with pickled shiitakes.
This is clever, delicious food, made for smart, affordable but well-chosen wines. The flexibility means you can come and have a glass of trebbiano, or push the boat out with an eye-wateringly pricey Barolo and turn the small tastes into a full meal. Dessert is mostly an afterthought, but the chocolate custard “bonet” with amaretti and Beechworth amaro makes for a tantalising end-of-dinner delight.
