What drink to orderBear’s is a wine bar first and foremost. By the glass, it’s almost exclusively Australian, with well-priced drops from the likes of TarraWarra, A Rodda and the Yarra Valley’s Fin (find its chilled red on tap), while the bottle list dives deeper into familiar European wine regions. If you’re in the mood for a cocktail, the short edit – which switches with the seasons – keeps things fun and fruit-forward. You might find the Cherry Cola, a grown-up spin on the soft drink starring Arette tequila, or an Irish Apple Juice, blending the freshly juiced stuff with Jameson whiskey. And longneck fans will be pleased with big old bottles of Melbourne Bitter.
What to eatThe food menu has burgeoned into a much bigger beast than was originally planned. Sure, there are on-the-mark drinking snacks such as potato cakes with chicken salt and gravy, and prawn toast with burnt-chilli mayo. But full-on meals are also very much on the cards, with fried-chicken-topped Caesar salads and barbecue miso eggplant with wild rice and green chilli. Regular menu aside, there’s a chalkboard full of “Bear’s Extras”, which includes the cheese and cured meats of the day and dessert specials (deep-fried Tim Tam, anyone?). Plus, as the weather cools down, winter warmers like a Sunday roast will hit the menu.
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