NOW EXPERIENCING:Gracie
Drinks Directory|Takeaways|Outdoor area|Recently opened

Gracie

Tuesday: 4:00 – 9:30 PM
37 Hardware Lane, Melbourne, VIC, 3000
Phone
0403 201 190
Website
gracie.melbourne
Instagram
@gracie.hardwarelane

Read time 3 Mins

Posted 14 Dec 2022

By
Larissa Dubecki

Tiny Gracie is a calming oasis that’s a joy for exploring sake, Japanese-inspired cocktails and natural-leaning wines.

Sitting area at Gracie
Why you go It’s a boss bar move to open a serene 14-seater on the Melbourne CBD’s extroverted Hardware Lane. But Gracie is a great working example of the Japanese notion of “shokunin” – otherwise known as the pursuit of perfection in a single area. A sake bar set to tickle the pleasure receptors of the rusted-on rice-wine aficionado, Gracie is equally a safe word for the sake curious who don’t know their junmai from their daiginjo and haven’t yet cracked the rice-polishing code. A beautifully textured fit-out playing off light and shade fits the Tokyo-by-way-of postcode-3000 approach here. It’s a bar to savour rather than shout in. 
Why you stayStepping off the bustling pedestrian thoroughfare into this calming oasis of distilled Zen is a bit like culture shock, in the best possible way. The decor fits the artisanal approach, with the walls bagged in soft earthy shades and art-directed lighting designed to cast dramatic shadows. And for anyone wondering, the smoky grey fabric swatches dangling from the ceiling are a tribute to the pristine mountain water behind high-grade sake. Settle in at a small table to enjoy the experience of a bar that goes a centimetre wide and a kilometre deep.
Glass of drink at Gracie
People standing near bar area at Gracie
What drink to orderNewcomers could do worse than trying the tasting flight of three house-selected sakes; otherwise, the list ranks them under intuitive headings such as “dry and savoury” and “fruity and floral”. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice, including on whether they should be served chilled, at room temperature or warmed. Cocktails also draw their inspiration from Japan, with a Saketini (vodka and sake), a Sparkling Shiso made with liqueur laced with Japan’s red shiso herb, and a chrysanthemum-infused Whisky Highball. A sympático wine list sticks to the mantra of low-fi, natural and organic. You’ll find some delightfully eclectic drops on offer by the glass, including the Greenstone Gusto sparkling from the Yarra Valley, the utterly slurpable The Dilettantes Sangiovese from the Clare Valley, and the skinsy yet elegant Yangarra Ovitelli Grenache from McLaren Vale. 
What to pair it with Gracie’s tight food menu is designed with the peckish rather than the “hangry” in mind. That said, there’s plenty of satisfaction to be had from grazing on a bowl of salty edamame, or getting stuck into ginger-spiked chicken dumplings, a fat fried-fish sando with Japanese ’slaw or panko-crumbed prawns. 
Why we love it It’s impossible for a visit here to feel impersonal. A fanfare for the soul-affirming attributes of the small bar, it’s staffed by a tight band of people committed to their craft. Whatever drinks direction you take, they’ll make you feel like you have a personal tour guide letting you in on their best-kept secrets.
Glass of drink at Gracie
image of jar at Gracie
Regular’s tipThe food menu may be small, but that doesn’t matter a jot when you factor in Gracie’s excellent location smack-bang among some of Melbourne’s most happening restaurant real estate. If you don’t feel like dealing with Hardware Lane’s restaurant touts, you could make a beeline for the best hawker noodles in town at Lulu’s Char Koay Teow just a few doors down, or heed the siren song of artisan pasta by rolling 50 metres down the hill to Tipo 00.
Don’t leave withoutThe sakes and wines lining one wall don’t only add their jewel-like glamour to the room; they also double as a bottle shop. Choose your favourite tipple from the night to take home and continue your education or pure enjoyment. 
Authour image
Larissa DubeckiLarissa Dubecki has been a journalist for more than 20 years and specialises in reviewing restaurants and bars.
Tags
Drinks DirectoryMelbourne – CBDMelbourneTakeawaysTop notch wine listOutdoor areaBarCasual catch-upAfter work drinksKiller cocktailsDate nightSpecialty BarRecently opened
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