NOW EXPERIENCING:Gracie’s Wine Room
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Gracie’s Wine Room

Friday: 1:00 PM – 12:00 AM
27 Toorak Road, South Yarra, VIC, 3141
Website
gracieswineroom.com
Instagram
@gracieswineroom

Read time 3 Mins

Posted 11 Jun 2025

By
Tomas Telegramma

Enjoying the courtyard at Gracie's Wine Room in Melbourne

From TikTok to Toorak Road, this sprightly new wine bar is filled with online followers-turned-IRL customers, sipping fun wines and snacking on fluffy focaccia.

Behind the bar at Gracie's Wine Room in Melbourne
Why you goIt’s not unusual for someone to quit their fulltime corporate job to chase a dream of opening their own bar or restaurant. But it is unusual to see that whole process play out on social media. Such was the case for Kelsie Gaffey, who left a gig in marketing to open South Yarra’s hot new hangout Gracie’s Wine Room, detailing the good, the bad and the ugly – every step of the way – on TikTok. Impressively, in just a few short months, she turned the old South Press Winehouse on Toorak Road into an altogether new wine bar that couldn’t have received a warmer reception from the south-side set, with many social-media followers becoming real-life customers. Behind a historical frontage lies a front bar that’s half exposed brick, half white tiles, with warm timber furnishings throughout. A cute flower motif graces one wall, as well as all the wine glasses and menus. Moving into the cork-clad back area, there are cushier seats and backlit vinyl shelves set above a turntable. This is where you want to be after dark.
What drink to orderThere’s something for everyone on the by-the-glass list, which is both accessibly priced (with most wines between $15 and $17) and accessible to vino-drinkers of all knowledge levels. If fun and fizzy is what you’re after, try the Sabi Wabi pet-nat, made with semillion from the Hunter Valley. Prefer red but want to keep it cool? Fin Wines’ Le Vin du Rosier is served chilled to ensure maximum slurpability. Beyond wine, there’s a couple of beers on tap (and more in the fridge), and a tight cocktail list that covers off what’s hottest right now, from limoncello Spritzes to Tommy’s Margaritas and beyond.
A table with wine glasses at Gracie's Wine Bar in South Yarra
Some of the dishes at Gracie's Wine Room
What to eatDid you even go to Gracie’s Wine Room if you didn’t get oily fingers while demolishing a lofty slice of focaccia, cut from a slab that’s baked fresh in-house? It’s served with a generous dollop of hot-honey-topped stracciatella and bresaola (air-dried salted beef), making it a standout on a menu that’s small and simple, but substantial enough to count as dinner. Freshly shucked Sydney rock oysters come with a herbaceous vinaigrette of gin, dill and cucumber. The snack plate is a stacks-on of various cured meats and cheeses, with seasonal pickles, lavosh and potato chips. And the three-bite lobster roll is exactly what you want from a bar sandwich: buttery brioche is sliced down the middle, loaded with a creamy lobster mix and topped with some salmon roe for a pop of colour (and texture).
Why we love itHospitality can be a tough industry to crack into, especially for up-and-coming operators. They should be encouraged by young guns like Kelsie who has brought Gracie’s to life with hard work, determination and a seriously savvy social-media strategy.
Don’t leave withoutSuss out the back courtyard. It’s the place to be whenever the weather is warm, so you’ll want to be sure to get in before the masses to secure a seat. You can’t see the walls for the greenery, making it a bit of a leafy oasis from the hustle and bustle of Toorak Road. Timber bench seating runs along the perimeter and blue tables and chairs sit on the painstakingly repaved floor, done by Kelsie and her crew (and documented, of course, on TikTok). 
The courtyard at Gracie's Wine Room is a highlight
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In partnership with Melbourne Food & Wine Festival
Authour image
Tomas TelegrammaTomas is a food, drinks and culture writer, and former Broadsheet Melbourne editor.
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Drinks DirectoryParty vibesMelbourneCasual catch-upBarRecently openedAfter work drinksOutdoor areaGreat tunesMelbourne – Inner SouthDate night
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