NOW EXPERIENCING:Marion Wine Bar
Drinks Directory|Melbourne|Vego Food Options|Restaurant

Marion Wine Bar

Wednesday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM
53 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065
Phone
03 9419 6262
Website
marionwine.com.au
Instagram
@marion_wine

Read time 4 Mins

Posted 06 May 2022

By
Larissa Dubecki

A perfectly formed wine bar with one of the best lists going, backed by serious smarts in the food department. The staff are switched on and the mood is fun – it’s a place you want to be.

Inside Marion Wine Bar Melbourne
Why you goCan you have too much of a good thing? When it comes to the way Melbourne chef Andrew McConnell has taken over Fitzroy’s Gertrude Street one restaurant, bar and café at a time, the answer is a definite no. He has staked his claim on the strip via the pub Builders Arms, grocer and café Morning Market and fine-diner Cutler & Co (which has its own great bar). And then there’s Marion. It calls itself a neighbourhood wine bar, only the appeal is so great you’re sure to find plenty of the people sitting on its banquettes and bentwood chairs are from much further afield. You can’t blame them. Marion is worth a journey thanks to its seriously impressive wine collection backed by a perfectly judged menu you could file under the heading “drinking food”. The staff are savvy, the mood is light. No wonder there’s a constant stream of people coming through that front door – or cooling their heels on the sidewalk waiting for a table.
Why you stayThere’s some stickiness about Marion. The best intentions to drop by for just a glass of riesling and a few oysters might end with staying for a bottle (or two) and a serious stab at the menu. The closely packed tables could have something to do with it. Far from being an annoyance, this closeness creates a feeling of freewheeling energy, and along with the rest of the light industrial fit-out – ruggedly whitewashed brick walls, shelves groaning with wine bottles, a slender bar for propping with a drink in hand – makes this the next best thing to being in Paris.
Marion Wine Bar Interior Design
Wine Shelf at Marion Wine Bar Melbourne
What drink to orderThe wine list is blessed with serious smarts. Favouring small producers and boutique wines from near and far over big names and benchmark labels, it will keep fans of the classic school of winemaking happy as well as anyone in thrall to the funky new world of skin-contact and minimal-intervention wines. It’s impossible to pin down the by-the-glass list – it changes daily, sometimes hourly, depending on the whims of the sommeliers and the tastes of the crowd. Pro tip: show a bit of interest and there’s every chance they’ll decide to open a bottle for an individual pour. If the list’s 21 pages don’t have what you’re looking for, the bonus of being next door to older sibling Cutler & Co is access to its amazing cellar. Ask and ye shall receive the enormous Cutler list, along with wise advice to help you navigate it.
What to pair it withA snack? Dinner? You can go your own way with the punchy menu that loosely hangs its hat in the Mediterranean. Marinated sardines– a brilliant match with manzanilla sherry – are a Marion signature. So is the warmed flatbread with soft, creamy fromage blanc cheese, a must-order alongside a half-dozen perfectly briny Moonlight Flat oysters with piquant mignonette sauce. The middle ground is occupied by dishes like a tumble of mussels with ’nduja, the soft, fiery Calabrian salami, or top out at a whole flounder with a herby butter. A chef’s selection at $85 – all killer, no filler – makes good sense if you’re too busy chatting and drinking to make proper dinner decisions.
Marinated Sardines with Manzanilla Sherry at Marion Wine Bar Melbourne
Regular’s tipDon’t be fooled by Marion’s casual clothing. Getting a table can be quite the mission, so take that as an excuse to knock off early and arrive mid-afternoon. A few snacks and drinks at the sunny bench in the front window, or at the street-side tables, is a delightful way to farewell the day, and there’s always the option of rolling on until late.
1/4
2/4
3/4
4/4
Sponsor logo
In partnership with Melbourne Food & Wine Festival
image credits: Roberto Pettinau, Harvard Wang, Jo McGann & Josh Robenstone
Authour image
Larissa DubeckiLarissa Dubecki has been a journalist for more than 20 years and specialises in reviewing restaurants and bars.
Tags
Drinks DirectoryMelbourne – Inner NorthOutdoor areaVego Food OptionsTop notch wine listDate nightWheelchair accessibleRestaurantMelbourne
REPORT A VENUE CLOSURE/REPORT AN ERROR
Related Articles