Housed in what was once an underworld casino, Neighbourhood Wine’s mobster décor defines this much-loved local diner with its 400-label list of lo-fi wines and retro turntable tunes.
By Denman’s own account, his dynamic wine list is “a bit of a blurred area”. It’s packed with dozens of what you might call lo-fi wines, “but there’s a lot of craft and skills in the wineries”, he says. “For the most part they’re versatile wines that are very balanced.”
His key priority in choosing labels to feature is that the fruit should reflect its region, vineyard and the particular vintage. Hence the unfiltered Veneto prosecco, the organic grand cru Champagne and strong showings of Jura chardonnay, Barolos and Barbarescos. All of it helpfully colour-coded into white, orange, rosé and reds, sorted by country and region.
If you’ve been hesitant to dip into the natural-wine trend, this is just the place to come and broaden your horizons. Here is a list that rewards curiosity. All staff are well-schooled in wine so ask anyone for advice; there are always around 20 by the glass to encourage experimentation.
Elsewhere on the liquor shelves there’s a connoisseur’s choice of spirits and apéritifs – gins, whiskies and digestives are all strong suits – and they’ll also fix you a fine cocktail.
Almay Jordaan’s food, like Denman’s wines, is all about provenance. She was raised in Cape Town, grew up eating with the seasons, and her menu here remains true to that tradition. You can’t go wrong pairing her Murray River cod and smoked-oyster butter sauce with an organic Jura chardonnay; there’s usually one by the glass and they’re always worth trying, especially if you haven’t before.
Besides wine, they also do a nice line in sherries – perhaps a La Goya manzanilla or, if it’s a special occasion, a rich 30-year-old amontillado. Either would match well with flavour-packed snacks featuring anchovies, spicy Spanish chorizo, and cheesy gougère pastry puffs.
Weekends are special events with $55 three-course Sunday roasts and long lunches on Saturdays with “bottomless” house vino. And it’s not just any old house wine, but a collaboration between Denman and young-gun Clare Valley winemakers Jono and Damon Koerner. “It’s almost a bit unfair to call them house wines – they’re pretty serious wines,” says Denman. “Super-slurpable.”
The best seat in the house is at the corner of the bar where you can survey all the theatre of the bar, kitchen and dining rooms. “It’s almost the helm of the ship,” says Denman.
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