Bars & Pubs

Wine Wharf is housed in a beautifully renovated warehouse that is all exposed bricks, high ceilings and big windows, creating an airy and stylish space that is packed on week nights with the after-work crowd. The extensive geographical spread of the list offers an excellent opportunity to sample wines from around the world, including serious bubbly like Taittinger’s Comtes de Champagne and the ultra-classy Salon 1990. With nearly half the well-kept wines available by the glass, a visit here is a good chance to try something new; we pitched a sleek Austrian grüner veltliner against a fruitier torrontés from Argentina. A blackboard with wine flavour profiles (an apparent attempt to reflect the educational vibe from Vinopolis next door) was unnecessary – the staff are knowledgeable and generously offered us samples of wines prior to ordering. Like the wine list, the ‘bar bites’ hail from all over the map (suggesting a lack of personality); you’ll find thai fish cakes next to a chicken mayo sandwich, and a sharing platter with the worrying combination of duck spring rolls, chips and chicken kebabs.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009