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Time Out Melbourne never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more here.
Melbourne has no shortage of wine bars. Some new-school, some traditional. Some rustic, some sleek. But none quite like this. Home to the “best wine list in the country” (as per Australia’s Wine List of the Year 2025), Circl caters to every kind of drinker – including those who don’t quite know what they want. It would be easy to lean on that strength, but the food is just as considered.
The vibe
Mid-century modern in a 1970s way, yet timeless. Or is that just Scandinavian design? The space is a melange of warm timber, soft lighting, bottle-lined walls and tweed-clad menus. The dining room is compact, with most seats angled towards the open kitchen. The service is formal but not too fussy, with water topped up at the ready, plates and cutlery changed between each course, but no performative flourishes. It can be as formal or as laid-back as you’d like it to be, whether you’re dropping in for snacks and drinks or settling in for a tasting menu.
The food
Chef Elias Salomonsson is from Sweden, and that influence appears across the menu. What may at first glance read as ‘modern Australian’ (think snacks, seafood-centric small plates and meat-driven mains, plus sides) has Scandinavian elements woven throughout.
In true wine bar form, the small plates are excellent. Savoury eclairs ($10 each) are filled with goat’s cheese and draped with thin beetroot ‘flowers’. Smoked eel ($14 each) is piped into tarts and finished with grated horseradish, while mushrooms ($23) – pickled and pâté – arrive packed into a tin with rye crisps, like a riff on conservas.
Larger dishes aren’t an afterthought. Stracciatella ($24), sheathed in blood plum and Geraldton wax, is about as sexy as milk curds can get. Mains move between whole fish, Blackmore Wagyu in various cuts, a masterfully cooked pork scotch (rich but not overly fatty) with roast baby corn, and potato gnocchi ($39) piled onto romesco and finished with lashings of pecorino for a meat-free option.
There’s a subtle sweetness running through much of the menu which is welcome here, mirroring the wine list – whether by design or instinct.
The drinks
Cocktails, spirits and beer are on offer, but wine is the focus. There are around 150 by the glass, and more than 1,500 bottles in the cellar. The list moves beyond region and varietal, branching into rare and exclusive bottles, as well as funky versus classic styles. Prices climb with scarcity, but there are plenty of approachable pours, too.
The list is overwhelming at first glance, but the sommelier helps narrow it based on what I usually drink, landing on a local bottle I’d happily revisit – and likely wouldn’t have picked myself. A punt on a Chinese red pays off, too. The list is so well calibrated you wouldn’t go wrong closing your eyes and pointing.
Time Out tip
Wines are available from 50ml pours if you’re keen to cover more ground (or dip into pricier bottles at a more approachable price point).
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