Carlton Wine Room
Restaurant · Carlton ·
Inventive tasting menus & thoughtful wine list in chic 19th-century building
Inventive tasting menus & thoughtful wine list in chic 19th-century building
"Carlton Wine Room is, in fact, many rooms spread across five levels of a 19th-century terrace house. We reckon the place to be though is the marble bar on the ground floor. Staff act as masterful guides for a 100-strong wine list covering both classic and contemporary terrain, while the kitchen puts up pretty dishes that drive you to delve deeper into that drinks selection. The potato focaccia has a pleasing squish-to-crunch ratio, begging to be torn apart and dipped into an accompanying bowl of stracciatella in chive oil. Don’t miss the rum-soaked baba either, though if you’re a few wines in be warned: it’s big on booze. " - ellen fraser
"Led by a team of hospitality superstars (vets of Marion, Cutler & Co., and Coda), this popular wine bar has a comfortable dining room with banquettes upstairs and a lively bar downstairs. The menu leans European, with dishes like duck and pork croquettes, potato focaccia (to dunk in chive oil, stracciatella, and pickled mushrooms), and a classic rum baba. The revolving wine list satisfies both lovers of traditional drops and offbeat natural ones. Melbourne’s beloved arthouse Cinema Nova is just around the corner for a perfect date-night pairing." - Audrey Bourget
"Carlton Wine Room is, in fact, many rooms spread across five levels of a 19th-century terrace house. We reckon the place to be though is the marble bar on the ground floor. Staff act as masterful guides for a 100-strong wine list covering both classic and contemporary terrain, while the kitchen puts up pretty dishes that drive you to delve deeper into that drinks selection. The potato focaccia has a pleasing squish-to-crunch ratio, begging to be torn apart and dipped into an accompanying bowl of stracciatella in chive oil. Don’t miss the rum-soaked baba either, though if you’re a few wines in be warned: it’s big on booze." - Ellen Fraser
"A brighter, larger take on the classic Melbourne wine bar, offering a spacious, well-lit room where the kitchen turns out fresh, modern Australian snacks. The extensive wine list is designed to suit many tastes, and one of the owners is local winemaker Andrew Joy, known for his Little Ra Ra natural wines." - Besha Rodell
"An Italian wine-bar–style spot in Melbourne where she had an amazing meal; the place embodies the relaxed Italian wine-bar scene and offers especially good experiences when sitting at the bar rather than a table." - Martha Daniel