I really love everything about this place, the atmosphere the service and wine. It's a great place…read moreto go of an evening and chill out with friends

Fine wine, sneakily good beer selection and a casual atmosphere makes Strange Loves Bar a good…read morefriend of mine. With 3 areas to seat yourself, I've never had any issues finding room to relax here. If with friends I like to sneak upstairs for a comfy seat. In a more intimate situation or when I'm by myself I tend to enjoy front row seats and people watch. Typical of the area there is no real food served here. If you need some fine dining to go with a fine wine you'll be handed a book with local restaurants who will deliver to your table. And even bring an eftpos machine if needed. The staff here had reasonably honest and broad knowledge of wines and beers. The beer selection varies more often than the wine. For a wine bar there isn't a huge variety by the glass and some of the bottles are rather overpriced. Considering that there is fair competition within walking distance with other venues offering similar service. Still a great spot for post dinner drinks or two.

This place is an absolute charm and I love coming here! A must go if you're in the area and want to…read morehave some chill down time. But be warned once you're in there its very hard to peel yourself away from the place! I spent an hour sipping on pinots and playing connect 4 (they have some board games you can play) and would have happily stayed there all night! This place is verrrry popular so if you wanna come here with a group of mates make sure you call in and book. Shout out to their pizzas. My god - the prosciutto pizza is the bomb! These guys make brilliant pizzas. Theres also a vietnamese and a Japanese restaurant thats a few doors down that allows you took order and then they deliver to your table at the wine bar. Very cool!

Valley Cellardoor is one of those uber cool, sophisticated looking places - it's so superb in fact…read moresitting back from the street in its California bungalow design it looks as though it may be VIP invitation only. But no siree, everybody is welcome here, the staff and owners make sure of that!! The ambience here is cruisy, it's dark but stylish; I prefer sitting outside behind the fenced area. With a plentiful wine selection and almost every other alcohol, the Cellardoor also frequently offer free wine sampling - for weeks on end!! A short stroll from the train station or to the junction for trams, next to the shopping centre and a stones throw from cafes, restaurants, hotels and bars, its a perfect place to start your evening, get tipsy for free or to just chillax and enjoy the atmosphere of Moonee Ponds in a secluded oasis after work.

In the middle of last week I was sitting happily at home contemplating an alcohol-free day, and how…read moremuch my overworked liver may appreciate such a wondrous happening. Long story short, is I got a phone call saying there was a new wine bar down the road in Essendon, and that I should tag along to check it out. If you like a very competitively priced glass or bottle of wine, I suggest you do to. The wine bar down the road in Essendon turned out to be the Essendon Wine Bar. The night I went was the soft opening, and there was the odd fixture waiting to be fixed in the back of the venue, but it also gave us a chance to look through before it was all polished and suave. One of the highlights for me was seeing inside the old safe (the venue was a NAB branch in a previous life) which now serves as a liquor store (as in backup booze cache, not bottle shop). Somewhere between being a bank and becoming a wine bar, this was also a nightclub, so some of the furniture has been re-purposed, but much of it is slick and new. The back of the venue will retain a wide dance floor and as it will be open until late a few nights a week, but it will be given a facelift. The smoking area out the front is a nice spot when there are no smokers, and there is footpath seating. Food is outsourced to neighboring restaurants. Armed with my initial freebie-opening-night-celebratory-wine, I perused the wine list. It was still being printed, but the interim one was interesting and featured a number if wineries I had never heard of. Second glass of wine was a Heathcote Shiraz, and it was great, at $6 a glass or $22 a bottle. In consultation with my group, we invested in a bottle for the third round. Then another. A third, equally-well-priced bottle was purchased, but I can't remember what it was. Then there was a discussion about sampling a white, so we did that obligingly without doing too much damage to the bank account. Finally it was time to leave as the sober driver wanted some sleep. A beer for good health courtesy of the bar manager was all that stood in the way of a swift departure. Throughout all this I nibbled on samples of the catering, and can tell you the olives a good, the arancini balls delightful, fries moreish, and meatballs worth the wait. As a special tip for those of you who made it this far into my review, bottles of Champagne, real Champagne from Champagne, start at $65 a bottle for Mumm Cordon Rouge or Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label. Now tell me you don't want to check this place out!

Got a groupon as a gift at this place and as mentioned on the coupon went made a booking for 9pm…read morethis evening. The place smelled of puke (or was it cheese), either way it was not too pleasant. The voucher was for a 'Wine Tasting Experience with a Meat and Cheese Platter' for two. Their menu states that a platters include 'cheese (4), cold meats (3) Marinated olives, water & gluten free rice crackers' and the pictures on the website looks scrumptious. Infact, I though it was one of those hidden gems, a cozy nook and and was eager to try their yum cha. However, when I made the booking last evening I was told that I could only order what was available as yum cha was outsourced. The wine list consisted of a few low to mid range wines and I settled for a glass of '2013 Mike Press Pinot Noir Adelaide Hills' and my husband settled for a glass of Pimm's. As for additional food, we were told told that the only food available was from the pizza menu. Husband came back with the drinks from the bar and it took approximately 30 minutes for the Tasting Platter to arrive upon questioning it's whereabouts. The slightly rude personnel behind the counter had the nerve to say 'It is because we are busy', when we politely questioned as to how much longer it would take. Made a mental note to not spend a penny more than what the voucher would cover and to take our dinner bill elsewhere. The cold cuts, prosciutto and the salami tasted funny, the cheese was alright, the water crackers were soggy and who the hell serves Peckish Crackers. I could have made a better platter at home. I wish restaurants would stop existing for the sake of existing and actually do justice to the culinary art. Absolute disappointment!

The creep of cool continues further north, with Cult of the Vine serving up a delicious and…read moreinteresting array of wines and a smattering of craft beer. Hidden at the end of Florence Street near the train station exit (genius maneuver to capture all those suited souls on their way home) you can pop in and take a bottle home, or crack it open right there and then to enjoy with proper glassware, ambient tunes and a plate of something to nibble on. The food options are limited, but they're really all I need when I want something simple and tasty to match with a good bottle. Charcuterie, cured fish, cheese and oddly enough whole boiled eggs which you can crack and peel while sipping on some vino. Apparently a boiled egg goes with any kind of wine but they'd run out when I visited so I couldn't put this to the test. Instead we ate truffled infused Spanish sausage, smoked almonds and loads of cheese along with some very good crackers. Service was relaxed and generous from owner Brad Lucas, who was happy to nerd out a little with us and offered samples of new and different drops. We left warm, full and contented... with two bottles of vino tucked under my arm.

Go here... Spectacularly curated 'natural' wine list…read more Some craft beers Ask the host for an egg. Take the train to Anstey station. Take the train home.

Doesn't allow a baby into their ('wine bar' portion) premises, thus missed an important function…read more Legally okay under current liquor laws, personally not okay with venue. Strange. Quirk not communicated on website, not communicated verbally, not communicated with person who booked venue. But anybody under 18 is allowed into the restaurant! 3 month old located the other side of a plaster wall, no can do. Manager typically arrogant, unapologetic and occupied solely by self interest when confronted for an explanation. I'm sure you'll remember this feedback. I would advise seeking the services of another venue, unless you can be sure everybody you invite, along with dependants are over 18. Biagio's - communicate with everybody who books the wine bar - communicate this personal choice via a statement on your website.

First time here, quite a nice place, friendly service & a spacious & stylish interior. There's also…read morea lot of choice in the drinks menu & I was glad my lemon lime & bitters was not brought out in a bottle. We ordered the salami pesto pizza, which was very tasty & enough for 2 to share. Although I didn't have a coffee, it seems to be a popular spot for coffee & cake with a selection of delicious looking cakes on display.

I wasn't actually expecting all that much when I visited Moonee Ponds one afternoon, that is until…read moreI discovered this place tucked away in the back streets. It turned out that this place was great, if only for the beer selection they had. Okay, it is a wine store, but they also know how to pander to beer snobs like me. Oh, and it is more than just a bottle shop because you can also sit inside and have a drink as well. Magnificient.

Excellent boutique wine bar. Great selection of beers in…read morethe fridge with 2 on tap regularly rotating. Owner is eager to please and has a great knowledge of wines so there's a good bet he will have something you like in stock. No kitchen (they concentrate on beer and wine!) but that's not a problem as food is available from the nearby restaurants.

Text message exchange:…read more Friend: I'm here. I think. Tresna: Great, I just got here. Friend: I think I'm in the wrong place. It's dark and there's no one around? Did you give me the right address? Tresna: Yeah, it's down a dark street, look for the light. It looks like some weird back door business entrance. Friend: (emoji horror face) Yes, you'll think you're in the wrong place when you first pay a visit to Host. But look for the light and trust the map marker. You have arrived. From the team who won our hearts at Twenty & Six, comes a booze bar that has every cool kid this side of Fitzroy excited. There's vermouth, a spritz on tap and a snappy wine list that has a little of everything for everyone - from cheerful $9 glasses of Prosecco to $130 bottles of tasty things from the Jura. I've been here twice and I've already demolished a third of the wine list. "Is it a small list or is Tresna just a booze hound" you ask? A little from column A a little from column B... The food menu changes every day focussing on seasonal and practical/cheaper ingredients that mean you won't be paying an arm and a leg to eat very well. Think: Japanese grilled chicken hearts, fish cheeks fried and served with Sriracha mayo, roasted cabbage, blood butter (an aerated blood sausage of sorts), root vegetables and house made bread served simply with excellent butter. The team are enthusiastic and happy to make suggestions on food and wine, so trust them and relax from the day that was. Pro tip: Make a reservation if you plan on arriving later than 6.30pm. This place fills up quickly!

Absolutely loved my experience at Host - from start to finish it was a dining dream…read more First up, I had no idea an elegant, classic yet modern venue could exist in Brunswick. Don't get me wrong, I love Brunswick with a fierce passion, but it's not where you head for a fancy night out. It is now. Host is located in a sneaky laneway behind The Cornish Arms. It looks like an odd-bod house and has a simple and subtle sign out the front. Inside lays a gorgeous, dimly-lit venue. Grab a seat at the bar or in one of the booths, which could fit up to six people. We sat in a back booth, just a twosome, and felt like we had the entire venue to ourselves, but still heard the warming laughter from other diners. It was perfect. We ordered the chef's selection for two, which was $55 per person. Pay a bit extra and you'll get dessert too. There were far too many dishes to mention but the highlights were: + Housemade bread with butter and smoked lard (!!!) + Savoury doughnuts + Hanger steak with Italian onion and silverbeet The drinks were just as wonderful as the food. I had a Casa Mariol to start (which they have on tap!) and then slurped down one-too-many chardonnays. The wine list is extensive, as is their vermouth list. There's only a small list of cocktails but they are all winners. Service = OUTSTANDING. Incredibly knowledgeable, attentive and charming. Host is a marvellous place to celebrate a milestone but without the hefty price tag you might expect.

Dear Penny Black,…read more Thank you. Thank you for providing us with a place to catch up in the sunshine, to drinks beers and eat food and be merry. Thank you for your ever so reasonable pizza prices of $8.50, covered with the right amount of toppings and cooked to the right amount of crisp. Thank you for your crinkle cut fries that accompany your burgers. I should mention the chicken burger, surrounded by crumbs; crunchy and tender. Thank you for your cider, from Colonial Brewing, because without you, I would never have known about this crisp, light drop. Thank you for your photo booth and pool table, your movie nights and your staff. But most of all, thank you for your beer garden. Filled with sunshine, benches, high tables and places where you let me smoke. A rarity you are, and for that I thank you. Will I be back, I hear you ask? Of course. For you loaded fries, deep fried cheese sticks and smiling staff. Yours, always Alice

I'm not quite sure whether this is called 'The Amelia Shaw' or not, but it seems that all of the…read moremarkers on the various mapping and other apps suggest that it is the Penny Black. Still, one does wonder what is in a name, and the thing is quite a lot. However, that is beside the point because this is one of those great Bruswick pubs that you find scattered along Sydney Road. Like many of the other pubs, you can expect craft beers, live music, and an awesome beer garden (which also supports live music acts). The only problem is that with all the good pubs and bars, it can be hard to select one that would be a favourite.