No.1 Wine Bar
Tony Bilson - head chef, Francophile and wine buff extraordinaire - has a brand new project and Myffy Rigby digs it.
Finally. Somewhere to have a civilised drink in Circular Quay that doesn’t suck. It’s a tall order but chef Tony Bilson has proved he’s up to the task with a wine bar that’s both casual and sophisticated with tasty snacks and interesting wines by the glass.
The wine service is a big cut above your average and this is largely thanks to silver moustachioed sommelier Ben Tilt. He’s as old-school as it gets with an encyclopaedic knowledge of wine and a smile for everyone. Turn up in the evening and if they’ve got any wine left in an opened bottle of fancy wine they’ll sell it by the glass for just $7. Sweet!
The room’s not exactly what you’d call mega glam, even though the bar is made out of a big hunk of marble. (If you didn’t know it was there you might miss it completely.) The toilets are a bit frightening – out near the lifts, they look like a secret government compound where they do experiments. And the ladies is out of order on our visit, forcing us to use the men’s and hope no one bursts in.
You can also eat here, though the lack of knowledge either about wine or food from the greener members of staff is a bit of a problem. Sure, it’s only been open a week but when we ask what’s on the meat platter, the comeback is: “pancetta, pancetta, er pancetta and salami” for a platter of jamon iberrico, prosciutto, salami, chorizo and slices of tasty lard.
Likewise, we’re unsure why we’re served an absolutely sensational pork rillettes (here, shreds of smoky, sweet flavoursome pork preserved in its own fat) without toast or bread to put it on.
The goat’s cheese on toast shared between two is incredibly rich and slightly stinky, with an incredible flavour.
Light, fluffy and crisp brandade (salt cod) croquettes disappear in two crunches while a duck Landaise salad sees slices of duck liver parfait over bitter green leaves, pieces of duck, lardons and cured ham making a mix of smooth, salty sweet and bitter – excellent with a glass of their super savoury Grenache.
Churros with hot chocolate sauce aren’t as skinny as they usually are – they’re more like a donut missile – but they’re excellent with a beer or a glss of something sticky.
Because the bar is so new, the service is a little shaky and the wine list isn’t set in stone yet (though we’re wondering why Bilson hasn’t insisted on more French stuff on the Aussie heavy wine list) but it’s great to finally have somewhere with some character to drink at the Quayside.
No. 1 Wine Bar 1 Alfred St, Circular Quay, Sydney 2000 (02 8252 9296)