East End Wine Bar in Camberwell
East End Wine Bar in Camberwell is taking all before it like a Maxy Gawn ruck performance on the MCG. Packed on a Wednesday night in the heart of winter is a great indication of the popularity of this wine bar, and The World Loves Melbourne was invited along to experience the buzz. Walk in to a fashionable bar with dim lighting and attractive spaces, featuring artwork, a long bar and dark floors. Graze away with friends, dates, family and work colleagues with cheese and meat plates, pizzas and wine (always a winning combination), executed with flair.
Sit back and relax with your favourite things in life.
East End Wine Bar is a true wine bar, where wine is the hero, notably old-world wines but also Australian standout wines. The display of wines on the huge wine shelves is a revelation. You'll want them all.
Appealing courtyard.
It's great to see a wine bar not afraid to feature European wines (some bars concentrate on Australian wines but we think international wines are something people love to drink), including biodynamic and natural options. While there are wines by the glass and many love to go that way, you can choose a bottle from the wine shelves (we chose a superb French Bouchard Père & Fils Bourgogne Pinot Noir that was perfect with cheese and meats board and pizza).
Graze central with cheese and meat board. Build your own.
Cheese and meat board grazing was worthy of a big Maxy Gawn ruck performance choosing the 4 for $40 deal featuring DELICE DE CREMIER - TRIPLE CREAM BRIE (BURGUNDY, FRANCE) and COMTE, COWS, HARD, (JURA, FRANCE). A soft option and a hard option was an excellent choice.
Along with SKARA FREE RANGE PORK & FENNEL SALAMI (SA, AUSTRALIA) and LA HOGEURA DUROC SERRANO 18MNTHS AGE (SPAIN).
Or order the Roquefort blue cheese.
French wine and wood oven pizzas are a perfect combination including the G-BERG – TOMATO, MUSHROOMS, OLIVES, PEPPERS, CHILLI, ZUCCHINI, SERRANO, FIOR DE LATTE.
My favourite was the DONNIE – GARLIC, PRAWNS, ANCHOVIES, PARSLEY, CHILLI, FIOR DE LATTE. You'll be fighting among yourselves over this one. Are you sure you've had two pieces and not three?
We embraced the welcome heat of the SIR CHARLES - SMOKEY SAUCE, SPICY SAUSAGE, PORK & FENNEL SALAMI, SERRANO, PEAR, SMOKED SCARMOZZA.
Compelling and fashionable.
AFL footballer Max Gawn (everybody loves Max) is a famous face behind East End Wine Bar although we're not sure how many of the wines he's able to enjoy during the AFL season. Rich Donovan, along with Craig Tate (Saint James cafe), and Burnley Brewing’s Phil Gijsbers are an experienced team (I remember speaking to Phil at Burnley Brewing, an impressive brewpub). It's all about giving the punters what they want and East End Wine Bar has struck a chord with well heeled locals.
East End Wine Bar has a touch of the chic and fashionable about it with a range of spaces to enjoy your session including a cool spot by the large windows looking onto Camberwell Road, velvet booths, a courtyard and a large long table (where we perched). The 130-person bar was once home to iconic Young’s Auction Rooms, with East End Wine Bar also quickly becoming a mainstay of Camberwell life.
You can take any bottle from the wine shelves home with you for $15 off the list price, which is a bargain. Highly recommended for your next catch up session.