Timbah

We've been watching this spot evolve for over a year, going from three old garages underneath a block of not-particularly-flash flats, to a pile of bricks replete with tradie's crack, to a sweet little neighbourhood wine bar. Timbah is the progeny of Tim Smith, owner of the Glebe Liquor on the corner of Glebe Point Road near the Toxteth, which is one of the best places in the suburb to buy interesting wine. Glebe Liquor also stocks a very accomplished range of beers including those James Squire Sundowners we so dearly love to smash.

Anyway, here's Timbah. It's not exactly cheap (around $12 a glass for the non-house gear), and that's fine, but when you have the likes of 121 BC offering crazy-interesting Italian drops for $6-$8, it makes you think twice. If you dig through the list, however, you'll find a few $25 quaffers by the bottle. Waitress extraordinaire Polly Rose Thornton, who used to work the floor at Glebe Point Diner, wears headscarves and cute bows while rocking the tables and Tim pours the vino. The idea is that the first six bottles chosen by the first punters through the door are poured by the glass (plus one house white and one house red made by Adelaide Hills winery Paracombe). When those run out, six new ones appear. Fresh!

Daphne Gonzalez (La Buena Mesa) is all up on the grill offering a mix of South American bar snacks (cheesy empanadas, say) and bistrolicious staples like chicken liver pâté. Here, the light creamy pâté wears a crest of crisp bread slices and sits on a bed of pickled beetroot. Chunky polenta chips are stacked high with a side of harissa, and a serve of crisp-fried salt and pepper squid comes tentacles and all, dressed with naught but a wedge of lemon. Plates cost $10-$15.

Locals at the bar include artist and musician Reg Mombassa, who may or may not bang out a couple of numbers on the piano of a Sunday afternoon after a few cups. We've always wondered why there aren't more great inner-west bars - we've got the pubs, but what about the cocktails and the wine? Timbah is a welcome addition to the neighbourhood.