Vice Wine Bar

While Balmainians partial to a sneaky schooner have long been catered to by the 20-odd watering holes on the beer-friendly peninsula, resident oenophiles have been somewhat neglected. But changes are afoot, heralded by the opening of Vice Wine Bar on the main drag in March. Bypass the ground floor and head straight up the stairs to the perfect winter hideaway where you can flop onto one of the cushy Chesterfield sofas and indulge in a glass or three. The wine list is almost exclusively Australian, with a lonely NZ sauvignon blanc and a Champagne the sole international representatives. There are a handful of varieties by the glass, or if you are in no great hurry, a well considered selection by the bottle. To accompany the wines there's a food menu that ranges from tasty bar snacks to more hearty mains. If there are a few of you then go for the charcuterie plate, which includes an excellent pâté and some of the most crisp and delicious pickled vegetables we have ever come across. Not up for sharing? Then the pork belly with white bean and chorizo makes for some very classy comfort food. Cap off a dignified evening with the baked chocolate custard with fig and almond praline but beware – its thick shards of toffee are not for the faint of heart. Rug up and head to Vice for a quiet drink with a touch of class and not a big screen to be seen.