Time Out Melbourne Food & Drink Awards 2025: Wine Bar Nominees

Located on a shopping strip chock-full of fancy designer boutiques, this unassuming (from the outside, at least) and unpretentious spot is the brainchild of chef-owner Clinton McIver, making it the little sibling of his highly regarded fine diner Amaru. But while Amaru encourages you to go on an extravagant dining odyssey across multiple courses, Auterra is the chilled-out and charming companion – ideal for arvo wines, a cute date or long, lazy Sunday lunches. 

Birra. Biscotti. Bolognese. Bresaola. Bruschetta. There are countless awesome Italian things that begin with the letter ‘B’, but if you love wine, barolo has got to be near the top of the list. And now we can also add Bar Olo – a snazzy new Carlton bar playfully named after the Piedmont grape varietal. Both locals and curious passersby have been smitten from the moment its mysterious sheer white curtain was first swept back in April 2024. So what’s all the fuss about?

It was love at first encounter with Bar Spontana, its selling points reading like our own personal wish list with every box getting a big tick. Authentic and creative Thai food? Yes. Plenty of experimentation, pickling and fermentation? Triple yes. Wine bar status? If a smart list of great grape stuff is on offer, we're in like a flash, no need to ask twice.

Brico may not be reinventing the wheel as far as wine bars are concerned, but there’s so much to be said for nailing down the classics. Here’s a team who’ve created an operation entirely dedicated to your pleasure. There’s a real joy in sitting down to a meal that’s been made with tradition and masterful technique. This is food and wine that doesn’t need to shout to make an impression – it just needs to be savoured.

Earth Angels is a small West Melbourne newcomer that’s seizing the chance to do things its own way. Co-owners Sasha Chifura and Emmanuel John have connected with Narit Kimsat (La Pinta) to lead a vibrant kitchen focusing on funky Southeast Asian small plates, minimal intervention wines and innovative cocktails. Have they manifested a bar? A restaurant? It’s a yes to both – but it’s also a live performance venue, an art gallery and even plays host to a farmers’ market on occasion. If Melbourne’s bar scene continues to embrace hybridity, then Earth Angels is the future.

Balwyn may not have the same culinary cache as some of its surrounding suburbs, but there are a few hidden jewels tucked around its leafy streets and relative newcomer Enoteca Boccaccio is one of the brightest. It opened last year above Boccaccio Cellars, a 60-year-old bottle shop and Italian grocer run by the multigenerational D'Anna family. Ascending the stairs, constructed from pale pink marble that perhaps intentionally resembles mortadella, feels like you’re being let in on a secret – push open the door to reveal a sleek, buzzy venue you’d never know existed from ground level.

Stepping through the doors of the Walrus is like crossing a threshold into a golden, warm oasis (the fact that we visited on a partially freezing Saturday night in Melbourne only added to this feeling). The space, awash in moody yellows and deep greens, exudes a welcoming vibe that's hard to resist. It's clear that owners (and IRL couple) Marty Webster and Amy McGouldrick have poured their years of industry experience into creating something special. The result is a bar that feels both fresh and familiar, like a best friend you’re meeting for the first time.