Henry G’s

When you think of The Corso in Manly, the main pedestrian mall that connects the wharf to the beach, you might picture relaxed surf shops, market stalls selling homemade jewellery, and children playing in water fountains. But the walkway, lined with ice cream shops, fast-food joints and beachy pubs, isn’t the suburb’s go-to stretch for wine bars or fine dining.

And yet, here comes Henry G’s. Set inside a former butcher-turned-vitamin shop, Manly’s new wine parlour shows signs of its former life, with a decommissioned meat rail framing the front room and scratched signage reading “Purity Cleanliness Services” still legible above its curtained windows.

The bar’s owners, Saga Group, have already established a bit of a presence around these parts, operating nearby In Situ, Donny’s Bar and The Hold. Their newest opening is named after Henry Gilbert Smith, who, after arriving in Sydney in 1827, set about building up Manly as a tourist destination. Some of the area’s most recognisable landmarks, including The Wharf, The Corso and its rows of Norfolk Pines can be traced back to Henry G’s OG tourist drive.

Inside the walls are fitted with bookshelves housing more than 2000 antique books, every nook is lined with plush leather seating, and a 19th century piano sits centre stage. The little touches are the most enjoyable, including an ancient book press bearing the names of Henry G’s first two wives, Eleanor Whistler and Margaret Anne, and a framed print of his family tree hung outside the toilet doors.

Wine is the thing here, with just 170 to choose from. There’s a focus on provincial European vineyards, with several labels from across France, Italy and Spain, while closer to home, there’s a strong line-up of Barossa Valley shirazes and Margaret River chardonnays.

By the glass you can’t go wrong with the cheapest red. Available chilled, Fringe Société from Comte Tolosan is a ripe and juicy Gamay from the south west of France, with notes of plum, berry and warm spices. If you’re celebrating, try the Il Follo Prosecco from the north Italian region of Veneto. It’s an easy-drinking sparkling with aromas of crisp apple and pear, and they’ll keep it iced at the bar for you.

The lamp-lit cavern hums with excited chatter, clinking glasses and the entrancing tinkle of piano keys

The cocktail menu goes and goes, with separate lists dedicated to Martinis, Sours and “after dark”. For a luxe take on the Espresso Martini, go for the Bumbu Espresso, which swaps out vodka for creamy Bumbu rum, and adds unrefined coconut, cold brew coffee and a single lime leaf which floats on a bed of foam.

From the sour’s list, The Chairman is juicy with passionfruit and French apple liqueur, but somehow two Cognacs – 24 Martel VS and Pierre Ferran – fail to muster a single kick between them. The Chasing Whistler, meanwhile, blends vodka, Poli honey liqueur and citrus (and an unexpected side of cheese) for another easy drinker.

The beer list, though heavy on Canberra’s Bentspoke, ventures from the tried and trusted, with an English bitter courtesy of Brookvale-based brewery Bucketty’s, a pear cider from Victoria’s Napoleone, and a bunch of wine-fermented brews from NSW’s Barrel Shepherd.

The food comprises toothpick nibbles, known as pintxos (literally translating to ‘spiked’) in Basque Country of northern Spain, usually eaten in bars as a small snack.

As is often the case with food as rich as this, a little goes a long way. The tiny goat's cheese tart is layered with caramelised onion, topped with a slither of poached spiced pear, and absolutely lathered in heavy-duty marinated Queso de Cabra Meredith. Elsewhere (believe it or not) it’s worth talking about the bread. Four thick cuts of rye sourdough, sourced from Lavender Bay’s beloved boulangerie and traiteur Loulou, come armed with a sidecar of whipped truffle butter, speckled with freshly grated truffle, for a most indulgent of bread baskets.

Then there’s the chorizito, a dozen or so baby chorizos cooked in a sweet Pedro Ximenez glaze, topped with sprigs of lemon thyme. If you like your sausages spicy, succulent and swimming in oil (you don’t?), best not to pass on this.

Henry G’s also dedicates a page to ‘conservas’ – namely preserved wild-caught sardines, Galician octopus and red tuna belly fillets ‘served in tin’ – as well as larger cheese and charcuterie platters.

But if you’re only going to try one dish from the food menu, make it the cheesecake. The trimmings of raspberry sherbet powder, berry compote and lemon thyme actually pale to insignificance once you’ve received your first fork-load. Made in the burnt Basque style, the cheesecake holds a cloud-like texture and subtle sweetness in contrast to its fruity billing.

Henry G’s books live pianists every Saturday night and on select Wednesdays each month the bar hosts wine masterclasses, featuring immersive tastings accompanied by paired pintxos.

But really, you should need no further incentive to take the trip to Henry G’s. Even on a quiet night, the lamp-lit cavern hums with excited chatter, clinking glasses and the entrancing tinkle of piano keys, and whisks you away to a reimagined Manly, that once upon a time may, or may not have, existed.

RECOMMENDED READS:

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