Before jumping on the pans at Percy – Pyrmont’s new Spanish-inspired wine bar – chef Rosy Scatigna spent days on end exploring the pintxos bars of San Sebastian: “tasting fresh flavours and feeling that electric buzz of people enjoying their dining experience, sharing good food and wine.”
As many people (including our very own Food and Drink Editor Avril Treasure) do, Scatigna fell in love with the Basque approach to dining, which she describes as “cool, casual and absolutely delicious”.
It’s these pillars that guide the approach at Percy – the charmingly unpretentious but deftly executed wine bar hidden in a heritage-listed building in an unassuming corner of the city.
Enter into the lobby, and you’ll be met by a busy warmth that’s immediately reminiscent of Spain’s intimate drinking caves. High ceilings are supported by thick wooden beams that stretch up from the stone floor, and deep red walls are lined with bottles of (mainly Spanish) wine.
The location – housed within the Hotel Woolstore 1888 in Pyrmont – means you get a hotel bar and tapas bar experience in one. Get cosy on one of the statement sofas dotted throughout the lobby for a pre-dinner drink, then make your way into a table in the restaurant – each illuminated by wine bottle candlesticks.
With Basque country pintxos bars as its inspiration, the menu focuses on easy-to-eat, flavour-forward sharing plates, brought to life with a sense of un-fussy fun. With creative direction from the bar’s executive chef Eli Lozada, Scatigna and the team deliver tapas-style drinking snacks with an unpretentious twist. Fried squid is served in a slider-sized bocadillo with saffron aioli, salty artichoke fritters arrive with a creamy romesco dip, and the Percy’s gilda is a cheese-d up take on the original: a tasty loaded skewer of pickled guindilla pepper, a cube of manchego and a plump, salty olive. The oysters - fresh from the nearby Fish Markets – are standout.
Leaning on Spanish drops, the wine list is similarly playful and a whole lot more extensive, with a focus on organic and minimal-intervention wines where possible. For the cocktail fans, the classics sit alongside playful Percy signatures which change with the seasons. I’d suggest starting with the “Ester Strong” Martini (generously spiked with locally-made gin) and finishing with a glass of Spanish sherry. Salud!
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