Featuring: Vinotto, Bungalow Neighbourhood Social, The Fire Station…
BORDERS are open, and as we embrace the winter months ahead, WA’s dining scene is plating up a new wave of exciting, neighbourly haunts.
Swanbourne (aka Swanny) residents have been yearning for a convivial wine bar along their local retail strip for years now – and in late March, their wish was granted.
Adjacent to the Freo (train) line and bolstered by multiple cafes, an award-winning supermarket, bakery, gelateria, fish and chip shop, burger house and designer gift stores, Vinotto is right at home in its new digs where a harmonious mix of clientele is lapping up this new kid on the block.
The site has adopted several guises over the years; a bookstore, café and even a bank – and now, is a refreshingly bright, terrazzo adorned, 55-seater wine bar, with an open kitchen and an impressive wine wall full of hand-selected finds.
Vinotto is owned by Laurence Greenfield, Phillip Arnold and Michael Roach of Community Coffee Co. (Arnold and Greenfield incidentally ran the former Swanny Collective, now Upperhand Burgers, right next door.)
Working within a space smaller than a bedsit kitchen, chef, Justin Wong (ex-Tiny’s) has instilled some serious punch and finesse into the modest menu – and it’s tempting to order the lot from this small-plate, wine-bar offering.
Locally-made La Delizia Latticini stracciatella with fig jam & a mesmerising emerald green emulsion of lilly pilly puree is a delight; whipped mullet roe and crudités – perfect with a glass of Burgundian Cremant de Bourgogne; ‘Rose Mallee Waygu’ tartare served with tallow verde, crisps and a fried egg (the egg is optional, but it would be rude not to) – stunning!
Flatbreads are baked to order in an Ooni pizza oven and arrive warm to the table with saffron labne. And how about thick-cut fries and mussel aioli with a glass of South Australian Coates Chardonnay?
Caitlin Johnston (formerly of The Humble Onion) has curated an elegantly balanced drinks list with a nod to smaller Australian producers alongside a European edit of mostly Italian, followed by Spanish and a few Greek varieties; an easy drinking catarratto from Sicily; the native red of Greece – xinomavro; an Abruzzian montepulciano and a very pleasant fiano by-the-glass from Campania.
“Vinotto has a strong Mediterranean sensibility within our snack menu and style of service, so I really keep this in mind when selecting new wines,” says Johnston.
“Being a neighbourhood wine bar, I think it’s important to constantly keep the list moving and changing – meaning some wines will be with us for a good time not a long time.
“We are very lucky in WA to have such a diverse range of wines produced locally, and the quality is just so high across the board, so we will always be aiming to share some of these smaller producers with our guests.”
Sherries, vermouths, and non-alcoholic options such as a Voyager Estate Sparkling Chenin Blanc Juice and (non-alco) beer from local outfit, Lightening Minds sit alongside classic cocktails, Wildflower Brewery beers and an eclectic mix of aperitivi and digesti; Navazos Niepoort from Spain, Braulio from Lombardy and Averna from Sicily.
Vinotto, 2/137 Claremont Crescent, Swanbourne WA 6010. No bookings required. Open Wed – Sat: 3 – late and Sun: 3 – 7. Email: bar@vinotto.com.au.
The former Samudra site – Dunsborough’s trailblazing Byron-meets-Ubud-style raw vegan café and yoga studio – is now home to Bungalow Neighbourhood Social the newest tenant at this popular coastal hang-out.
As an old 1960s wood-working warehouse, the venue has remained true to its bones, honouring natural timbers, driftwood and corrugated iron, alongside generous hits of free-styling charm.
Mismatched furniture, lush tropical greenery and mid-century-Californian-beach-house-style chimes all the way.
Explore its generous selection (around 100) of low-fi wines from new-wave producers or order the venue’s specialty hand-stretched pizzas made with 48-hour-proved sourdough bases (using the mother dough) and classic toppings.
Housing up to 250 patrons, the venue includes a sunny alfresco dining area as well as a cosy 40-seater Wine Room (open Thursday to Sunday), featuring mostly natural, minimal-intervention wines and beers; think biodynamic Piedmont Barbera, Belgian & Melbourne Saisons and Normandy ciders.
Chef Denver Stevens (formerly Wildflower and Vasse Felix among others) is the man behind the woodfired sourdough pizza program along with big-flavoured small plates like roast zucchini and cashew curd, tiger prawns with miso butter, and house-made charcuterie selections, or larger options like Margaret River Wagyu rump with smoked chimichurri or half roast chook with corn and savoury pan juices.
Bungalow is owned by the team behind The Fire Station in Busselton – previous owners of craft-beer specialty bar The Pourhouse, so as expected, local beers and the installation of 16 craft taps play a big part on the drinks list, alongside refreshing spritzes and gin-based cocktails.
Live gigs and DJs define Bungalow’s chilled-out culture, plus try their specialty wine nights with local winemakers who not only discuss their wares but share their personalised playlists as part of the entertainment.
Bungalow Neighbourhood Social, 266 Naturaliste Terrace, Dunsborough. Walk-ins welcome, open Wednesday – Saturday, 12noon – late. Phone: (08) 9750 5103 or email: info@bungalow.social.