A French-leaning bistro, wine bar, bottle shop and tasting room in one.
The concrete and timber-clad Vinesmith, on the corner of Flinders Lane and Spring Street, has chef Richard Hayes (ex-The Lincoln and London’s Ledbury) channelling what he saw while working in Paris.
Owned by a winemaking group of the same name, the venue encompasses a bistro, wine bar, bottle shop and tasting room over two levels in the space that has housed venues including Verge and Hihou.
The upper-floor bistro overlooks the canopy of Treasury Gardens and serves various set menus, starting at $49 for two courses.
After dark, the cellar door facing Spring Street shuts up shop and becomes a wine bar. Stop by for quail egg croquettes and duck pate de campagne (a coarse pate or smooth terrine, depending on how you look at it) that’s made in-house, or larger dishes such as steak frites.
Emma Breheny – Emma is Good Food’s Melbourne eating out and restaurant editor.
