Locals are flocking to the Oatley newcomer for golden slabs of focaccia by day and cocktails at night.
No shade on Oatley, a village suburb in Sydney’s south with manicured gardens, quiet foot traffic and tree-lined shopping streets, but it’s a surprise to discover Vinny’s Bread & Wine in the middle of it.
Serving eight kinds of focaccia sandwiches by day, it’s a cafe that transforms into a hopping neighbourhood bar come week’s end. Sangers are swapped for charcuterie share plates, live music kicks in, and a throng of customers sip on wine and cocktails from late afternoon.
Visit at lunchtime, however, and there’s still a buzz in the air from locals keenly lining up for the Mediterranean-style sandwiches. The most popular is the “Number One”, which features golden focaccia filled with rich, golf ball-sized meatballs, a herby tomato sauce, rocket, basil pesto and Parmesan. It’s beautifully plump, made to order and even better laced with zinging chilli sauce, available for an extra $2.
“Number Four” – a hot salami number with 𝄒nduja paste, sun-dried tomato and rocket – is memorable for the amount of good cured meat, the fiery buzz and the way the 𝄒nduja’s dark oils infiltrate the bread and turn the crust rosy and transparent. A tradie waiting for his “Number Seven” (chicken Cotoletta) tells a staff member he’ll be back for the bar service at 4pm, after he’s scraped spattered concrete off his legs.
The standout order is the “Number Six”, a salad sandwich that piles on pickled carrot, a door stopper-sized slab of mushroom, luscious red peppers, macadamia cream and sprouts. Crunchy, fresh, and salubrious. This goes in between slurps of house-made strawberry and watermelon punch – cool, not too sweet, excellently fresh – and a strong tiramisu iced latte served with a ladyfinger biscuit.
Vinny’s, which opened in September last year, is run by childhood friends Simon Nardo and brothers Louis and Jackson Sobb who also operate Respite, a five-year-old bar in nearby Lugarno. Head chef and baker for both venues is Samuel Jerry, who worked with the trio on the focaccia menu and bar snacks. Meanwhile, drinks swing from cocktails, a dependable house red by the carafe, and Italian and French bottles.
In a beautifully symbiotic relationship, Vinny’s bar menu (cheese, meat, dips, olives) coincides with the next door pizzeria, Tutto Vero, cranking up its oven. This means, Thursday to Sunday, you can follow your focaccia and fava bean dip with a margherita fresh out of the wood-fire.
Tutto’s “Pachi” pizza – ricotta-stuffed crust, twirled handkerchiefs of mortadella, fior di latte, pistachio crumb and lemon zest – is a marvel, as is the San Marzano’s fiery combination of salami, 𝄒nduja, honey, fresh ricotta and garlic oil. Pizza will be delivered to your table at Vinny’s, perhaps just as musicians start their set on a Sunday afternoon.
Three more spots for sandwiches and drinks
A cafe, diner, food hall and bakery, Norma’s – named after owner James Sideris’ grandmother – is a sprawling one-stop shop of luscious groceries plus a cornucopia of Greek-inspired breakfast and lunch dishes. Grab a booth and pair a hot salami, eggplant and spiced honey mayo sandwich with Greek beer or Sicilian wine.
74-78 The Corso, Manly, normasdeli.com
As the sun kapows into this European-style bistro-bakery’s front window, try finessed seafood, pasta, charcuterie and sandwiches (hello salted beef and sauerkraut), all available with wine and cocktails until 4pm.
Shop 2, 168 Walker Street, North Sydney, solbreadandwine.sydney
This small bar-cafe serves beach vibes, piadinas and coffee by day before oysters, charcuterie and cocktails at night. Match sunset views with an oyster-shell martini and caraway focaccia smeared with smoked butter, or fried chicken on a dainty milk bun.
Shop 1, 50 Old Barrenjoey Road, Avalon, randyswine.com.au
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