The verdict on two new excellent (but unconventional) wine bars, plus an all-time fave

Kisa, Glebe

When Kisa opened on a quiet, sunlit corner of Glebe in September, the girlies breathed a collective sigh of relief. Finally, a wine bar that gets us.

“Girly”, of course, is not a gendered term. You could be one, I could be one, that cute dog over there could be one.

What it actually refers to, per my interpretation of modern vernacular, is someone who enjoys a deliciously uncomplicated gin cocktail with Rhubi Mistelle liqueur in a frosty Nick and Nora glass; who finds delight in thoughtful little design details, like those butterfly bag hooks and painted cherubs behind the bar; and who isn’t afraid to order a slice of homemade pistachio and almond cherry cake with their glass of chilled red. It was a cabernet-fume blanc rosé blend from Parley in the Adelaide Hills, for the record, though you won’t find that level of detail on the menu.

Hospitality veterans Sophia Richardson and business partner Wez Smeda-Healy opened the bar together in August. There’s plenty of wine by the glass, a considered list of seasonal cocktails, and almost every table has a round of borscht-red “Polish bitch” shots (vodka, cherry syrup and chilli) in tiny crystal cut cordial glasses, a nod to Richardson’s eastern European roots.

Food is simple and snacky – Sicilian olives. A little plate of cheese and crackers. Thin slices of focaccia to drag through whipped butterbean dip (a pretty purple spoonful of caramelised onion and pickled beetroot on top) or slather with anchovy butter (heavy on the anchovies).

This is the light-hearted, welcoming, women-led space hospitality veteran Richardson said she always dreamed of creating. No pretension, no stress and Kylie Minogue playing over the speakers.

Open Tue-Wed 4-11pm; Fri-Sat 2pm-midnight

1/198-206 St Johns Road, Glebe, instagram.com/kisa.sydney

L’Massif Cave, Surry Hills

When ordering wine by the glass at L’Massif Cave, you’ll only ever have three or four options to choose from: white, orange or red. All natural, all delicious, all communicated by owners Sean Tran and Sebastian Tsang as they line the bottles up in front of you. A Tom Shobbrook chardonnay is light and “crunchy”, the Christian Binner Bombisch pinots maceres “juicy” with notes of cherry, and once those bottles are emptied, that’s it. Onto the next.

The curated selection of (almost) exclusively natural wine is a welcome change in a world filled with exponential choices, where online bottle shops have a daunting selection to sift through, and you can order almost anything from anywhere. Yes, please just tell me what’s good. At 5.30pm on a Friday, I’m not fussy (though, admittedly, I do baulk at paying $31 for a glass of gamay a – seemingly unusual occurrence as most options hovering around the $17-20 mark).

Tran and Tsang opened L’Massif Cave in August. They went in blind – neither had hospitality experience (Tran runs Redfern fashion atelier Shhorn, Tsang is an architect). They said they found that ignorance liberating. It might also be why this wine bar feels unlike anything else in Sydney.

It’s a small venue, minimalist-chic, that opens onto the street. People wander in after work, leaning against the timber window sill with a silver plate of potato crisps, or pulling up a stool for a chat at the bar. Most stand. This is by design: “We believe the intimacy is what [makes] some of those memorable spaces so special,” Tsang said.

And there is something special about this place, like a laid-back afternoon with friends when the warm spring air starts to roll through. And if it’s busy when you go? Rest assured more seating is on the way, following an approval from council.

Open Fri-Sat 5-10pm

231 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills, instagram.com/lmassifcave

Famelia, Newtown

Two days after we last visited sommelier Amelia Birch’s Enmore Road wine bar, my husband told me he was considering enrolling in a TAFE course for sommeliers. Bar manager Megan Asquith, who poured our wine flight that evening, made the tasting experience so engaging she’d half-convinced him to change career paths.

The DIY wine flight has been a staple since Famelia opened in mid-2023. The drawcard allows you to try a half-glass of three wines, of your choosing, for $42. Say you like that “fancy rosé” from Honey Moon Vineyard in Adelaide Hills, but you’re intrigued by a deep, plummy red made with blaufrankisch grapes from the Czech Republic. ¿Por que no los dos? Or tres, as the case may be.

Famelia isn’t the first to offer this, but there’s something unique about the service. Though the narrow, candlelit bar is often filled to capacity, staff are generous with their time. They’ll walk you through each pour, carefully gauging interest, ramping up to an easy enthusiasm if you’re in the mood for tasting notes and elaborate backstories.

It’s also a dedicated champion of female winemakers – a focus that has only become more “single-minded, more obsessive” over time, said Birch: “As we become better known, our access to winemakers has increased, as has the thoughtful consideration by many of our distributors to represent more women winemakers in their portfolios.”

Plus, the snacks are good – bougie little savoury treats for the carnivorous and plant-based among us, featuring neighbouring businesses, such as pecan pate from Bloodwood.

Open Tue 5.30-9pm, Wed-Fri 4-11pm, Sat noon-11pm, Sun noon-9pm

55 Enmore Road, Newtown, famelia.com.au