When the teams behind mainstays like Saigon Sally and Tokyo Tina, and Pastuso and San Telmo come together to open up an ambitious new modern wine bar it’s safe to say expectations sit at the top end of the spectrum. Neptune, recently opened in Windsor, stretches across High Street with a wide reach of food, wine and cocktails. The two-level restaurant is a slick entry from the reliable crews, pushed as a future neighbourhood institution that’s already amassed a nice following based off the modern spin on a traditional wine bar paired up with a Mediterranean-influenced menu.
Ewert Leaf Architects have given this one plenty of character, separating the two levels into distinct spaces that both feature plenty of intimate nooks, whether it be the indoor-outdoor atrium at the entrance, the upstairs cocktail bar or the fireplace lounge sitting at the back of the venue.
A meat-slicer sitting by the bar should tell you what kind of snacks are in store to be paired up with the healthy selection of wines, cocktails and beers, offering a good range of cured meats along with other snacks like Fritti Misto with sage anchovy fritters and flash fried mussels and cannellini hummus with radish leaf pesto, as well as a more substantial offering of vegetarian dishes, sharing plates and mains. Signatures include absinthe bonito tartare with Calabrian chili oil, Market Fish baked in a bag with pippies, leak and thyme, along with pastas such as bone marrow tortellini and Aglio e Olio anchovy spaghetti.
The upstairs bar boasts an in-house whisky locker for those wanting to purchase entire bottles, while a dedicated wine cellar is also offered for those who want to purchase and takeaway one of the many wines on display.
Neptune
Address: 212 High Street, Prahran, 3181
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