The Wine Corner Store just oozes charm.
Fit with chalkboard specials, fresh flowers and a bustling covered patio running along the side, it strikes the perfect balance of homey and classy – the kind of place you could easily woo a first date, down a bottle with your mates or post up on your own with a book and a glass of wine.
While Carlton may be Melbourne’s epicentre when it comes to wine bars, we can guarantee none of them are doing it quite like the Wine Corner Store. Located on the corner of Princess and Canning St, this little gem operates as a bistro/bottle-o, where customers can snag a bottle to go or drink it in-house with an impressive selection of bites.
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With weekly deals like no corkage fee on Mondays, a Wednesday steak night, and the beloved Lazy Sunday cookouts, the venue has built a reputation as the place to come together in the inner north.
In the kitchen, owner Steve Mifsud-Ellul wanted to celebrate the richness and diversity of Melbourne. Fusing Asian flavours with inspiration from his Maltese heritage, he’s curated a menu that’s at once surprising and unique, yet comforting and familiar. Behind each dish, there’s a vision and a story.
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Take the hobz biz zejt: a traditional Maltese sandwich, made sexy as a crostini. Balancing pungent flavours of capers, white anchovies and tomatoes, it’s an absolute standout. The Wine Corner Store has a neighbourly vibe to it, but trust us, we’d brave a long commute for that hobz biz zejt.
The bigilla, a flavourful fava bean dip served with homemade flatbread, is another Maltese classic, which Steve says is typically served via truck (like an ice cream truck!) to eager customers.
Elsewhere on the menu, find oh-so-creamy Sydney Rock oysters (the only appropriate way to start a meal of this calibre, in our opinion), meaty rendang croquettes and smokey Jerusalem artichokes atop romesco sauce. The crab toasts are another highlight – quite possibly the crispiest, crunchiest piece of bread you will ever eat in your life topped with light, lemony crab and a punchy pickled red grape.
The mains are a very healthy size. The seafood moqueca has Brazilian roots but a Mediterranian flair, and the pasta has just the right amount of bite, slathered in fatty, zesty duck and radicchio ragu.
When it comes to picking out wines, we highly recommend letting the affable staff take the wheel and diving in head first. From zippy rieslings to spice-driven pinot noirs, their arsenal of drops will not disappoint, featuring carefully selected options you’re unlikely to find at a standard liquor store.
The team is clearly passionate about wine, but in the most inviting, down-to-earth way you could imagine. There’s not a touch of snobbery here.
The Wine Corner Store may be small, but it’s got a big personality. We love it when restauranteurs really put their heart into their work and that can be both seen and felt so strongly here, from the relaxed atmosphere to the elevated taste-of-home dishes. Gold star!
Find out more about The Wine Corner Store and book a table here.
