Bar Fly

MONOPOLE
71A Macleay Street, Potts Point (02) 9360 4410 www.monopolesydney.com.au
Swoon baby swoon. The sign out front is not up yet, though the elegant wine bar and restaurant Monopole – the latest offering from Brent Savage and Nick Hilderbrandt of the Bentley Restaurant & Bar – has (just) opened.  I’ve taken an early peek and I’m truly excited by its showcase of classic and modern wines by the glass (from $8), carafe and bottle. Wines cover the globe from Burgundy (France) to the Yarra Valley (Australia.) “Try something you haven’t tried before,” Anthony Moore advised, before pointing me in the direction of the natural wine Jamsheed For Bentley 2011 Syrah. And I quite enjoyed a tipple or two of the Jamsheed for Bentley 2011 Roussanne. The list of Growers’ Champagnes (Diesolt-Vallois, David Leclapart, Cédric Bouchard and Jacques Selosse) is impressive, yet the stand out for me was the extensive range of Pinot Noir from Burgundy.

THE BUCKET LIST
Bondi Pavilion, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Bondi Beach (02) 9365 4122 www.thebucketlist.com
Summer, and in Sydney that shouts: Bondi Beach. The Bucket List in the Bondi Pavilion provides a view of beach activities without having to get that pesky sand between your toes. French bartender Tanguy confided that beer is most popular with Aussies. On tap there’s One Fifty Lashes Pale Ale, Kosciuszko Pale Ale, Heineken, Sundown Lager ($7.80 a schooner) and Hahn Super Dry ($6.80.) The Bucket List however is more famous for its jugs (no, not the type in bikinis) but those bearing Pimms No. 1 or sangria. The drinks menu is actually half wines and half cocktails (which are all $16 except the Long Island Ice Tea which is $19.) Hungry? At Bondi Beach your chow has to be seafood: oysters or a bucket of crisp battered fish and chips, or my tip – the grilled Coorong mullet Niçoise.