Neptune, An Out of This Planet Wine Bar

You’ve heard of gastropubs before, but is there such thing as a gastro-wine-bar? There is now. As gastropubs are as serious about their food as they are their beers, Neptune is as serious about their food as they are their wines. And that’s pretty dam serious. With cutting edge hospitality experts Commune Group (Tokyo Tina, Hanoi Hannah) at the helm and countless rows of wine bottles spread through the venue, you know you are in good hands.

Exposed brick walls set the backdrop for the space with geometric metal structures framing and sectioning the restaurant in an unsuspecting manner. Polished concrete floors add to the rawness and textures of timber invite the details to shine. Blue-grey leather booths are deep and comfortable for up to five guests while still remaining intimate for just two, there’s a wood log fireplace at the back, exuding heat through the winter. Dim soft lighting is achieved by large spherical lightbulbs that glow throughout the venue, reminiscent of planet Neptunes fourteen moons.

The by the glass wine list is an impressive one. A mixture of new wold and old world wines with seven whites, seven reds, a selection of ‘unconventional wines’ and also some ‘super special wines’ from their cellar selection to choose from. The 2017 Dominique Piron Village, Gamay was my pick for the night and left me in a very happy state through the evening.

The menu embraces Italian coastal dining, with a less-is-more, quality-over-quantity ideology applied. You will want to start with some bread, and it’s no ordinary bread here, the freshly baked potato focaccia is just what you need to set your palate for the tasty ride ahead. Pick from a shortlist of entrées sold by the piece such as the oozy sweetcorn arancini with candied jalepeño that has just the right amount of sweet to spicy ratio. Head into some medium-sized share plates and fight over the last piece of albacore tuna crudo with horseradish, fennel pollen. As per our waiter's suggestion, the charred octopus with potato aioli, nduja dressing is a must-try, a great recommendation indeed. A delicate spanner crab spaghetti with saltbush, parsley and green chilli hit just the right spots in the tastebuds. Finally, the perfectly cooked Gippsland grass-fed beef with kale and balsamic jus, twice-cooked potatoes and pumpkin, radicchio and gorgonzola salad left us rolling out of the venue. Not before we had our dessert though, a satisfying pedro ximenez sabayon, mandarin sorbet, dark chocolate mousse.

Things I loved about Neptune apart from the food and the wine and great service was absorbing the atmosphere and people watching. Watching people hug their friends, clink their wine glasses and having a great time in this intimate space that was at just the right volume.