The Star Signs Align at Coburg’s Neighbourhood Wine Bar Gemini
Coburg has a habit of breeding venues that cruise under the radar until everyone suddenly cottons on to their brilliance, and Gemini fits the pattern. Perched at the top of Sydney Road in a century-old corner building, this café-by-day, wine-bar-by-night lures first-timers then keeps them dreaming up excuses to swing back.
Owners Tresna Lee and Shane Farrell, both locals and, neatly enough, both Geminis, sold their house to bankroll the project. When funds ran thin, neighbours pitched in to finish the job. That detail tells you plenty: Gemini is fuelled by generosity rather than gloss.
We dropped in for the fifty-five-dollar Sunday Set Lunch and landed the sunny window table, the sort of seat that feels pre-booked by fate. Service was warm and unflappable; the front-of-house equivalent of a reassuring nod. In the kitchen, a tight brigade of senior chefs works with Farrell to keep the menu nimble and seasonal.
The opening salvo set the tone. A golden slab of panisse wore pumpkin and olive, the sweet earthiness coaxing new depths from the chickpea base. Tapioca fritti followed, sitting somewhere between cheesy mochi and croquette—elastic, rich, snowed under with parmesan. West Australian octopus skewers rounded things off, charred and smoky yet soft to the bite.
The main held the line. Petal-thin Wagyu carpaccio lounged next to a crisp salad and fries that would make a Parisian bistro blush. Upgrade to Black Opal Wagyu marble score five plus with honey-fermented garlic butter for an extra twenty if you fancy a touch of decadence without the heaviness.
Dessert is strictly optional, though skipping the nine-dollar Amaro choc top would be a rookie mistake. This collaboration with Gelato Papa marries bitter citrus bite with a velvety chocolate shell, proving adulthood still allows ice-cream cones.
Gemini is the sort of local that slips effortlessly into your weekly routine. No fanfare, no razzle-dazzle, just polished plates, good pours, and the quiet confidence of a place that knows exactly what it is doing.
A wine sanctuary offering coffee, snacks, pantry provisions, and a curated selection of minimal‑intervention Victorian wines alongside thoughtfully crafted bar bites and community events.
A wine sanctuary offering coffee, snacks, pantry provisions, and a curated selection of minimal‑intervention Victorian wines alongside thoughtfully crafted bar bites and community events.
