The waiter puts down an exquisite wine glass with the finest stem I’ve ever seen. “You’d be surprised,” he says, when I voice concern about its possible fragility. “They’re made with a special material that gives them a bit of flexibility. We’ve dropped them and they’ve been fine.”

I’m somewhat reassured, but still, he doesn’t know my super-power is breaking wine glasses. Among the al fresco dining and colourful casual bars of Noosa Junction, the stylish Atelier stands out for its understated chic – a “little black dress” in a sea of bedazzled kaftans. Which makes sense, given one of the owners is a fashion designer; the other, in building design, is responsible for the bones of the fit-out.

Opened in April, the space resembles a contemporary European cellar with a curved, retro-fitted ceiling, open shelves of wine and a 16-seater French oak table. There is creamy travertine crazy paving on the floor, muted lighting and, in a departure from the current trend, a kitchen tucked away out of sight.

Thanks to a Coravin preservation system, all Atelier’s wines are available in 75 or 150ml pours, as well as by the bottle. Despite the fine wine emphasis, with a list of more than 120 bottles, including some bank-breaking drops, service is sans attitude, with the amiable staff happy to offer advice and a swirl in the glass to try before you buy.

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The compact menu, like the wine, has a European focus. An oozy fondue, ($14) just skirting the right side of richness, comes with button mushrooms for dipping; sourdough, with Cafe de Paris butter and a dish of vibrant green olive oil ($10). There is a burrata dressed in citrus, olive oil and thyme ($12), plates of San Daniele prosciutto or wagyu bresaola ($13) and cheeses from France and Switzerland ($18.)

Both mains on offer are simple but satisfying. Delicate ribbons of fettuccine made in-house come with a tomato sauce loaded with tiny salty bombs of crunchy speck, garnished by a drift of grated Sardinian pecorino ($36), while gnocchi ($32) are crisped to bronze on one side by a quick kiss of pan-heat. Made with an equally deft touch, they are tossed through a pesto-ish sauce that begs to be swiped with a heel of sourdough.

To drink, we have half pours of Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon ($29) and Fumey Chatelain ‘Le Bastard’ Trousseau ($26). The Euro-influence informs the single dessert too: chocolate parfait with hazelnut crumbs, cream, with cherries marinated in maraschino liqueur ($16). The parfait’s silky, the cherries a lively counterpoint, but the cream seems extraneous.

Atelier is not a restaurant per se, but a wine bar with good food, such as you might find in Rome or Paris, where one without the other is inconceivable. With its communal table and laid-back playlist, what it most feels like though, is a dinner party at your most wine-loving friend’s house. One, in my case, where for once I didn’t have to walk out apologising for any glass breakage.

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