We ask a lot of neighbourhood wine bars.

We expect the booze to be good, obviously, but we also want the food to be a standout. The venue has to be casual enough so you can pop in for a drink and a snack, but nice enough that you want to linger over a meal. It’s got to have something for everyone.

Cammeray hit the jackpot with Folly’s, which opened late last year thanks to mates Lachy Sturrock, ex-AppleJack group bars manager, and Sam Smith, licensee of Camperdown’s Alfred Hotel.

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They thought the area could do with something like this. They were right. On a rainy Wednesday night, the place is packed with couples and small groups sitting at the high bar tables at the front, while the bistro is booked out. A second visit on a late Sunday lunch sees the bar bustling, while the bistro is hosting larger groups, many of them families.

Five Foot One Design revamped the site. The original timber flooring and chequered tiles at the front bar stayed. New additions include a custom-built terrazzo bar and burgundy- coloured leather banquette seating.

The wine list spans around 80 bottles, mainly Australian drops, with 18 by the glass. Local beers from Freshwater Brewing and Philter are on tap and the cocktail list is seasonal. Fizzical Attraction, a mix of Four Pillars Rare Dry gin, elderflower, clarified watermelon, citrus, lime leaf and CO2, is fresh and goes down as easily as a G&T.

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Pina Colada fans will love the Rain Dance, a blend of coconut oil Flor de Cana four-year rum, Marionette apricot brandy, pineapple, citrus and CO2.

The menu, by chef Antonio “Ace” Espiritu (ex-Fauna, Icebergs), is what you want from a bistro: concise, familiar flavours, good portions and available all day. Small plates include a kingfish ceviche that’s heavy on the coconut brine, and lamb skewers, grilled pink, with a bright chimichurri sauce. Rigatoni alla vodka is paired with a spicy arrabbiata sauce, and there’s just enough cream to take the edge off.

Some would say the pasta is under; Italians would call it al dente. Half the menu is vegetarian, but you won’t miss meat on the spice-roasted cauliflower with harissa and tahini.

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The burrata caprese, with chunks of heirloom tomatoes, is topped with a crunchy pistachio pesto. The promised Szechuan peppercorns on the charred broccolini are missing, but it’s saved from boredom by the poached garlic, all mellow and nutty.

If meat is a must, a main of grilled spatchcock is smoky, succulent and paired with a herby yoghurt sauce, or scotch fillet comes with a fragrant whiskey peppercorn sauce.

There are two dessert options. The doughnut holes are a tad doughy, best to finish off with a punchy piccolo to help digest lunch. Folly’s is a fun place to be. The space is inviting, the service is warm, the food is solid and the drinks are great. If this was your local, you’d be pretty happy about it.

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