Going out for a wine inevitably turns into snacks, then dinner, and perhaps another late-night bite to soak up that bottle of Valpolicella, when you’re at 10 William Street.

A variety of successful guest-chef appearances has had us turning up again and again, with Daniel Pepperell’s (who’s now at Hubert) amped-up Italian menu, followed by Pinbone chefs Jemma Whiteman and Mike Eggert’s five-month residency. Now, with chef Enrico Tomelleri at the pass, there’s a more to-the-rule Italian cucina, but it’s still nothing ordinary.

This two-tiered nook is packed the week through, and the eastern suburb’s smart set crush into booth seats alongside the city’s chefs on their night off, noisily talking over the next table and jostling for elbow room. Snackers and regulars perch at the bar, working their way through whipped bottarga and a hand-sized doughy pretzel for dipping, or sweet sardines draped over crostino like slippery silver petticoats. Hard and soft ricotta cheeses brighten up fried Brussels sprouts with a caper vinaigrette, and spaghettini, studded with crab and pepperonicini is turned creamy with mascarpone. An Angus short-rib is proof that less is more when the produce is spot on.

We’re here for the bustle and the food, and the wine is the hat trick. The vino is good, there’s lots of it, and most customers have never heard of half of it. And so lies another excuse to return to make our way through the rest of that hand-written chalkboard menu.

For drinks and eats, 10 William Street has enlivened Sydney’s nightlife, and its unrelenting focus on keeping the food edgy and the wine intriguing and delicious gives it a freshness and, thankfully, a longevity in this temperamental city.

Must eat dish: Pretzel with bottarga
Instagram: @10williamst