With everything that makes a wine lover’s heart beat fast: cured meats and oozy cheeses, classy bistro fare, and a glorious world of wine for the drinking thanks to the adjoining Prince Wine Store, Bellota has been wooing South Melbourne for almost five years.

But with Nicky Riemer (ex-Union Diner in Richmond) now in the kitchen cooking her flavour-first Euro-leaning food, this classy wine bar has been given new life.

Spots at the bar are still filled with couples dropping by for a sip and easy bite on the way home – perhaps shucked oysters and fried olives or a salumi board to snack, while further back, tables are set with the linen, hefty cutlery and elegant glassware that complement a wine list that celebrates the best from around the world.

Ask one of the switched-on staff for advice, or head next door to plunder the retail store, where for $15 corkage opens up the options.

It all makes the perfect backdrop for Riemer’s easy, delicious, eating. Whether a sublime plate of spaghettini tossed through smoked eel and covered in garlicky pangrattato, or an expertly treated flatiron steak, sliced and topped with a pan of thyme-laden, cream-spiked mushrooms, this is true comfort food of the highest order.

Bellota brings a touch of Europe’s bar culture to Melbourne, so you can leave your passport at home.

Must-eat dish: Flat iron steak with mushrooms
Instagram: @bellotawinebar