This elegant addition to Armadale's High St feels distinctly European.
Among the designer furniture and upmarket clothing stores on High St, Armadale, there is a new stop en route to the train station. At the entrance to Kings Arcade, By The Glass is making a splash with a set-up that feels distinctly European.
We sit in the relaxed, yet elegant, arcade on Parisian-style bistro chairs. At the table next to us a couple is discussing wine flaws, and how pinot noir can have the aroma of “dirty socks”. The woman sniffs her wine glass suspiciously as her partner orders the chef’s Feed Me menu ($130 for three courses).
On our right are two friends with their doggo who’ve come for a quick champagne (Couche Millesime, $34 a glass), and around us groups clink glasses and order nibbles from the sharing menu.
Staff are attentive but not intrusive. When I ask a question about wine, the sommelier is so well-informed that I delegate my decision-making to him.
He chooses the Kooyanga Creek chardonnay ($17) in response to my request for a “less oaky” drop tonight. My companion orders an Austrian riesling from Reichersdorf ($19).
Within moments the glasses are poured and we’re ordering oysters. It’s only a few steps to the bar and the open kitchen from any table in the restaurant, so service is timely.
The fresh Coffin Bay oysters are topped with a dash of preserved lemon oil and a tumble of purple caviar soaked in Bloody Shiraz gin. They’re a pop of perfection and good value at $5 each.
The taste of the ocean lingers on my palate until the next snack, a generous slab of creamy, handmade duck and lamb pâté ($18), appears. A spoonful of caramelised onions perches on top, the sweet butteriness, helping to bolster the flavour.
Next, to arrive are deep-fried arancini ($16) served with small cubes of blue cheese; enough for a dramatic burst of flavour that is impressive but not overpowering. A drizzle of basil oil and more caramelised onions balance the taste.
The sommelier’s enthusiasm for adventurous wine tasting leads him to entice my companion to try the top drop in the riesling range at 50 per cent off. The 2010 Kilikanoon from the Clare Valley is normally $40 a glass.
My companion compares it to the Millon Riesling from Eden Valley, SA ($17), and the Vision Gruner from earlier, and finds it fuller of body than the Austrian wine and the other South Australian drop, with citrus notes of lemon and orange blossom.
When we step inside to settle the bill, we find a moody, sophisticated venue with
a combination of intimate spaces and larger areas for groups. Fringed velvet stools border a central marble bar, and a massive window wall shelf of wine separates the inside from the arcade.
This 68-seat wine bar is already humming with activity and is sure to be a winner with the locals. Whether for date night or for casual catch-ups, it has the perfect ingredients – great people, great wine and great food.
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