Places like Ines Wine Bar give a city a grown-up edge. It’s a spot for latenight libations and cool snacks when it’s not home-time just yet, and with a classy vibe to make you want to dress up, look sharp and show off.

All timber, brass and marble, this 60-seater channels old-world European wine bars, the perfect antidote to its neighbours down this hip and hipster end of Chapel Street. The site housed a branch of Matteo Bruno’s Meatball & Wine Bar chain before the restaurateur – who also has Hawaiian-style cocktail bar Hana in the CBD – opened Ines in May, named after his 93-year-old nonna.

The 100-strong wine list mainly features Italian, French and Australian labels, better priced by the glass, with the rarer drops poured via Coravin. Cracking cocktails like the Aviation (gin, cherry liqueur and lemon) served in vintage glassware add to the appeal. Feeling like this could be your local? Buy a bottle of wine or spirits and store it behind the bar for your next visit.

The booze is matched with smart snacks, like the Silician olives stuffed with Parmigiano-Reggiano, crumbed and fried into some of the best salty morsels to put next to your drink.

Likewise the croque signore, fat toasted sourdough soldiers filled with mortadella, emmental, fontina and parmesan, given excellent zing with slices of pickles on top.

Meatballs still roll here, though now they’re polpette. A single plump herb-flecked sphere of veal and porcini comes on a bed of creamy polenta with roasted mushrooms. Damn good comforting stuff. The same can’t be said for the tooth-cracking flatbread, served with baked goat’s cheese that’s about as flexible as a sheet of MDF.

That was a misstep in an otherwise happy experience. Sophistication counts at Ines, service is fun and a little flirty, and after a visit you might just leave floating off merrily into the night.