A heritage-listed 1928-built former bank this year morphed into atmospheric wine bar Maeve, throwing open its copper doors in March.

Key to the experience is the 170-bottle, global-roaming eclectic wine list – including a rkatsiteli from Georgia, a negramoll from the Canary Islands, and a zweigelt from Austria – that focuses on smaller producers and minimal intervention wines.

The menu works its way from snacks to vegetable dishes, small plates to larger versions such as charcoal-grilled hanger steak with cafe de Paris butter and fries. All are keenly priced.

The snacks are inventive: The crumpet is sourdough with hazelnut butter, house-made smoked duck ham and a drizzle of honey; Milk toast comes topped with chicken liver parfait with blood orange jam while the waffles are black garlic topped with red wine jelly and a whorl of the Irish cheese Cashel Blue whipped into a “parfait”.

Mains could be porchetta or Hiramisa kingfish with roasted mushroom and raisin and caper relish.

The two desserts have an alcoholic bent: a crème caramel is bathed in sweet vermouth or rum baba.

The unfussy fit-out of wooden floors, white walls, red and white linen napkins on bare wooden tables matched with bentwood chairs is appealing and service is adept.

A terrific, quirky addition to the South Brisbane arts precinct landscape.

Exceptional dish: Black garlic waffle, gelatina de vino, Cashel Blue parfait