Vini

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
If you don’t believe the saying “good things come in small packages” you might want to check out Vini. Situated on Holt Street, just off Devonshire, Vini is a small package indeed but it’s packed full of goodness. Every available speck of space has been taken up with clusters of black tables, rows of wine bottles and dry goods that don’t have a hope of squeezing into the miniature kitchen. But that’s not to say that Vini doesn’t exude style. The dark and intimate room has got plenty of Surry Hills flair, and the kind of buzz you’d expect from an inner city wine bar.

Vini began life as an enoteca, serving simple and rustic cured meats and cheeses to accompany the wine list of 60 Italian wines. As time went by the focus began to turn towards food, to the point where Vini is now more of a restaurant with a killer wine list than a wine bar with food. The menu changes daily and sticks to its Italian roots. Expect to choose between dishes such as spaghetti with calamari, olives, preserved lemon and asparagus or insalate of buffalo mozzarella, zucchini flowers and peppers with anchovy dressing. If you’re on the hunt for a top drop and a nibble, Vini has 25 wines by the glass and a selection of platters with crostini, olives and salami.

Amy Looker