Camberwell's Greenhart Wine Bar Has Been Reborn with a New Owner, Fresh Look and Pan-Asian Eats
This Melbourne wine bar is straying away from the usual European influences, instead showing how contemporary Asian food and Australian wines can be a perfect pairing.
Greenhart Wine Bar on Toorak Road was your neighbourhood vino-sipping spot. The team paired its natural wines with small, sustainably sourced plates or Euro-centric food — replicating a tried-and-tested hospo combo.
Even though it made so much sense for the area, it recently shut down and was taken over by Benjamin Ruan (Benjamin's Kitchen). Instead of going down the common Melbourne wine bar route that's mostly about European influences, he's decided to put his own pan-Asian stamp on the new Greenhart Camberwell.
So, instead of pairing a riesling with your usual fresh oysters, match it with a serving of the team's handmade chicken and prawn wontons in a warming bowl of vegetable broth. And forget your cheese platters and charcuterie boards. Change it up with a few soft-shell crab sliders, san choi baos and curry puffs.
Larger dishes are also available, including the crispy rockling covered in a ginger, soy and sake sauce; sticky pork belly with chilli caramel and crushed pineapple; roasted duck glazed with hoisin and whisky; and a stack of noodles and curries.
Many of these eats are favourites from Benjamin's Kitchen in Alphington, which Ruan has adapted for the wine bar setting.
Wines are a mostly Aussie affair, with a few drops from Italy and France thrown in for good measure. For a wine bar, the wine list could be a bit longer, but it's still early days for Greenhart Camberwell. A healthy selection of spirits, Australian and Japanese beers, and cocktails are also up for grabs.
Tuck into all of these offerings inside at the bar or by the window to watch folks wander down Toorak Road, or head to the hidden courtyard out back when the sun is shining.
It's great to see a Melbourne wine bar stray away from the usual European aesthetic, instead showing how contemporary Asian food and Aussie wines are a perfect pairing.
You can find Greenhart Camberwell at 1226 Toorak Road, Camberwell. The wine bar and restaurant is open Tuesday–Thursday 4–10pm, Friday and Saturday 12–3pm and 4–10pm, and Sunday 4–10pm. For more information, head to the venue's website.
