Bar Olo
No other sister wine bar has been quite as successful as Scopri’s perennially popular Bar Olo in Carlton.
Overview
Wine bars from the likes of well-established restaurants are documented enough to be a trend, but what differentiates Scopri's fun younger sibling Bar Olo from the rest is the equal focus it places on food and drink.
Part luxurious curtains once you step into the doorway and be transported into a warm, cosy space that can house up to 40 people and has plenty of timber finishings.
The food menu isn't overly long, but there's enough on it to warrant return visits. The standout prawn tramezzini — an Italian sandwich featuring soft, crustless white bread enlivened by salsa rosa and fried tropea onion — is a must-order, as are the deceptively simple vegetable medley with bagna cauda dip. For something more decadent, try the fritto misto with chilli salt and the lasagna croquette.
Mains encompass both pastas and meat dishes, with tagliatelle with osso buco ragu and agnolotti del plin sitting alongside crumbed King George whiting and saltimbocca skewers garnished with a fried sage crumb.
Wine choices encased in a leather-bound booklet borrow heavily from Italy, particularly the northwestern Piemonte region, while the inventive cocktails include the Barolo Sour — an Italian take on a pisco sour — the Amaro Dacquiri and the Sangiovese Bramble.
Images: Vanessa Claire Photography.
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