The Local Bar

This is a great local wine bar, tucked away in a Neutral Bay alley. This alley has recently been blocked off from cars during certain hours so more table seating outside than previously.
A great wine menu, but unfortunately just limited their happy hour prices to 4−6PM where it used to be all day. That was disappointing as that was a big reason we would stop in for a nice glass of wine at happy hour prices.
The food menu is limited but good. A great lemon, haloumi chicken sandwich that is served all day and if you like charcuterie then this is a great place to go. They also serve sliders that come from the local burger place.
I feel like they have recently gone through some management changes as there was a notable dip in service, knowledge and of course the limiting of the happy hour prices. I hope they rebound from this into the same place I used to love!

Great tapas selection. Our favourite — Spanish white anchovies with fresh tomato, garlic & baby basil crostini, as well as the chicken club sandwich. And if you’re not up to choosing your wine or find it too hard to choose from their vast selection, then their house red is exceptionally good, especially at the Happy Hour price of $ 6/​glass. We’ve aptly renamed this place «Our Local Bar».

I was very surprised by this little bar. I only stopped in for one cocktail as part of a bar crawl around the area however it was the best drink of the night.
I had an old fashioned. Makers Mark Bourbon with some sugar syrup a maraschino cherry and a twist of orange peel. Simple but they nailed it.
Everyone else with us seemed to love this drinks also. I will be back to try more!

Pretty cool. I’d been past a couple of times, but they’d either been full or we’d just been somewhere else. I was here to meet a friend and have a couple of drinks, and found it to be a good meeting place.
It’s small and cozy, and tucked down a Neutral Bay back lane. My Old Fashioned was really well made, nicely balanced, and the roasted pistachios made a good snack while I waited for my mate.
Although there were several pages of other interesting cocktails I decided to go for wine, and happened to notice one of the wines I had — and enjoyed — at a Unilocal Elite event earlier in the week, an organic Jauma ‘Blewitt Springs’ Grenache from McLaren Vale.
We weren’t too hungry — which is good, because it’s mostly tasting plates in the evening — and had the charcuterie board. Good sign: plenty of gherkins.
Good service, too, very friendly.
The only downside was that they were grilling some mini lamb burgers or something which resulted in a lot of smoke and hot fat smell filling the bar. I’m assuming that doesn’t happen all the time.

The Gregan, David Wenham, Rob Sitch and Sam Neil bar has opened right next door to Central Baking Depot in Neutral Bay. It has unpainted grey walls and a mural to the back of a fish swimming amongst bottles. The bar runs along one side that has a pressed tin covering and marble tops. It is a humble little venue where the focus is good wine/​cocktails, great conversation and wonderful food all inspired by the tiny drinking dens seen in Japan.
It is nice to sit in the sun enjoying a glass of sparking ($ 9) and a Antipasto plate ($ 15) even the Sangria jugs ($ 25) look tempting to the rest of my company and I can go in the draw to win the vamp sexy Vespa which sits outside. The staff are young, fresh and know the drink list. This visit is all too brief that is ok its sure to become our ‘local’ in every which way.