Fino Vino

Barossa icon Fino at Seppeltsfield is finally in the CBD. Sharon Romeo and co-owner and executive chef David Swain had wanted to open up an urban outpost for Fino for over 13 years. In 2019, they got the opportunity and seized it.

The 70-seat wine bar and restaurant is a striking jumble of textures, where marble meets wood, leather meets iron, and rugged brick and stone walls are left naked. With a mix of booths, shared tables and bar seating, guests are encouraged to treat the space as their own.

In keeping with the ethos of using as much local produce as possible, the team has sourced many of the interiors from SA makers, too. The light fittings, joinery and tables were all made locally. There’s also still-life artwork by the late Port Willunga artist Bridget Ohlsson, which used to hang in Fino’s original Willunga venue.

The large open kitchen towards the back of the space is the star of the show, and it nods to the ethos Fino has held all this time, where produce and service take pride of place.

Swain is at the helm of the kitchen. He returned to his chef's whites following South Australia's emergence from 2020's Covid-19 lockdowns, and Fino Vino's subsequent reopening and reimagining. Romeo and Swain's history is woven through the Fino Vino menu: Swain’s signature crema catalana has been on the menu since day one at Willunga, and dishes such as the braised rabbit with rice and morcilla and the pan-seared brussels sprouts with eggplant, lentils and almonds all share DNA with dishes served at the OG location. Every part of the animal or vegetable that comes through the kitchen is prepared in-house, with next to nothing wasted.

As far as drinks go, there’s a range of Fino sherries alongside a 100-strong wine list – mostly local drops and a few European bottles.