Gerald’s got its name because it belongs, in part, to a bloke named Gerald. Also in this category: Abla’s, Matteo’s, David’s, Jasper’s, Monty’s, Milney’s and probably many more.

Spensley’s is different. It “belongs” to the people of Spensley Street, a five-block stretch in that quiet, village-y part of Clifton Hill bounded by the Eastern Freeway, Yarra Bend, Hoddle Street and Heidelberg Road.

“I’ve lived in Clifton Hill since 1998,” says Vaughan Kelly, one of Spensley’s two actual owners, and until recently, also the co-owner of nearby cafe Two: Bob. “I’ve always loved the area, but the local pub the Royal Hotel had closed down, so there was a real lack of community venues for people to come and have a glass of wine, some food and mingle.”

We think you might like Access. For $12 a month, join our membership program to stay in the know.

SIGN UP

Spensley’s has stepped into the role nicely. Though the timber- and brass-clad space has a similar level of polish to other Melbourne wine bars such as Kirk’s (no Kirk here, just Con, Josh and Ian) and Little Andorra, it feels more communal than destinational.

When the sun’s up, prams and dogs cruise past sporadically, their owners stopping for chats or waving to friends through the site’s generous windows. By night, the soundtrack shifts up a few gears from Beach House and other dream-pop bands, and the timeless, bentwood-filled room acquires a more clandestine feel.

These scenes are liable to change soon. Spensley’s has only been open since mid-October, and with Zane Heemi in the kitchen it’s bound to start drawing a wider crowd. The chef, who’s here in a consulting role until January, has spent time at Grub Food Van, Bluebonnet Barbecue and Neighbourhood Wine. It’s this last entry, with its elegant Euro-leaning fare, that most informs the uncomplicated one-page menu at Spensley’s.

There are four clever snacks to choose from, plus about 10 larger plates. For snacks, a riff on South Indian bonda dumplings come paired with masala-spiced onions. And Heemi’s take on the arepa (a spongy Latin American corn cake not unlike a crumpet) heads more into chip territory, proving a sturdy, one-bite vehicle for tangy goat’s cheese and herb-y mojo verde sauce.

More substantial is the flank steak with “secret butter”, featherweight ricotta gnocchi with capers and cavolo nero, and a pink mound of tarama topped off with shaved daikon (this time, it’s potato crisps that provide plate-to-mouth transfer). Locals mourning the demise of the Royal Hotel can find solace in the thick-cut potato chips. Kelly also hints that a schnitzel might make it onto the menu down the track.

These populist touches say something about Spensley’s, a wine bar in everything but name. It’s the kind of place you can pop in for a quick tap beer (Balter XPA, Young Henrys Newtowner, Colonial Draught) at the handsome timber bar (say hi to the business’s mascot, Larry the brass lobster) or stick around and explore the single-page wine list run by second owner Willow Humphreys. Like many of her contemporaries, she has more than a passing interest in natural and skin-contact wines, an angle she wasn’t sure would resonate with locals.

“We were quite conservative in the first week,” she says. “And then in the second or third week we were serving pét-nat by the glass and orange wines. Now we’re finding that’s becoming a good third of the wine list.”

“Lean”, “aromatic” and “Australian” are three other adjectives that apply here. Tasmanian and South Australian rieslings lead the white selection, with an entourage of chenin blanc, pinot gris, chardonnay and obscure varietals such as soave and aligoté. Local pinot noir, gamay and shiraz stand out among the reds.

Kelly and Humphreys inherited their liquor license from the previous tenant, which was a cafe. For now, that means Spensley’s can only trade three nights a week, but in the new year the duo hopes to go seven days, a move sure to please the good people of Spensley Street (and those further afield).

Spensley’s
43 Spensley Street, Clifton Hill
0421 562 161

Hours:
Thu 4pm–11pm
Fri & Sat 12pm–11pm
Sun 12pm–5pm

instagram.com/spensleys

This article first appeared on Broadsheet on December 11, 2019. Menu items may have changed since publication.