Sardinas

Sardinas is an all-day eatery, wine and flower shop over the road from La Pinta, Adam Racina’s Spanish-style bar. It’s a sibling venue, but one that’s decidedly more relaxed. Racina and his partner, florist Brooke Mora, wanted to create a cosy, laidback spot where folks could drop in for a coffee or snack without the commitment of a full meal.

The food offering is more minimal than La Pinta’s, though its signature bread, tortilla and burnt Basque cheesecake have made appearances. There’s also a selection of delicious things on toast, ranging from Venetian sardines to house-made pickles and preserves to Racina’s charcuterie, which is butchered, cured and sliced on-site.

To drink, there are Australian wines on tap which can be ordered by the glass, litre or half-litre bottle. And you can bring your bottle back to be refilled from the keg. A range of local and international wines are on display in the concrete shelving unit, which was made by architect and furniture designer Harley Hamilton.

Given Mora’s background, flowers are a significant part of the offering, with fresh bouquets available to purchase and custom arrangements and event floristry upon request.

It’s also a mishmash of contributions from Mora and Racina’s various artist friends. The hand-moulded porcelain installation hanging in the centre of the venue was created by Jennifer Conroy-Smith, who created a similar piece for Yugen Dining.