Vini Vidi Vivo

With all this talk of our booze-culture, let’s now turn our attention to that exquisite drop, best consumed in modest quantities and soaked up with food. And where better to familiarise yourself with its myriad wonders than at Vivo, squirreled away down Edward Street. A wine buff I ain’t, (for that expertise I direct you to local wine writer John Saker, author of the delightful exposition, How to Drink a Glass of Wine), but I can count: Vivo offers 700 wines. Did someone mention binge-drinking?

Stepping into Vivo is like passing through the Narnia wardrobe… without the lion and the witch. That is to say that its unassuming doorway opens to an unexpected world. Exposed brickwork and old timber beams create an earthy atmosphere, while fairy lights against an inky ceiling allude to the night sky. Lee rather poetically fancied himself in the garden bar of a Roman trattoria.

Vivo calls itself an enoteca cucina – a ‘lively wine bar with food’. On our visit it was indeed emitting a pulse, with 12 or so patrons dining in. That’s a recession Monday for you. As suggested by the name, Vivo’s culinary influence is Italian, with pizza, pastas and meaty specialita along the lines of lamb rack and fish of the day. Oh, and tiramisu.

We kicked our dinner off with Sacred Hill’s ‘Wine Thief’ syrah ($48.50) and ploughed into garlic bread ($5.50). Six dear little rolls, baked hot and glistening, their freshness and flavour far exceeded the norm. Arancini, gob-stopping risotto croquettes ($9.50), were killer. A drizzle of truffle oil set our noses twitching well before the crunchy crust was chomped, giving way to a creamy rice filling with a gooey heart of mozzarella. We could’ve ordered another couple of rounds of the very same snacks and gone home happy.

My linguine con vongole, however, was already noodling out of the kitchen. Not an overly generous portion of pasta came with but a skimp of clams, wet with a non-committal broth – it needed more garlic, or lemon, or parsley, or all of the above. It was pleasant and well cooked; it just didn’t live up to my hopes for a $26 outlay. Lee chose the bistecca alla Sicilia ($32), beef medallions with oyster stuffing, the stuffing of which was stuffed up. It was actually underneath. The oysters were also of questionable quality, or maybe just cooked beyond recognition. There were saving graces, though: the meat was pink and tender, while the buttery ‘pancetta hollandaise’ anchored the dish with its smoky, salty richness.

Having reluctantly eschewed the Mouton-Rothschild I^er Grand Cru Bourdeaux ($906), we indulged instead in dessert. Vivo’s ‘famous’ lemon cheesecake ($11) may be, in reality, a lot less famous than Alison Holst’s beef cheek but it is noteworthy nonetheless. The usual zingy lemon filling was whipped into an almost blancmange-like state, so feather-light it almost floated away. We duly knocked it flat with handmade truffles ($7) and coffee.

Classy and decadent, Vivo will be enjoyed by lovers of fine wine, great atmosphere and sharp service. Pick out a bottle, order up some snacks, and maybe cut straight to dessert or the cheeseboard. It’s got to be good for you.

- Sarah Bennett, 6 August 2009

Vivo Enoteca Cucina

19 Edward Street

Tel 384-6400

Open Mon-Fri 3pm-late, Sat 5pm-late

Starters/small plates $5.50-24; pasta $15-26; mains $26-34; dessert/cheese $7-11

www.vivowinebar.com