Bar Fly: Barrel Bar & Dining

Barrel Bar & Dining
3/362 Military Road, Cremorne (02) 9904 5687 barrelbar.com.au
“This is stupid!” My date exclaimed, stuffing another fork full of sautéed oyster mushrooms and neon green parsley sponge into her mouth. “This is seriously so good that if I died right now, I’d die happy,” she clarifies, stealing the remaining mushroom bark from my plate. Barrel Bar & Dining might have only been open for a few weeks but they’re onto a winning combination: great service, a stunning space and eccentric share plates that taste every bit as good as they look. Our evening started like all good evenings should – with copious amounts of wine. I went for a glass of the versatile Hiedler Gruner Veltliner ($12), while she went for the pleasantly tangy Isolabella della Croce ‘Le Marne’ ($12).

While my date went gaga over the mushroom ecosystem ($14), it was the deliciously bizarre combo of slow cooked carrots with smoked carrot puree and salted honeycomb ($14) that will have me coming back to Barrel.