A mini martini or negroni is a delectable way to start your meal. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
When Matt Moran arrived in Canberra, his team built a beautiful restaurant fit-out for Compa and neighbouring sandwich shop &Sando. The celebrity chef has left the capital, but his original business partners here – The Fresh Collective – have decided to stick things out with a new location in the space.
Curiosa Wine Bar takes over from Compa, and Stacks replaces &Sando.
Curiosity got the better of me, so I headed to Curiosa.
The stunning interior remains practically unchanged from the Moran era: deep red marble bar, luxurious booths, quirky art and curtains to muffle the acoustics. But the menu is new – a compact selection of Italian sharing plates with a couple of pastas to round things out.
My friend and I chose arancini balls and calamari fritti to start and turned our attention to the drinks list. This might be a wine bar, but they also serve a ripper cocktail. They have cleverly included mini options for martinis and negronis, which we eagerly order.
Aside from being very cute, it’s a nice way to try multiple drinks without getting sloshed. I imagine they’d be popular with designated drivers.
The squid ink spaghetti is a delicious dish at Curiosa. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
The by-the-glass wine selection offers a solid range of local, Australian, and international options, and also has a wide price range (they’re not just offering their cheapest wines by the glass).
The cellar is clearly deep – the full list of wines is extensive – but again, the price points vary significantly. You can split a very nice $80 bottle for a low-key evening, or splurge several hundred on something for a special occasion.
We opt for a local Pinot Noir, which will go nicely with our next course.
There were some steaks on the specials list tonight, but we decided to stick with pasta. Squid ink spaghetti with prawns and chilli is generous and satisfying. The duck ragu with pappardelle and ricotta is a rich, hearty dish. The pappardelle ribbons are fat and perfectly al dente.
Although there are options for a rocket and parmesan salad or rosemary salt chips as sides, we return to the small plates for the house-made giardiniera (Italian pickles). The crisp pickles were perfectly mouth-puckering and cut through the rich pasta.
Save space for the tiramisu and thank me later. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Having diligently saved space for dessert, I get the marsala tiramisu, and my friend has the burnt Basque cheesecake. Let’s take a moment to shout out the humble tiramisu: it’s so good. I love it. Even though it is creamy and rich, the airiness of the sponge fingers keeps the whole thing feeling lighter than it has any right to be. I enjoy it thoroughly.
The cheesecake is dense and creamy, topped with gorgeous Amarena cherries. Delightful.
The service is attentive all night – water glasses topped up regularly, plates cleared promptly, and there are multiple check-ins throughout the evening to make sure we are enjoying everything.
Suitable for a date night, a pre-theatre feed, or an indulgent group celebration, Curiosa Wine Bar has all the ingredients for a good night out in the city.
Curiosa Wine Bar is located at 148 Bunda Street. They are open Wednesday to Sunday from 4 pm to 10 pm. Follow Curiosa Wine Bar on Facebook or Instagram.
Original Article published by Lucy Ridge on Region Canberra.
