First Look: Brunello sets new benchmark for Canberra Wine Bars

Posted on 10 December, 2021

Hospitality veteran Tasso Rovolis has flown under the radar this past year as he has quietly but steadily created his dream restaurant on the former St George bank site on City Walk in Civic.

Tass, who has spent nearly 30 years in the food and wine business—running Benchmark on Northbourne Avenue for 15 years before selling it in 2017 and opening a series of small providores in Sydney–has returned to the capital to put his stamp on the dining scene.

Image by Portia Sarris

Brunello is a commanding new space, created by Canberra’s Department of Design and Monarch Builders. Everything, from the handmade ceramic tiles to the upholstered curve-backed dining chairs, is considered. But the wow factor is wine-based.

For Tass, wine is integral to the dining process and as such, at least a third of the airy restaurant is given to walls of wine, a walk-in glass charcuterie and cheese room and an Enomatic Wine Dispenser which will allow diners to sample some of the finest wines in the world.

The Enomatic is able to virtually reseal opened bottles of wine, keeping them fresh for a couple of weeks.

It means Brunello can offer 50 premier wines by the glass, and this includes—in a welcome step for Canberrans—Grange Hermitage.

While a bottle can set you back upwards of a $1000 or more, you can taste this famed Australian wine yourself for $68 for a 45ml glass, $115 for a 75ml glass or $138 for a 90ml glass. The Grange will be joined by other celebrity drops by the glass including Hill of Grace, Montrachet and Echezeaux.

If champagne is more your thing, Tass has all the good stuff in store. You can order a NV Pommery Brut Royal by the glass at just $26, which is cheaper than the Methuselah which will set you back $1200.

So serious is Tass about wine that Brunello can boast a 16-page wine menu featuring over 400 wines by the bottle from all over the globe (with some bottles of his Armagnac going back to 1946 and 1952).

All glassware is Reidel to enhance the sensory experience.

And if 400 bottles sounds too much to get your head around, there will be learned assistants on hand, including head sommelier and venue manager Giordano Vacca and assistant sommelier Christian Cante—both of whom come from hatted establishments in Sydney.

Image by Adam McGrath of Hcreations

Also, if you are so over-awed by the choice you cannot decide what to drink then and there, Tass has a takeaway licence, which will work nicely with the cheese and charcuterie room for those wanting to grab and go with something special after work.

Meanwhile, what is wine without food? Tasso has lured Michelin-starred chef Nacho Castells Rusiñol from Melbourne’s acclaimed Tinto restaurant (via some of Spain’s top restaurants) to run a European bistro style menu which Tasso describes as “high-end but uncomplicated”.

Head chef Nacho Castells Rusiñol

The wine offering will no doubt lure serious oenophiles in the door, but the food can be enjoyed by anyone who loves seasonal flavours and Spanish flair.

Think Hiramasa Kingfish and padron pepper ceviche with finger lime, or ox heart tomatoes, with figs, spring onion, basil pesto, burrata, gazpacho and aged balsamic for starters.

Image by Adam McGrath of Hcreations

Mains include John Dory with saffron, pickled mussels, potato, bok choy or wattleseed rub Moorland lamb loin with plum glaze, goat’s panna cotta, green peas and mint.

Image by Portia Sarris

Diners have a choice of casual outdoor seating for around 40 viewing the Canberra Centre end of City Walk, while inside has a capacity for 110 (or 200 standing room for functions) including high seating at the central curved bar and a private dining area.

Department of Design director Louise Kichenside said the interior had been a labour of love as the team delivered a clean, bright and inviting aesthetic with a hint of the Mediterranean.

“We were really selective with finishes, resulting in a tonal space with lots of layers.  Playing on handmade textures that captured light, the tiles to the columns in some angles look like they glisten underwater. The bar is made of quartzite that has some patterning that mimics pooling of water and is really tactile for those who choose to eat at the bar.

“It was really important that the interior connected with the menu to ensure that it was a full experience for those visiting.”