The Penny Wine Bar

New hosts, but still delicious meals and excellent service. Billy and Mario have maintained the standard that sets The Penny Wine Bar, apart from other restaurant experiences, I also love that there is an Andreas in the family. My great great grandfather Andreas Albert is buried in Gnadenthal cemetery near Penshurst, BUT back to the food- The Homemade Pork & Beef ‘Kofte’ served with homemade yogurt and traditional Macedonian ‘shopska salata’ topped with grated Bulgarian Feta + Turkish Bread was indeed YUM !!!!!, as promised. For us the combination of this and a Cheese plate which was an impressive array of cheeses, fruits, olives, nuts and super tasty biscuits, made a delightful meal. Although we didn’t need anything more to eat we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to sample the two variations of Baklava, and naturally 'Hugo' had to be tried and enjoyed. We happily journeyed for an hour for this experience and hope to enjoy many more meals at The Penny.

Approximate cost: $22

WOW!!! WOW!!! WOW!!!
The Penny Wine Bar certainly deserves three Wows!. Wow for the ambience. Wow for the food and Wow for the service.
A little bit of upper-class Melbourne, tucked away in Penshurst, with an added warmth and friendliness that our country towns are famous for.
Friday 14th the menu was an inviting selection of
Hand-cut Pappardelle with meltingly tender Beef Ragu and Grana Padano.- this was extremely nice. The broad, flat pasta noodles were cooked to perfection and the sauce was delicious with a very enjoyable addition of the tender beef. The ratio of pasta and sauce was exactly to my taste.
Or
House made ricotta and pecorino gnocchi with 5 hour Pomodoro sauce – my partner describe this as extremely moreish with a delicious taste.
And a
Dessert of Baked Figs in Rosemary and Port with Vanilla Anglaise, Whipped Cream and Toasted Almonds.- Oh! Wow – this surpassed expectation and belongs in the dish ‘to die for’ category.
When this desert is on the menu it is a ‘must try’ even if you are only popping in to have a drink with friends.
Nathan excelled at customer service and was a pleasant companion to get the evening started.
Our thanks to the friendliness of other local patrons who added joy to the experience.
And thanks to locals Dessie and Dennis for their assistance with directions to the Gnadenthal Cemetery where my ancestors are laid to rest.