What to expect from Paddington’s first wine bar

Wine will be ’customised’ to connoisseurs at Paddington’s first wine bar. And it won’t have a wine list.

Noir wine bar will open late next month in Paddington. Picture: Bianca Hrovat

Black Lab coffee roaster founders Eli Rami and Sam Holman are hoping to tap into a thirst for fine wines when they throw open the doors on their latest venture in Paddington next month.

Noir will be a wine bar and bistro with a difference, with no wine list on offer — a recent trend in Brisbane.

Instead, staff will match one of the 20-odd seasonal labels with each customer’s preferences.

The name, French for black, continues a theme for the pair, who started a long list of well known eateries and coffee outlets when they launched The Black Lab.

Their most recent effort, also in Paddington, was Blackout cafe which has been going strong since opening in October 2019.

The pair also previously ran Wolfgang Specialty Coffee in Spring Hill and The New Black in Fortitude Valley, while Mr Holman co-owns Uh-Oh Spaghettio and Uh Oh Bottle-O & Wine Bar in Bakery Lane.

Noir wine bar will open late next month in Paddington.

“It’s (Noir) a bistro because we need to offer food as part of our licence,’’ Mr Holman said.

“But there are a lot of great food options nearby so we will offer salumi, charcuterie, jams, quinces, cheese, a range of pickles and fresh sourdoughs.

“We want to concentrate doing one thing well (wine). We’ll have about 20 on offer, depending on the season and varietals, by the glass or bottle.

“The idea is to have it constantly changing.’’

Unusually, there will be no printed wine list, instead staff would try to “customise’’ the wines after talking to patrons about their preferences.

The internal fit-out of Noir, which is due to open on an as-yet-undecided Friday in late May, is still under wraps.

The multi-level space will feature a temperature-controlled, glass-enclosed wine cellar and a private dining room downstairs; a large tiled bar on the ground level; upstairs seating with a record player spinning vinyl; and an outdoor dining area.

“We still have tradesmen on site and want to keep it under wraps,’’ Mr Holman said.

“The building is where Maiocchi (fashion boutique) was at 216 Given Tce.

“It’s a beautiful heritage listed building dating to the 1890s.

“It has been interesting working with the heritage listing — you can’t bolt things to the walls - so it’s a very spare fit-out that ‘floats’.’’

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He said a wine bar made sense in that area as there were no others in the suburb, although there is an Embassy Cellars and several fine dining restaurants with quality wine lists such as Elementi, Nota and Hope and Anchor.

Mr Holman said Blackout had built a local following for them and allowed them to get to know what their future customers wanted.

Opening hours will initially be Thursday to Saturday, 5-11pm, with a Sunday opening if all things go well.