What defines a wine bar? And when does it slip into restaurant territory? In an age of casual dining, where small plates, cracking wine lists and lots by-the-glass are more common than ever, the lines can blur.

Ultimately though, if you’re there for the vino first and foremost, walk-ins are welcomed, the food is there to be paired, and everyone – not just the somm – can talk to what’s in your glass, there’s a good chance you’re at a wine bar. Here are some of the best.

Albert’s Wine Bar

Albert’s is an instant classic. With its elegant, teal-hued interior, walls dotted with hand-drawn illustrations and European-style footpath seating outside, you can comfortably lose many hours in conversation here. Dishes are pared back and understated, designed to let the wine shine: pickled mussels, shaved cured meats, a simple Caprese salad with plenty of good olive oil; various whips, dips and marinated bits. That 200-strong wine list is broad but diverse, covering everything from the reliably delicious to the rare and unusual.

Must-try dish: Whipped ricotta with honey, prosciutto, basil and thyme, $16

17 Morey Street, Armadale, albertswinebar.com

Bar Liberty

Food and wine intertwine gracefully at Bar Liberty, where a high calibre of hospitality pros is running the show. Chef Zachary Furst (Attica, Ides) brings edge to dishes like cabbage rolls and pierogi, the former stuffed with shiitake and rice, the latter with eel and potato. Josh Begbie (Embla) finds exciting and esoteric dupes for popular wines. And Nick Tesar (Gin Palace, Lume) whips up exceptional mixed drinks, like a martini made with honey and clotted-cream vodka.

Must-try dish: Wholemeal sourdough flatbread with kefir cultured cream, $10

234 Johnston Street, Fitzroy, barliberty.com

Bud of Love

It doesn’t get much more low-key than a bar modelled on a lounge room. That’s what 31-year-old Farah Sabet has created here, tapping into her Egyptian heritage to encourage community and coming together at this stripped-back spot. There’s a big shared table, board games you can borrow, a dog-friendly policy, and BYO Ethiopian from Ras Dashen nearby. Wine-wise, explore interesting drops from small-scale and promising locals Beyond the Glass, Adlib and Chateau Acid.

Must-try dish: Doro wot (spicy chicken stew), $17

251 Barkly Street, Footscray, budoflovewinestore.com

City Wine Shop

Elevated European fare, considered service, and a thoughtful approach to wine traversing both traditional and progressive territory – all hallmarks of restaurateur Con Christopoulos. City Wine Shop is at the more relaxed end of the spectrum, but it’s no less legendary than its siblings (which include upscale eatery The European and pro-cigar rooftop bar Siglo). Nab yourself a sun-drenched spot on Spring Street and slosh around something opulent, old-school, on-skins or all of the above, tucking into the panko-crumbed chicken schnitzel – a menu mainstay – while you’re at it.

Must-try dish: Chicken schnitzel with Italian coleslaw, $34

159 Spring Street, Melbourne, citywineshop.net.au

Clover

A newcomer serving some of the most restrained, elegant small plates around. A tumble of bright summer tomatoes with toasted-macadamia cream. House-made stracciatella with tiny, lightly pickled zucchinis. And soft, honey-spiked sourdough sliced thick enough to last you a few dishes, served in a pool of herb-flecked butter. Drinks are no less considered, the list chock-full of minimal intervention, responsibly produced and personality-rich drops. All in a space so muted and comfortable, it could double as a day spa.

Must-try dish: Wood-fired honey bread, $12

193 Swan Street, Richmond, clover.wine

Gerald’s Bar

The best seat at Gerald’s is at the bar. It’ll set you up nicely to order in staccato: a bit of this, a brief repose, then maybe a bit of that. You can also help choose the next bottle (from a modestly priced collection of more than 200) to be made available by the glass. Wherever you end up, bet on service as familiar as the space you’re in; a cosy cocoon filled with collectables, long-finished bottles and a hand-drawn menu of ever-changing, always-excellent European fare.

Must-try dish: Oysters mignonette, $32 (price varies)

386 Rathdowne Street, Carlton North, geraldsbar.com.au

Grana

Cheese is serious business at this slim bar-slash-grocer. There’s an in-house cheese room, interesting imports (think hazelnut-scented soft cheese from Jura, or a brandy-infused Oregon blue), and wheels of citrus-wrapped tomme by fromagere Lucy Whitlow, executive pastry chef for sister venues Tipo 00, Osteria Ilaria and Figlia next door. Select yours, then sidle up to the communal table for something small-batch from Chile, or funky from a French jazz musician-turned-winemaker. To go, there’s mackerel pate, filter coffee and, yes, more cheese.

Must-try dish: Three cheeses with pickled figs and crispbread, $40

331 Lygon Street, Brunswick East, granadeli.com

Lilac Wine

Named for the intimate Jeff Buckley tune and housed in a terracotta and olive-hued converted warehouse, Lilac Wine is from the same team as Liminal, Dessous and Hazel. Here every wine has a story to tell, whether it hails from an emerging region or comes from a producer doing wild and wacky things. On that front, don’t skip the savoury eclair, a super-umami snack filled with velvety chicken mousse and finished with a jet-black garlic glaze.

Must-try dish: Chicken mousse eclair, black garlic, honey, $10

31 Stephenson Street, Cremorne, lilacwinebar.com.au

Marion

It’s been hot-and-heavy for just shy of eight years now, but Melbourne’s love affair with this pioneering Gertrude Street wine bar shows no signs of cooling off. The beauty of Marion is in its seamlessness. The subtlety of its five-star service. The team’s enduring devotion to wine, from comfortable classics to fresh drops that surprise and delight. And deceptively simple snacks, often made up of just a few well-respected ingredients. All hallmarks of the Andrew McConnell stable, as enduring now as ever.

Must-try dish: Mussels on grilled sourdough with saffron aioli, $22

53 Gertrude St, Fitzroy, marionwine.com.au

Parcs

If you’ve a fondness for things with fizz and funk, there’s no shortage of that at Parcs, a shoo-in for gold should there ever be a low-waste Olympics. What’s on your plate follows form. The kitchen takes in surplus stock from other restaurants, fermenting, pickling and curing to prolong the life of everything from pumpkin seeds (used to make miso), mushrooms (transformed into punchy XO), and yesterday’s pineapples (today’s kombucha). A tangle of thick, hyper-savoury noodles inspired by cacio e pepe is a highlight.

Must-try dish: Umami e pepe, $20

198 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, parcs.com.au

Public Wine Shop

It’s tough to know what’s more exquisite: the natural light pouring into this intimate 20-seater, or the natural stuff being poured into your glass. Every drop that passes the threshold is organic and unfined, and whether chosen by Campbell Burton (Builders Arms, City Wine Shop) or his staff, you can bet your blanc de blanc they’ve developed an attachment to it (and you’re probably about to). Eat French cheese, fancy tinned fish, mussels bouillabaisse or silky-soft ox tongue.

Must-try dish: Preserved seafood with bread, butter and guindillas, $20–$29

179 St Georges Road, Fitzroy North, publicwineshop.com.au

Also try

• Fitzroy’s community-centric Napier Quarter
• Endlessly impressive city wine-bar-slash-restaurant Embla
• Longstanding South Melbourne favourite Bellota, its impressive list bolstered by sibling Prince Wine Shop
• Produce-driven local haunt La Pinta in Reservoir
• Old Palm Liquor in Brunswick East, where chef-owner Almay Jordan draws on her South African heritage