Neighbourhood wine bars are pouring into regional towns across NSW.

The past year has seen an increase in the variety and quality of regional wine bars, stretching from the newly opened Bar Superette in Merimbula on the Sapphire Coast to vinyl-spinning Hey Rosey in the Central Tablelands city of Orange.

Smarter than a cafe, and more casual than most restaurants, yet with food good enough to earn them a hat in the Good Food Guide, wine bars serve as so-called “third places” to meet friends outside home and work.

Two such regional venues, Bar Heather in Byron Bay and Flotilla in Newcastle (set to open an adjacent wine bar next month), have been recognised as finalists in The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide’s Regional Restaurant of the Year award.

Hospitality workers returning to their home towns are leading the movement. An estimated 86,000 people left Sydney during the first two years of the pandemic population reshuffle.

“After COVID, a lot of people started moving to Newcastle for a calmer life, and with that influx came these creative ideas and people who had worked in high-end hospitality,” says Flotilla co-owner Eduardo Molina.

Hey Rosey owners Leigh Oliver and Verity Abrams were ahead of the curve. They operated Melbourne’s Cure Bar & Eatery for five years before moving to Orange in early 2020 chasing cheaper rent, less competition and a more relaxed lifestyle.

Oliver, who grew up in the area, says the town’s strong agricultural foundation has allowed its hospitality scene to flourish and evolve.

Ryde Pennefather spent time in Sydney and Thirroul before returning to his hometown of Merimbula four years ago. He helped open Valentina, another Regional Restaurant of the Year finalist, before leaving to open Bar Superette in September. He says the food and beverage offering in Merimbula is “incomparable” to how it was three or four years ago.

“There was nowhere to go, but now we have lots of really good options like Dulcie’s, Valentina and a new cafe called Sunny’s Kiosk,” Pennefather says.

In larger centres, such as Byron Bay and Newcastle, a growing population means a greater demand for more niche offerings, such as natural wine.

“There’s a younger generation of consumers here now and, being so close to the Hunter Valley, they want that wine bar experience,” Molina says.

“They’re coming out on weeknights, they’ve got a bit of disposable income, and it just feels like the city is coming alive.”

An influx of orders from the Northern Rivers encouraged Lo-Fi wine importers James Audas and Tom Sheer to open Luna Wine Store in February 2020.

Three years later, after strong community support, the pair opened Bar Heather across the street. With more than 700 bottles of wine and a strong menu showcasing Northern Rivers produce, “there’s nothing really comparable”, says Sheer.

“We’re proud to be able to bring in all these special wines from around the world and make them available in Byron, where a lot of them previously weren’t,” he says.

“But it’s important in a regional town to cater to many different tastes and price points. If you’re not careful, you can alienate your clientele.”

Pennefather says a casual approach is key.

“In a small town, a wine bar can play that role of meeting place: people can wander in, have a meal at the bar, and catch up with friends over a drink,” he says. “They’re like the pubs of yesteryear.”

Regional Restaurant of the Year finalists

Bar Heather, Byron Bay

Mood-lit and timber-heavy, Bar Heather opened in late 2022. Ollie Wong-Hee leads the tiny kitchen and cooks some of the most engaging, original food in the state. Run, don’t walk; fly, don’t drive. And don’t miss the flaky, spring onion-laced bread.

Shop G09, 139 Jonson Lane, Byron Bay, barheather.com

Bistro Livi, Murwillumbah

This is the kind of moody, European-influenced bistro you might expect to find in Melbourne. It’s Murwillumbah’s best and buzziest bistro in a charmingly detailed dining room fronting the lively local arts precinct. Tuck into Cantabrian anchovies with celtuce, creamy whipped mullet roe with baby radishes, and the benchmark chocolate mousse cake; it’s all good.

Shop 1A, 1-3 Brisbane Street, Murwillumbah, bistrolivi.com

Flotilla, Newcastle

This might be the closest Newcastle gets to fine dining – although we’re talking fine dining 2023 style. That means zero pomp, so you have a romping good time. The five-course set menu changes monthly and there are always exciting and tasty things to try. With a bar opening next door and new focus in the kitchen, Flotilla’s future looks brighter than ever.

9 Albert Street, Wickham, theflotilla.com.au

Pipit, Pottsville

“When the paperbark flowers, the mullet runs”. If that sounds like ancient Bundjalung people’s wisdom, it is. But it also shows the depth of sensitivity to local conditions that marks chef Ben Devlin, and results in a dish of mullet pickled in paperbark flower vinegar and smoked with more paperbark. Dining at Pipit is a walk on the wild side of the Northern Rivers, and the degustation is peppered with exotic fruits, garums, wild-shot venison and macadamia miso.

Shop 4/8 Coronation Avenue, Pottsville, pipitrestaurant.com

Valentina, Merimbula

Among other inalienable truths, such as oysters need chablis, is that cocktails go better with confectionery. Here, an Old Fashioned riff made with dark rum is served with house-made macadamia praline for a splendid blend of strong and sweet. It’s a delightful opener for a restaurant that nary puts a foot wrong. Full-length windows overlook blue water and oyster beds, but it’s what’s inside that counts (another truth).

2 Market Street, Merimbula, valentinamerimbula.com

The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2024 Awards will be announced on October 23, presented by Vittoria Coffee and Oceania Cruises. The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2024 will be on sale from October 24, featuring more than 450 NSW and ACT venues, from three-hatted fine diners to suburban wine bars, regional chicken shops, and food-court icons. Venues listed in the guide are visited anonymously by professional restaurant critics, who review independently. Venues are chosen at our discretion.