Uber cool, cosy inner-city wine bar lives up to the hype

Even though this inner-city wine bar is outside my normal reviewing area, a recent trip offered an opportunity that was too good to miss and I wasn’t disappointed, writes Alix Davis

Havilah’s cheese and charcuterie plate is the perfect accompaniment to a glass of wine at this cool, hidden gem of a bar in Launceston. Picture: Ness Vanderburgh

I have a friend who refuses to eat lamb. She grew up on a vast station in Western Australia, surrounded by tens of thousands of sheep, and has eaten enough lamb roasts to last her a lifetime. Happily, I suffer from no such affliction and am thrilled to see lamb on any menu I come across.

So, it’s no surprise that the crispy lamb ribs ($24) on Havilah’s excellent bar menu are a must-eat. Delicate yet meaty, these are easy to eat while quaffing a glass of wine or a cocktail. They’re glazed with a sweet date syrup and given some Middle Eastern flair with toasted spices that provide a satisfying element of crunch.

Havilah wine bar, in Charles St, Launceston. Picture: ADAM GIBSON

Havilah is outside my usual reviewing area of Hobart and southern Tasmania, but a recent trip north offered an opportunity that was too good to miss.

I’d been hearing about this inner-city wine bar for a while and wanted to see it for myself. It was a chilly evening when we visited but the atmosphere inside was warm and inviting.

Hip, inner-city wine bar Havilah, on Launceston's Charles St, which opened in July 2020. Picture: Supplied

The bar staff were playing their favourite vinyls and service was friendly and efficient.

First drinks were delivered promptly and a bowl of pleasantly plump marinated olives ($9) were perfect nibble fodder as we caught up with friends and perused the menu.

A classic Naples street snack of fried pizza ($16) arrived as a folded crispy shell, with a fluffy dough interior and a molten centre of smoked mozzarella and rich tomato sauce.

Yes, this was easy to share, but I would have eaten the whole thing if only my dining companions had taken a little longer choosing their second drink.

There are plenty of wines available by the glass (predominantly Tasmanian and European), but there’s also a wall of very reasonably priced wine for sale that you can take home or drink in-house (just add $25 for corkage).

The pink gin sour ($22) – a combination of gin, plum liqueur, lemon and simple syrup – proved popular at our table, as did the housemade berry, mint and ginger shrub with soda ($10).

Havilah’s chicken tortelloni en brodo features rich flavoursome, moreish broth and tender, delicious plump pasta parcels. Picture: Ness Vanderburgh

Beautifully charred cabbage rolls stuffed with mozzarella ($24) are served on a bed of green tomato sugo and are a wonderfully warming dish for a winter’s evening.

They’re filling without being stodgy and the cabbage leaves are wonderfully tender.

We’re in no rush, so order some larger dishes, as well.

The chicken tortelloni en brodo ($38) is a little tricky to share – as soup can be – but a bowl between two works pretty well.

The broth is incredible – rich, flavoursome and very moreish.

The plump pasta parcels are tender and delicious and the logistics of sharing soup are well worth the effort.

My husband hasn’t been a fan of eating wallaby, but in the space of a few days we ate Vaughan Mabee’s wallaby dish at the Winter Feast and now this fall-apart-tender wallaby bourguignon ($40) – and it’s safe to say he’s a convert. Buttery polenta sat in a puddle of rich jus, and I can report that the plate was left clean.

Havilah’s crispy lamb ribs are great addition to their tasty bar menu. Picture: Ness Vanderburgh

Havilah’s charred cabbage rolls, stuffed with mozzarella, served on a bed of green tomato sugo, are a wonderfully warming dish for a winter’s evening. Picture: Ness Vanderburgh

The richness of these two mains was wonderfully offset by a simple salad of shredded cavolo nero and cabbage ($14). I’m a big fan of brassicas of all shapes and sizes, but the tangy and slightly sweet grapefruit vinaigrette really set this salad apart.

It was winter flavours presented in a fresh, light way – after all, we can’t eat roasted vegetables all the time. Or maybe we can, because the roasted potato galette ($16) was declared best on ground by at least half our party. Many layers of paper-thin potato slices were stacked and cooked to fork-tender perfection, and there was even discussion of a second order.

Dessert was a satisfyingly gooey piece of chocolate cake topped with a slightly bitter amaretto ganache that stopped it from veering too far into nursery food territory. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but this was definitely a little more sophisticated and just the right note on which to end before heading back out into winter’s chill.

A selection of some of the fine wines on offer at Havilah wine bar in Charles St, Launceston. Picture: ADAM GIBSON

HAVILAH

178 Charles St, Launceston

Hours: Wed, Thur 4pm-11pm, Fri, Sat 4pm-12am, Sun 4pm-10pm

On the menu: Marinated olives, $9; AG’s crisp lamb ribs, $24; pizza fritti with scamorza, $16; mozzarella cabbage rolls, $24; chicken tortelloni en brodo, $38; wallaby bourguignon, $40; cavolo nero and cabbage slaw, $14;