Melbourne’s wine bar wave shows no sign of breaking any time soon, with the low-key format for drinks, small plates and even dinner spreading outside the usual inner-city pockets.

Railway Wine, with a glowing amber palette in a former aquarium shop, is the latest addition to a happening stretch in Highett. It’s right next door to Teo’s Pizza, which is owned by the same team, and restaurants Chilpa by La Tortilleria and Hellenic House Project are close by.

The bar rounds out the area’s many food options, with high-quality juice chosen by owners Matt Vero and Matt Ward that skews towards lo-fi producers – although you can certainly get a classic pinot noir if that’s more your speed.

Purchase a bottle to-go or to drink in the bar, which has warm orange, amber and terracotta tones paired with light stone floors, timber panels and vintage sign-writing for a midcentury feel. The 60-seat space – a mix of bar stools, banquettes and a communal table – is licensed until 1am on weekends. Courtyard seating is coming soon.

Ward says people in their 30s and up are coming to explore the by-the-glass range, which changes every couple of weeks, and order pizza from Teo’s. There’s a capricciosa, prawn with ’nduja and parsley, mushroom with asiago, and even a carbonara number.

Open Tue-Thu 4pm-late, Fri 3pm-late, Sat & Sun 2pm-late

8 Railway Parade, Highett, railwaywine.com.au

Canterbury in Melbourne’s formerly dry east got its first wine bar, Lennox Wine, in July. Locals James and Gosia Gibson wanted to add some energy to the suburb after dark – and they say locals have heartily endorsed the move.

The 32-seat wine bar-bottle shop already has plenty of regulars who are stopping by to trawl the 100-strong selection of all-Aussie wines.

“I think we make really high-quality wine here in Australia, things that people go to Europe to find, but they can actually drink here in their backyard,” says James.

Australian spirits are also showcased in a small and classic cocktail line-up – think negronis, espresso martinis and more – and there are Aussie beers too.

It’s housed in a heritage shopfront on the picturesque Maling Road shopping strip, with bright orange ceilings, ’60s-inspired Mod furniture and spiral LED light installations that add a contemporary edge to the split-level space.

There are classic bar snacks like whipped ricotta with bresaola crumb, terrine, capocollo and cheese boards, but the jaffles are the showstopper, with fillings such as mac and cheese, and mushroom with goat cheese.

Open Tue-Sat noon-late, Sun 3pm-7pm

114 Maling Road, Canterbury, lennoxwine.com.au

The Frenchified corner of Domain Road where Entrecote once plied residents with croissants and coq au vin to-go is continuing that legacy as Park Pantry – previously a morning pitstop, now newly minted as a wine bar.

European crowd-pleasers are the common thread across the menu of small plates and mains, which are now available in the evenings and all day on weekends. Prawn and saffron risotto is a bestseller, plus there’s eye fillet with fondant potatoes, octopus with remoulade, and barramundi beurre blanc.

Owner and sommelier Jeremy Vogrin, who used to work at Entrecote, wants Park Pantry to be a reliable spot for locals, who he says flock there as a reprieve from the Domain precinct’s promenade atmosphere.

Illustrations on windows, menus and wine glasses depict baguette relay races and a woman and her dog having a cup of tea, in a reflection of the neighbourhood by artist Jeffrey Phillips.

The wine list consists of 50 bottles from benchmark producers in regions such as Mosel, Beaujolais and the Barossa, all of them available by the glass thanks to the wonders of Coravin. Soon there’ll be picnic baskets filled with baguette, wine and other treats to take across to the Royal Botanic Gardens.

Open daily 7am-10pm

119 Park Street, South Yarra, theparkpantry.com.au