Cardwell Cellars — Restaurant in Melbourne

Cardwell Cellars is a recently opened wine bar and wine shop in Abbotsford. Run by a sommelier and a wine map cartographer, this gem, close to the corner of Victoria and Church Street in Abbotsford, is a must-visit place for wine lovers.

A tastefully designed, narrow bar with mixed seating on the window, tables or a long bench with bar stools is dominated by the ceiling-high selection of wines from all around the world.

The concept is charmingly simple: About 10-12 wines are available by the glass, the rest is on display either in the bar or the walk-in cooler. You don't get overburdened with a wine list to read, instead, the owners explore your preferences and make excellent suggestions. A very reasonable corkage fee is added to the displayed retail price. And if you know what you want, you may just grab a bottle off the shelf.

True to the motto "Mapping the world with wine bottles", the wine selection includes bottles from well-known countries of the old and new world and also encompasses wines from less known regions such as North Africa and Eastern Europe.

Andrew's and Martin's recommendations are delivered with a burst of historical and geographic knowledge and were all spot on!

With a group of friends, we had an around-the-world experience including champagne-style sparkling brut from Austria, Furmint and Harslevelu from Hungary, Shiraz from Morocco, and a Nebbiolo from Lombardy.

The interior of Cardwell is tastefully designed with warm timber, olive green metal shelving and drenched in comfortable, warm light. Gentle background music comes from a turntable and the little backyard that is about to open will be amazing for those balmy summer nights.

A small menu of cheese and charcuterie, some baked goods as well as selection of tinned fish from Spain and Portugal complements the wine selection. BYO food is possible too, in case you fancy anything from nearby restaurants.

We absolutely loved Cardwell Cellars and will definitely come back for a drink and to buy some...

A well-deserved 5 stars for the best physical wine shop in Melbourne and probably the entire country. The range is so well curated and extremely diverse. Yes, I can get a Chablis and an Aussie shiraz etc.., but I can also chose from a cornucopia of wines spanning USA though Spain to Eastern Europe into Armenia, China and Japan. Staff are super-knowledgable and friendly. And the cheeses they offer for in-house...

I’m from the UK and ordered a bottle of Sekt for a friend in Australia as a birthday gift. Unfortunately the item I ordered was out of stock so received a prompt refund and a text with a recommended alternative. As my friend’s birthday was on a Sunday and no couriers were working, Cardwell personally delivered the wine. Fantastic service, absolutely above and beyond (and my friend really...