Gracie’s Wine Room only poured its first drinks this week, but the new South Yarra bar already has a dedicated following thanks to founder Kelsie Gaffey, who documented the journey to opening on Tiktok and racked up hundreds of thousands of views.

Her videos captured everything from choosing glassware to taste-testing dishes, and friends pitching in to help pave bricks until the early hours of the morning. But a Tiktok that was particularly impactful (and now has more than 128,000 views) was one where the 25-year-old, who until last September was working in marketing full-time, shared how she made the decision to leave her job to chase her wine bar dream and how she could financially afford to open her own venue.

“You do not need to own 100 per cent of your business to start one,” Gaffey, who liquidated her assets and raised money in a friends and family round, tells Broadsheet. “I was confident in my vision and I knew that if I could articulate what was in my mind, it wouldn’t be difficult to get people on the same page as me."

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That vision is now a wine bar in an Edwardian building on Toorak Road. Inside is a large warm timber bar table, a huge cartoon-style flower painted on the wall and a leafy courtyard perfect for al fresco sipping. With room for 150 people, it’s ideal for larger gatherings or intimate evenings with friends.

The menu, overseen by food creative Alex Weymouth of the blog Boujee 2 Basic Bites, is designed for sharing. Expect buttery lobster rolls, house-baked focaccia and Sydney rock oysters. Pair them with a limoncello spritz, the Gracie’s Favourite (a tropical twist on a gin sour), or a glass of wine from the bar’s selection, which features mostly Australian labels, Provence rosé and tap beers.

The venue is as much about the experience as it is about the wine. A turntable spins tunes into the evening and, for a change of pace, the courtyard outside will host live acoustic music in future.

The bar’s name pays homage to the women in Gaffey’s family. “My nana was my favourite person in the world, and her mum was named Alma Grace,” she says. “Everything that we’re doing is in honour of her. We want to create a community and space that would make her proud.”

Gracie’s Wine Room
27 Toorak Road, South Yarra
No phone

Hours:
Wed 4pm–10pm
Thu to Sat 1pm–midnight
Sun 1pm–10pm

@gracieswineroom