Melbourne isn’t short on wine bars. The folks behind Circl know this, so instead they run a “wine house” – meaning a restaurant as much about wine as it is food.

Housed in a two-storey building formerly home to Bar Saracen, Circl wants to make fine wine accessible and inclusive. Alongside smaller producers, it offers upmarket and limited-edition wines, with 150 available to purchase by-the-glass. Smaller pours let you try rare and relatively expensive wines – think Coche Dury, Roulot and Domaine de la Romanee-Conti. Upstairs, you’ll spot a cellar that runs the length of the room and houses all 1500 wines on its list.

The menu complements the wine library. Starters might include a goat cheese eclair and smoked eel tart, while mains are hearty like Loddon Estate duck and Blackmore Wagyu tri tip steak with Cafe de Paris butter. There’s also a cheese section, all served with accoutrements and supplied by Victor Persinette-Gautrez’s K-Sein Fromagerie of South Melbourne Market.