Bondi institution The Shop & Wine Bar, owned by husband mike and wife Lucy haskas and part owner adam wallhausen.
“The killer sandwiches, made with a bread recipe the team will never divulge, remain at the beachside suburb “home away from home”. Come for breakfast in the mornings, hang around for lunch then linger over natural wine in the evenings.”
One of the very first small wine bars opened in Sydney since 2006.
Lucy and Mike met at the shop and built a tiny shop into what it is today – a big shop in so many ways.
A community feel, that is very important to Lucy & Mike.
The everyday menu hasn’t changed – though customers’ preferences can shape the dishes over time. The Shop is renowned for its sandwiches, which have been on the menu for 15 years. “They are that good,” says Lucy. “It’s all about the bread [recipe], which I cannot divulge. I can tell you a Greek man has been baking for us for all these years. The bread is thick without being too full on. Like clouds in your mouth.”
The BLT sandwich is their best-seller, jam-packed with just the right amount of pickles, cheese, smoked free-range bacon, tomato and dressed leaves. Other options include meatballs with Italian tomato sauce and cheese, and tuna with egg.
Hearty salads, sharing plates, cheese boards and burgers are staples on the day-to-night menu as well – and, true to its name, The Shop sells take-home salad dressings, chilli oil and confit oils.
The wines are natural, lo-fi or biodynamic, from small family-run Australian wineries. “We try and find classic old-school wines in new and adventurous styles, like pét-nats and orange wines,” says Lucy.