Café Culture: 10 great winter bars and cafés

Posted by Nicola Heath for Food

Chilly winter weather has well and truly arrived, so I've made a list of ten bars and caf és that make great winter hideaways. I've covered Sydney, Melbourne and WA, so if you know of a great winter hangout in other parts of the country, post it in the comments or at the Café Culture Facebook page. I'm sure there are loads!



Kelvin Bar, Northcote

KELVIN BAR, 84 High St, Northcote, VIC
Kelvin Bar, on the Westgarth strip of High St, is a perfect place to hibernate during a bitter Melbourne winter. Low lit and filled with comfortable couches and armchairs, choose from a long list of whiskys to warm your belly and spend an evening by the fire playing Connect Four.

The RIVERVIEW HOTEL, 29 Birchgrove Rd, Balmain, NSW
I asked Twitter for great winter spots and Sydneyside twit @ahcayley suggested the Riverview Hotel in Balmain. “If you've a bit to spend, the Riverview in Balmain is lovely. Good food, and a big decanter of mulled wine on the bar in winter.” That was last winter – let’s hope the mulled wine is back again this year.

MOORE & MOORE, 46 Henry St, Fremantle, WA
I asked my coffee-loving West Australian friend Tess for her favourite winter spots on the west coast. One of her suggestions was Moore and Moore in Freo, which also doubles as a gallery space. “Inside is dark and cosy, filled with chesterfield armchairs, rusty vintage bikes and an old record player.” And importantly, Tess says the “coffee is always exceptional.”

SOUTHPAW, 189 Gertrude St, Fitzroy, VIC
Southpaw is easy to spot on Gertrude St – it’s the one with the picket fence. Inside you’ll find an open fireplace, and every Sunday evening over winter Southpaw is hosting the Fireside Busk, a night of acoustic music (check the website for each week’s musical guests).

BETTY’S SOUP KITCHEN, 84 Oxford St, Darlinghurst, NSW
Hearty soup is a winter must-have, and this Oxford St institution has been serving cheap and cheerful bowls of soup to the masses for 20 years. Try the lentil soup if you’re feeling healthy, and enjoy the delicious bread served with every bowl.

ALPINE SKI HUT, Sydney Winter Festival, Cathedral Square, NSW
The Winter Festival 2011 is touring Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne this year. Head to the Alpine Ski Hut at Cathedral Square by St Mary's in Sydney for a turn on the ice-skating rink, and after warm up with a mulled wine and a meal from the winter-themed menu.

X-WRAY, 13 Essex St, Fremantle, WA
Also on Tess’s list was X-Wray, “quite a large establishment, tucked down a lane, with about half the seating indoors and the other half on long bench tables outside (enclosed and with heaters). The barista there, Gemma, makes the best coffee in town in my opinion." Eccentric staff are friendly, says Tess, and always up for a chat which makes for an interesting experience. "They often have live music, and last time I was there I sipped my coffee to the sounds of a jazz duo.”

SHADY PINES SALOON, Shop 4, 256 Crown St, Darlinghurst, NSW
Atmospheric Shady Pines Saloon is a great place to shut out the shoddy winter weather. You’ll find lots of beer, bourbon and whisky on the menu, and taxidermy and Americana on the walls – all you need to weather an icy winter.

SINCE I LEFT YOU, 338 Kent St, Sydney, NSW
Never mind the temperature outside, Since I Left You is the hottest new Sydney hideaway bar to open for trade this year. Named for the title track from Australian band The Avalanches' first album, Since I Left You has been decorated with a 1920s aesthetic in mind. Sip a cocktail at the silver pressed metal bar and forget it's winter.

BOUCLA, 349 Rokeby Rd, Subiaco, WA
Tess’s final spot was Boucla, not so much for the food or service, but the brilliant coffee. “The cafe itself is super cosy with lots of oriental rugs and lush cushions.”

http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/food/blogs/show/2499259/cafae-culture-10-great-winter-bars-and-cafaes/