For two childhood friends the clink of a 5 o'clock Negroni toasted a lifelong dream. It also served as the inspiration behind their new venture, neighbourhood wine bar Annabel's.
The slick bar, which you'll find at the Three Lamps end of Ponsonby Rd, “celebrates the aperitivo”, says co-owner and hospitality whiz Henry Temple.
Annabel's is not a final destination, say the pair, but more a leisurely pit stop to snack and sip. "It's a place to go on the way to where you're going," explains co-owner Oliver Scutts, who also owns NZ Rose Co.
Its simple European menu, created by Maia Atvars (ex-Depot), features cheese by the gram, cured meats sliced to order and plates of caprese salad and sardines on rye.
The bites complement well-priced international wines, Estrella on tap and a succinct cocktail list of only two drinks: an Aperol Spritz or a Negroni.
But the charismatic space is somewhere you'll want to keep coming back to.
Designed in collaboration with Kiwi architect Rufus Knight, the pair "wanted to create something you don't see anywhere else", slightly away from the hustle of Ponsonby or the CBD. "Those areas are spoken for. We didn't want to be the 'old something', we wanted our own stomping ground," Oliver says.
But for a fresh site it feels successfully aged. “We basically turned a little shoebox into a 30-year-old looking classic bar,” Henry explains. The navy facade glints with modest lines of gold hinting at the elegance inside. The slender space within is fitted with booth seating, marble and dark wooden tables and floors. It’s timeless and rustic, and seems like its been there all along.
“You can walk in and feel good without talking to anyone,” the boys joke.
• Annabel's is open seven days, from 3-11pm at 277 Ponsonby Rd, Three Lamps. Visit Annabelswinebar.com
