Welcome to Melbourne Cellar Door, one of my favourite places and spaces here in Melbourne where I can relax, and enjoy good food, and fabulous drinks, in and amongst great company. If you haven’t discovered it yet, it is tucked away along Dukes Walk outside the DFO South Wharf located on the south bank of the Yarra River.
Melbourne Cellar Door is owned and operated by brothers Mark and Tony Pendreich. Mark is a fully trained Sommelier who spent years working in both Melbourne and London. While in London he worked alongside renowned chefs Marco Pierre White and Gordon Ramsay before they became household names.
The two brothers opened their very first wine bar in Mordialloc in 2003, before opening the well-regarded The Valley Cellar Door in Moonee Ponds in 2005. They expanded that wine bar into a full-service restaurant in 2013, and in 2018 they launched The Melbourne Cellar Door here in South Wharf, as both a wine bar and function space.
Mark has brought his extensive knowledge of wines from across the world into our neighbourhood for our benefit. Offering an ever-changing array of wines by the glass, as well as the unique opportunity to select from hundreds of bottles of wine to open and imbibe in their welcoming space (or to just take away to your own home).
On frequent occasions, I have had the privilege of partaking in their delicious food selections which span from delectable cheese and charcuterie platters, to pizza, pasta, and beyond. Not only can you take away bottles of wine from their expansive wall of wine, you can also arm yourself with some cheeses and meats to create your own local area picnic.
Just last year, Mark and Tony decided to expand their business by establishing Dukes Distillery. An on-site gin and vodka bar where they have been distilling specialized small-batch gins and vodkas. I don’t want to give away too much, but both their Muscat Gin and Blood Lime Gin are spectacular!
They are currently in the throes of creating a Limoncello Spritz with plans to go into mass production through some of the largest wine and alcohol purveyors in the country. Shh, you heard it here first! From light & refreshing spritzers, gins, vodka, and wines galore through to the sticky and fortified ones, there is something for everyone at Melbourne Cellar Door.
Offering daily Happy Hour specials (do check out those gins!), $2 oyster weekends, and monthly food specials, the team is constantly coming up with new ideas. A Musical Bingo night has just been created for the first Thursday of every month, with plans for Gin Masterclasses on the horizon.
With an expansive and eclectic space, it is the perfect venue for a broad array of events from small group gatherings (think comfortable couches for date nights and chilling with friends), to larger corporate events, and wedding celebrations (we even held one for our family here).
Don’t miss the opportunity to see and experience Melbourne Cellar Door for yourself. The entire team is so welcoming, not only do they offer such a unique service to our area, but it’s a terrific opportunity to support one of our incredible local businesses.
