A saturday night on Oxford Street

The mission:  
Have a fun, low-key night out in Paddington with a flexible group of at least 5 persons. Try out some new places, namely The Wine Library and 10 William St (both small wine bars that do food and don't take bookings).

The outcome:  

• All persons accomodated, but not at the same time. =\
• 10 William St - success!
• The Wine Library - stays on the hitlist. 
• Pocket - unplanned, unexpected and a total find.

Lessons learned:

• Trying to get five persons into a small, popular bar at 6:40pm on a Saturday night is nigh on impossible.
• Trying to do so on game night is basically asking for trouble.
• Rule out the sports fans and the Paddington/Darlinghurst crowd is eerily homogenous. Same age range, same ethnic make-up, same dress sense, same body language.
• The top knot is 'The' hairstyle trend of the moment. Not sure what I mean? Go to Paddington/Darlinghurst. The top knot has also been spotted in *gasp* Sydney's South-West suburbs.
• Sometimes you just gotta wait it out.
• It helps to have friends that know places.
• 1am?? Really Sydney??

10 William St:

Food: Gorgeous. The smell of the cavatelli bolognese had me writhing in food lust. A bite of a friend's orecchiette cime di rapa was excellent, wonderful texture and clean flavours accented with a lovely light chilli bite. The procuitto was so melt-in-your-mouth in a heavenly dose of pork salt and fat, the gorgonzola so oozingly creamy and delightfully highlighted by the fig and honey that we ordered both twice. The tiramisu could not complete with tiramisu from Tiramisu, Taormina, Sicilia but was good nevertheless. The savoiardi needed to be soaked a little more espresso as the coffee taste was barely detectable, but the marscapone mixture was divine - silky and airy and practically perfect.

Wine: I deferred selection of the wine to one of the staff after describing to him what I was after. [Me: I want something not fruity, not dry, so quite clean but still a little something... Him: Sexy? Me: Yes!] Despite a small miscommunication (I said white, he heard red) we tried two gorgeous wines. The Sicilian red (probably the Cerasuolo di Vittoria) was the wrong colour and yet exactly what I wanted. The Piedmont white had enough depth to be drunk after red. We finished with an Australian Cab Sav. Familiar territory and very good.

Service: They like their South-Italian staff at 10 William St, and those guys sure had Personality. I like the south of Italy, based on what little of it have experienced. I Like Personality, especially when accompanied by competent wine recommendations. I like people that will tell you a joke - like 'we don't serve water here, only booze. That glass on someone else's table filled with clear liquid? That's not water, it's vodka!' *cue laughter*

Half an hour and another bottle of wine later I leant over at the bar to charmingly (I thought) re-request water. A nod and six glasses were plonked down at our table. Short measure of clear liquid was poured into said glasses from a big fat bottle. *cue more laughter* What funny, clever gag escalation! *sniff* *recoil* Oh...

Verdict: I'll happily go back. Perhaps earlier. Or on a week night. In a smaller group. Prepared with a water bottle...

Pocket:

Definitely my kinda bar. Cosy eclectic decor, blues and funk music playing, specialising in cocktails. Packed, with a friendly security guy standing guard. Once again, I'll happily go back at a less busy time. But I get nostalgic. I sure miss Dave and Enza and 24-Volt-Cobblers and Bloody Marys from Bar Nightjar when it was an open til 3am 8 minute stumble down the road from home...