Zac Shearer and Jamila Fontana weren’t kidding when they named the place. With just 12 seats Tiny Bar is, well, tiny, but its size is all part of the charm. The menu is full of delicious small plates like abalone cooked in the shell and caviar-topped quail egg, and the drinks are sharp-as-heck: you’ve got ice-cold VB in ice buckets, you’ve got a wine list that’s available by the glass and the bottle in its entirety, and you’ve got a tidy cocktail that brings chinotto and single malt whisky together in a surprisingly refreshing way. It’s a welcome addition to the north end of Nicholson Street in Brunswick East – just follow the 96 to the end of the line.
Here’s Jamila with what’s going on the menu right now.
That abalone served in the shell is something special. Talk us through it.
It’s a take on Tetsuya’s slow-cooked abalone. My dad was a skipper of a fishing boat in Tassie and I was fortunate enough to have him cook for us a few times as a kid and then work with him later on, with some events. It’s cooked in the shell until tender, then I make a sauce from the liver with white soy, green laver, lots of butter and some other bits.
How about a drink?
The Pippo is quickly becoming a signature drink, it’s an Italian spin on a Scotch and coke named after my dad. We were visiting Pippo last year and couldn’t help but notice he was pouring chinotto in with his whisky. We gave it a try and were immediately sold. It’s sweet, a little bitter and the whisky adds a bit of depth.
Got anything light and fresh?
Our raw scallop and tomato dish definitely ticks those boxes. We have these beautiful Japanese scallops from D&K Live Seafood which we grate fresh tomato over. Pair that with our cucumber salad with goat’s cheese and we guarantee you can’t go wrong. On the drinks front, we’re loving the 2023 Toolangi Chardonnay we have on by the glass.
What if we’re here for a good time, not a long time?
We recently had a customer stop by after work who smashed a Peroni Red and a couple of oysters before heading back on his commute. Doesn’t get much better than that.
What if I like tasty food but don’t eat animals?
We’re making a tomato tarte Tatin each day with tomatoes from our garden – pair that with the cukes and our grilled peppers with agrodolce made using fresh currant grapes and you’re having a great time. For cheese lovers, our Gruyère gougère is also a crowd pleaser.
Is there a drink or dish that captures the Tiny vibe?
It has to be the VB longneck, which we’re serving in vintage ice buckets. I think it sums us up – we’re not taking ourselves seriously but we want you to have all the trimmings and a bloody nice time.
Let’s go big and let’s go crazy in your tiny bar. What have you got for us?
Definitely start with a round of house Martinis to start while you snack on charcuterie from the flywheel slicer and house-baked bread. Then settle in with a longneck (of the beer or wine variety) and get stuck into the smoked quail egg and caviar, abalone and a big plate of pipis. That’s my ideal meal.
And to finish?
We’ve managed to squeeze a dessert onto the menu. Poached apricots with a fig-leaf granita. We’re also big amaro fans so we have a modest collection that we’ll keep growing for you to finish the night with, and match that with some more meat and cheese.
Tiny Bar, 221D Blyth St, Brunswick East, open 5pm–11pm, @tinybar_melbourne