Inflation, election and pandemic worries could be temporarily swept away by a wave of Chardonnay at Pearl Chablis and Oyster Bar. The pocket bass in the CBD has an equally specific purpose, but it’s designed to live big – for at least a few hours.
As its name suggests, Chablis is at the center of the more than 500 bottles on the wine list, with dozens of examples of unique estates featured in premier cru, grand cru and lesser appellations, at prices ranging from $70 to $3,000.
Owner Jeremy Schinck, a Boffin from Burgundy, has been collecting wine for 10 years and believes Chablis is the most accessible style of Chardonnay in the world. When it came to opening a bar devoted to grapes, he said, “I just had to pair it with oysters. There is no other choice.
The bar’s eponymous items come from a Burgundy collection of 500 and a daily range of oysters from various producers. Photo: Jana Langhorst
He punched a hole in a wall at his CBD venue, Pinchy’s Lobster and Champagne Bar, to create Pearl, a 30-seat space of stone, wood and light boxes. Wine is displayed on the walls, oysters are in a display case at the top of the bar, and all snacks are prepared in front of you.
“I want people to see everything they can have. I want people to feel and breathe the offer,” he says.
Besides the oysters of the day, which can be Sydney rocks, angasi or other varieties, there are snacks such as sea bream crudo with dried pearl meat, beef tartare with oyster cream and the buttered lobster tail served with potato chips and 200 grams of two kinds. of caviar (this particular item is $1450).
The bar is located next to its seafood-focused sibling, Pinchy’s. Photo: Jana Langhorst
But a “New World vs. Old World” wine list keeps the budget in check, with 20 non-Chardonnay wines by the glass. Think Riesling (Alsatian versus Tasmanian), Sancerre and more, selected by sommelier Luke Thompson (Vinified).
The cellars will soon be open to private customers through a membership program, complete with a golden key, which can also include intimate events, such as masterclasses, in the space.
Melbourne may be going through an obsession with oysters. A similar bar, Pearl Diver, opened in the CBD last year, offering oysters from different regions and Tiki-inspired cocktails.
Open Wed-Sun 5pm-1am
Level 1, Shop 108, 200 Bourke Street, Melbourne, perleoyster.co