Emilia reviews a cosy inner-city wine bar and restaurant

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Arnold’s

192 Bellair Street, Kensington

Arnold’s is the kind of place that feels like it’s always been there – tucked into a heritage-listed building on Bellair Street, with a courtyard out back and a few tables spilling onto the footpath. Scorch hyped this place up; describing the staff as attentive and thoughtful and the vibe as undeniably cool. He’s a local though so you can’t always trust that that’s not a biased opinion. Maybe I just got Kensington on a particularly good night too though, sunset acted as a pink backdrop to the corner shop front directly across the road from the Kensington train station – 8 mins from the city, two stops away from Southern Cross. 

It’s the brainchild of chef Scott Eddington (ex-Mamasita, Automata, A1 Canteen) and his partner Lauren Chibert, who’ve created a neighbourhood wine bar that’s as much about community as it is about the food and drink. Maybe Scorch was right…the feeling was welcoming but cool; the bright walls, shelves full of vinyl (that they actually spin) and open kitchen immediately underpin this. It’s then reiterated by the staff that feel like they actually want to be there. We sat up at the bar and had a great time as the wait staff chatted to us, taught us and passionately told us about all the dishes. 

The menu leans into Eddington’s love for bold, layered flavours – think Mexican-inspired modern Australian. The wine list, curated by Manze’s (in North Melbourne) Nagesh Seethiah, is compact but thoughtful – about 30 to 40 bottles at any time, with a soft spot for Gippsland wines (Eddington’s home turf). There’s also a rotating selection of amari and vermouths, and the occasional green tomato martini, which is as fun as it sounds. 

What sets Arnold’s apart, though, is its openness to collaboration. While Eddington is firmly at the helm, the kitchen often plays host to guest chefs and special events. On our visit, the regular menu was on pause for a Japanese-themed takeover featuring sake by the glass, Japanese spirit cocktails, and a $75 set menu with optional sake pairings. The bar was buzzing, vinyl was spinning, and the vibe was unmistakably Arnold’s – warm, welcoming, and just a little bit unexpected. We tried Eddington’s version of a fusion of Japanese with their usual Mexican/South American/Euro menu. 

Scorch went a couple of weeks back and had a different seasonal menu too so I won’t recommend specific dishes – their menus are, instead, a reflection of their dedication to fresh, local and seasonal ingredients cooked in fun, innovative ways. When I went they had a sanchoku (shan-chock, meaning farm fresh in Japanese) wagyu in a ponzu sauce and golden curry empanadas, both examples of Eddington’s ability to take different cuisines’ techniques and try something different with it. 

There’s a number of things on their current menu I’ll be going back to try; Ravens creek pork chop, black mole velouté orange summer pumpkin & cashew, or the whole fish, habanero & celeriac remoulade are top of my list. 

Even when the menu shifts, the essence of Arnold’s remains: a place where locals gather, flavours surprise, and the line between bar and restaurant blurs in the best possible way. It’s a testament to what happens when a chef invites the community not just to dine, but to be part of the story.

Images: Supplied