Bayswater FineWines

A chandelier built from 750 champagne flutes hangs over the split-level fitout on Bayswater Road, where library-style cabinets and a Victorian ash counter set the tone for a shop built around serious wine rather than passing trade. The ground floor carries the everyday range; a mezzanine Fine Wine Room upstairs holds the aged and rare bottles, hosting WSET courses and members-only tastings for collectors working through back vintages. It is part of Stephen Harris's Neighbourhood Cellars group, alongside sister stores in Bondi, Waverley and elsewhere around the eastern suburbs — independently owned rather than chain-run, with staff who know the Kings Cross and Rushcutters Bay trade. The shop was runner-up for Liquor Store of the Year at the Australian Liquor Industry Awards in 2019, recognition for a fine-wine specialism that's rare among neighbourhood bottle shops. Open long hours, seven days, it rewards a slow browse rather than a grab-and-go stop.