Bar Alba’s story begins over 20 years ago, when Davidson and his wife Kym opened the restaurant Centonove.
Nestled on the corner of Cotham Road, Kew, Centonove provides a sophisticated and relaxed atmosphere for dining.
The menu offers fresh and contemporary Italian-inspired dishes that are complemented by the restaurant’s boutique wine cellar specialising in Italian wine.
Centonove has three separate dining rooms and can offer two spaces for private dining, including a small eight-seat private wine room housing over 2500 bottles of wine.
Executive chef Patrick Fletcher has travelled extensively through Italy, gaining a keen understanding of the country’s distinct regions and their cuisines, which he honours in innovative ways.
On the other hand, Bar Alba manager Scalavino migrated to Australia from the Sicilian city of Palermo in 2011 and arrived at Centonove eight years ago.
With a large cellar and a great passion for Italian wines, Davidson had dreamed of opening a wine bar, and Scalavino would be the one to help him realise this dream.
Bar Alba is located directly opposite Centonove, and the two venues are closely intertwined.
After opening its doors in mid-2021, the bar proved to be an immediate success thanks to Centonove’s loyal clientele.
“We were stormed in the first two weeks,” Scalavino said in an interview with Rete Italia.
“Then Melbourne went into lockdown again, forcing us to close; but since reopening, we’ve always been busy.”
At first glance, Bar Alba looks as though it could easily be found on a street in London, Paris or Rome.
It gives the impression it could have been transposed from Milan’s popular shopping strip, Corso Vittorio Emanuele.
The aesthetic is timeless, while the atmosphere is intimate and elegant.
The bar is very much the showpiece of the space, stretching nine metres down the right-hand side of the narrow space.
Wrapped in curvaceous, scalloped panelling in rich emerald green and heeled with brass foot rests, it is the perfect place to pull up a stool and enjoy an aperitivo or an amaro.
The tables are lined with crisp white tablecloths and top quality glassware and cutlery.
The service is impeccable and the menu features a series of appetisers and slightly more substantial dishes, which can be washed down with a fine wine or a fun cocktail.
“We started out wanting to be a wine bar, but we’ve found ourselves making lots of cocktails, which we don’t mind,” Scalavino said.
“We also have a very rich amaro list and a range of grappa varieties, made from every grape imaginable.”
Many of the wines and liqueurs on offer are imported directly by Davidson and Scalavino, including some amazing Chiantis, such as the Castello di Volpaia Chianti Classico, made entirely of Sangiovese grapes.
Every year, Davidson travels to Italy with his family to visit – and revisit – restaurants, farms and wineries around the country.
When the bar opened, his initial idea was to host evenings dedicated to regional wines paired with a menu.
Due to COVID-19 woes, the idea wasn’t able to come to fruition until last Tuesday.
The first evening of the initiative was dedicated to the Chianti region of central Tuscany.
The evening began with a glass of Vernaccia di San Giminiano from Fattoria del Fugnano, before we moved on to some reds, including Poggio al Sole Chianti Classico, made with 90 per cent Sangiovese and 10 per cent Canaiolo grapes.
The wine was accompanied by refined finger food such as crostini with liver pâté, finocchiona and capocollo salamis and sweet-and-sour pickled onions.
Davidson and Scalavino gave an informative and engaging rundown of the wines, while guests had plenty of time to savour them and socialise.
This was followed by the main, peposo (Tuscan beef stew), served with a creamy polenta.
The dish was paired with a glass of Volpaia, followed by Castellare Chianti Classico and Rocca di Montegrossi Chianti Classico.
The Castello di Volpaia Coltassala Chianti Classico then arrived, served in a larger glass to allow it to breathe.
The wine satisfied even the most demanding palates of connoisseurs from the Yarra Valley.
Guests were also treated to Tuscan pecorino cheese served with Queensland honey, and a glass of Cantalici Vin Santo del Chianti Classico.
Following the success of the evening dedicated to Chianti, the team at Bar Alba plan to make it a monthly affair.
We can’t wait to see which regional wine will steal the show next month!
