One Trick Pony is a neighbourhood wine bar, bottle shop and kitchen doing serious flavour with a minimalist edge.

One Trick Pony: Local Wine Bar with Global Ambition

Tucked into the corner of Newry Street in Fitzroy North, One Trick Pony occupies the triangular end of a 140-year-old pub. The space is quietly confident with curves in the walls, scalloped shelving and elephant-grey marble at the bar. Designed by IF Architecture, the fit-out marries heritage bones with sleek simplicity. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1} Here, chef-owner Chris Terlikar steps away from his slow-smoked BBQ roots to deliver something refined yet relaxed. Every element—the wine list, the food, the setting—feels intentional.

With a bottle shop at street level and a dining room upstairs, One Trick Pony doesn’t try to be many things—it just executes each part with craft and integrity. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

Food and Wine That Defy Labels

The menu is intentionally compact, mostly seasonal and gluten-free by design. That doesn’t mean flavours get pared back—they’re amplified. Dishes include slow-fermented tapioca flatbread with labne and olive oil, potato rosti with caramelised onion and anchovy, and grass-fed beef rump cap with buttered cabbage and endive. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3} The wine list features minimal-intervention bottles, often drawn from small producers, and the cocktails are table-side matters with a chrome trolley circulating through the dining room. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

The interplay between clever cooking and thoughtful drinking is what sets the place apart—it feels effortless yet considered.

A Room That Feels Rooftop Leashed

Upstairs, light filters through North-facing windows, bouncing off the timber floor and brass accents. Wine racks, bespoke mirrors and local artwork painted directly onto the walls create a space with character and warmth. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5} While the downstairs bar hums with bottles and casual traffic, the upstairs room finds a rhythm of its own—intimate, subtle, unpretentious.

Whether you’re in for a glass at the bar or a full meal upstairs, One Trick Pony manages to feel like your local and a destination in the same breath. Fitzroy North has many options but few deliver this blend of atmosphere, craft and ease.