RESTAURANT: La Rosa Bar and Pizza

This place has been on my wishlist for ever so long. Since it opened, really. Come on, proper pizza, house salumi, handmade pasta, solid wine list and all from the people that brought us the wonderful Pendolino.

Kicking things off with the salumi platter is a damn good idea. They have nduja, which immediately endears them to my heart. It's all very solid. Despite it coming with bread and grissini, the extra order of foccaccina is a good call.

Then onto pizzas. My yardstick is the margherita, and here is a very good version that surpasses the stick. The base is thin and the crust crunchy. While the middle is a bit soggy, it doesn't really annoy. The sauce is sweet and the cheese salty and oozing. A little basil and you're laughing.

The nduja pizza is quite nice, as is the zucchini and prawn. The best pizzas in the CBD, that I'm aware of (not that there's much competition).

While desserts look tempting, the earlier bread has hit the spot and we skip straight to digestivo. It's an impressive list, covering a strong range of amaro, herbals and all sorts of other liqueurs (keep an eye out for the lime green, made from over 100 herbs, 70% alcohol, Toro centerbe forte).

Prices are good for the CBD and service is extremely friendly.

While nothing blew me away, nothing disappointed me. In fact, everything was above average. No longer will my pizza cravings go unanswered if I'm in the CBD.


RATING: Will return to [?]

WINE: MARIE-NOELLE LEDRU Brut Nature Grand Cru 2002

Another grower champagne that's on that hippie tip.

Ledru is a fairly smaller producer, owning only around 6 hectares of vines. She tries to make production as environmentally-friendly as possible. Disgorgement is done by hand. Pinot noir dominates all of her wines.


The brut nature is some held back amount of wine from the normal vintage release.

85% pinot noir, the rest chardonnay.


Very fully-flavoured wine. Cherry and vanilla dominate. A little caramelised apple. Spice. A clean, tight wine that, despite the weight of the flavours, leaves the palate clean.

91%

BEER: CANTILLON St Lamvinus

When it comes to the world of sour, lambic style beers, one name rules supreme.

Here, merlot and cabernet-franc grapes go into a Burgundy barrel with 2-3 year old lambic.


Unsurprisingly tart and sour, with a full flavour from red berries and red wine. Tremendous finish. Complex, funky and rich.

This is one of Cantillon's best drops and it's well worth your time.

90%

WINE: MICHEL ARNOULD La Grande Cuvee NV

Around 1929, Henri Lefevre decided to stop selling his entire harvest of grapes to champagne houses and start holding back some to make himself.

Fast-forward a few generations and we have the son of Michel Arnould turning the family's grapes into their own champagne.


70% pinot noir, 30% chardonnay.


Interesting flavours. Big on the caramelised pineapple and lychee. Lemon. Good, clean finish.

91%

WINE: MARIE-COURTIN Efflorescence 2006

Here we have an interesting wine from an interesting producer.

Dominique Moreau has only been making these wines since around 2005, but has already created plenty of hype in champagne circles (yeah, there are circles). Her aim is to produce single vineyard, single vintage, hand harvested, single variety and biodynamic champagnes.

Efflorescence is her flagship wine. 100% pinot noir grapes, aged in Burgundy barrels with zero dosage. Only 6,000 bottles are produced.


Really unique flavours like cherry, almond, pine, brioche and a little spice. Creamy, full finish.

92%

WINE: LAUNOIS Cuvee Reserve NV

From Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, well known to many champagne afficianadoes as the home to top-of-the-line-Salon, is a smaller, but well-regarded organic producer.


Bernard Launois' wines are full-bodied, packed with flavour and quite clean. This is a delicious wine and excellent value.


91%