Arcade Wine returns to Ashgrove with a bigger wine list and a fresh food offering
Ashgrove locals have reason to raise a glass – Arcade Wine has returned. After a brief stint in Redcliffe, Danilo Duseli has brought his beloved neighbourhood wine bar back to its original home of Waterworks Road. The intimate enoteca has reopened with an expanded by-the-glass wine list and a refreshed food offering of small plates and snacks. Here’s what you need to know …
Danilo Duseli feels like he’s come home.
Though born in Piedmont, the Italian native has adopted Brisbane as his own and, in turn, Brisbane – specifically the Ashgrove community – has adopted him.
When Danilo opened Italian-inspired enoteca Arcade Wine in the Sugar Cane Arcade off Waterworks Road, he thought it would be a challenge to make it work. Little did he know just how cherished a commodity his 24-seat wine bar would become.
“When I started Arcade, people were calling me crazy because there was nothing here,” recalls Danilo. “It’s very hidden and kind of a challenge to find.”
“The Ashgrove community kept coming back and they pushed me to do more and more, so that’s why we evolved.”
In 2024, Danilo shuttered Arcade Wine in Ashgrove to open a sibling venue in Redcliffe. Though well received, a proposed redevelopment of the venue’s home in Comino’s Arcade on Redcliffe Parade meant that Arcade Wine’s stay was unfortunately short-lived.
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“My original thought was to have an Arcade Wine in two locations – one place near the beach and a place close to the city,” explains Danilo, who operated the Ashgrove location as a satellite bottle shop during this period. “The location is undergoing redevelopment, so between now and ten months’ time we would have had to face the problem of construction.”
And so, Danilo made the decision to close Arcade Wine Redcliffe, transitioning operations back to the original Ashgrove site. Locals rejoiced – when the wine bar quietly reopened in late February, long-time regulars were ready and waiting to return for Danilo’s personable service and curated selection of wines.
While the venue’s red-hued interior has remained largely unchanged, the Arcade Wine that reopened isn’t a carbon copy of its previous persona – Danilo has ensured that there are a few new elements for guests to enjoy.
“Coming back here, we wanted to have more of a complete wine-bar experience,” explains Danilo, who mentions that Arcade Wine now boasts an upgraded food component.
“I don’t want to serve alcohol without food. That’s my heritage – where I come from, you have wine daily, but you always have it with something.”
The menu includes previous crowd-favourites like olives, cheese plates, charcuterie platters and duck pate on brioche, plus new items like fresh oysters, meatballs in red-pepper veloute and tiramisu. With no kitchen on site, food prep is undertaken at Danilo’s Woolloongabba restaurant D.Vino – this means that portions are limited, so bookings are encouraged.
“I don’t want people to expect us to be a fine-dining spot, but people can come for a snack before going to a restaurant nearby, or they can stay all night and have a few glasses of wine with some small plates.”
Arcade Wine’s selection of vino has also expanded, with Danilo recently returning from a trip to northern Italy, where he connected with new producers whose wines now feature on the bar’s list.
“Piedmont was my hometown for the first 13 years of my career, and it is driven by nebbiolo and barolo,” explains Danilo. “We’re working with two or three new producers that are making amazing wine – some of which is set aside only for D.Vino and for Arcade Wine.”
Guests can peruse a by-the-glass list totalling 60 options (including wines served under Coravin), offering a snapshot of Arcade Wine’s 500-bottle selection – roughly half of which is displayed on the venue’s retail shelves and fridge.
As always, a visit to Arcade Wine is an educational experience for those seeking to expand their knowledge of Italian viticulture.
“We give people the chance to come in, grab a bottle and try a variety they’ve never had before,” says Danilo. “We want to help customers understand what they’re drinking and respect the work that occurs between vineyard and bottle.
Next time they go to a restaurant, they can find the same style of wine – even a different vintage or producer – and they know what they’re drinking. We offer a fun kind of education.”
But for Danilo, the real point of difference at Arcade Wine isn’t just the bottles on the shelves – it’s the experience he creates for each guest. It’s this approach that has helped Arcade Wine foster such a loyal following in Ashgrove.
“To me, being exclusive means having something that no one else does, which is having a personal touch with every single customer.”
Head to The Directory for Arcade Wine’s operating hours and contact details.
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