Since opening on Wandoo Street in The Valley in 2019, City Winery hasn’t been afraid to spread its roots over town. Initially it started small, with a satellite cellar door in The City. Then came Carl’s, the group’s pop-up wine bar and bottle shop that took on a life of its own, becaming a popular spot for locals to down a pinot or two. Soon, you’ll see City Winery’s newest concept, Ardo’s, sprouting up in suburban pockets all over Brisbane. It’s already appeared in Newstead, down on Wyandra Street in the spot formerly home to Carl’s. In the broadest terms, Ardo’s is a hybrid – a micro cellar door and bar that’s suitable for drink-in custom and takeaway sales. Dig a tiny bit deeper, though, and some European influences become evident, giving Ardo’s a distinct character that sets it apart from City Winery. Taking cues from the snack-centric bar culture of northern Spain (particularly in San Sebastian), Ardo’s tweaks this Euro-tinged model and delivers it with a crisp design anchored by marble bar tops and rendered-concrete finishes. “We would never call ourselves a European wine bar at all,” says Ardo’s general manager Luke Reimers. “We’ve loosely adopted that style holistically, but obviously adapted it and made it suit for the Australian market.”