Culture Newlands: A Buzzing Neighbourhood Wine Bar

Every neighbourhood needs a proper wine bar. An informal spot where you can drop in after work and find familiar faces, with good wine (obviously), a few tasty eats and a relaxed vibe that feels like home. This is exactly what Matt and Roxanne Manning have created in the heart of Newlands. “The inspiration comes from all those small European wine bars Rox[anne] and I have stumbled across on our travels,” says Matt. “Places where you stop for a glass and end up staying for dinner.” He’d been eyeing this spot on Kildare Road for years, and finally secured it for a second Culture Wine Bar, a sibling to his Bree Street locale, much to the delight of southern suburbs locals.

A neighbourhood place

Outdoor pavement tables under a striped awning shaded by trees fill up with the after-work crew, cosy indoor tables and a bar counter invite you in on cooler days. Inside, faded terracotta and burnt-orange walls are lined with framed photographs, shelves display old-world treasures (a vintage gramophone and an antique ten-pin bowling set grab the eye), it’s homely and welcoming without pretence.

A lot of bottles

Great wine is, of course, the cornerstone of Culture’s offering, and when compiling the wine list for the new space, Matt asked the community what they wanted to drink. The result is a varied list that is strong on chenin blanc, chardonnay and fantastic bubbly, all from exceptional South African producers (some international, too) with over 50 wines by the glass. Reading through the wine list is like a roll call of South African’s greats (including some gems to explore by the glass), with plenty to love in the more accessible neighbourhood collection too.

Easy bites

All the things that Matt and team love eating with wine have found a place on the menu: local cheeses (from the on-site Fromagerie cheese room), Richard Bosman charcuterie and a tasty collection of pintxos and hot and cold tapas. Think the flavour punch of a classic Gilda skewer; comforting mushroom arancini with garlic aioli; a fresh burrata tomato and beetroot carpaccio; the ultimate French wine bar snack of pâté en croûte; and the rich satisfaction of confit pork belly or beef short rib, that hit the spot when a few bar snacks segue into dinner.

It’s a place to bump into familiar faces and find a sense of community, where a quick bite with a glass of wine easily turns into dinner and late-night conversation, where leisurely mimosa-fuelled brunches drift gently into the weekend, a place that connects you with your neighbours and neighbourhood.

Good to know No bookings.
Opening times Monday – Thursday , 12pm – 11pm
Friday – Saturday , 11am – 11pm
Sunday , 11am – 10pm
Contact 077 438 8854 (Whatsapp), [email protected]
Where to find it Kildare Centre, Kildare Road, Newlands

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