AALIA Wine Room
AALIA Wine Room is ESCA Group's love letter to wine. An intimate, glass-fronted space in Martin Place built around the stories in every bottle, from local vineyards to the furthest corners of the wine world.
Words HANDE RENSHAW Photos COURTESY OF ESCA GROUP
The food menu features a refined offering drawn from AALIA’s menu, echoing its Middle Eastern culinary storytelling.
A menu made for sharing: charcuterie, shaved cured meats and Middle Eastern pickles.
‘The [wine] list is inviting and unpretentious, and perfectly complements Paul’s menu. Whether you’re stopping by for a glass after work or settling in for dinner paired with an exceptional bottle, there's a drop for every occasion,’ says sommelier Sarah O’Dwyer.
“The wine program at AALIA Wine Room is built around discovery – each bottle is selected for the story it carries, of place, people and perspective, bringing together emerging and established producers.”
Tucked behind glass in the heart of Martin Place, AALIA Wine Room is ESCA Group's most intimate venture yet — a wine-first space where discovery sets the pace.
A natural extension of AALIA, the Wine Room builds on the original without without shifting its character. Designed by architect, Matt Darwon, the space draws from AALIA’s existing palette and the modernist lines of Harry Seidler’s MLC building it overlooks. Across two levels, spotted gum ceiling battens, banquette seating and restrained tile selections create a room that feels both intimate and considered.
At the heart of the venue is a 235-label wine list curated by sommelier Sarah O'Dwyer, with 31 wines available by the glass. The program is built around discovery; limited releases, lesser-known varietals and new techniques sit alongside selections from established producers, with wines from international names new to the Australian market woven throughout. The signature Discovery Hour offers guests a sommelier-selected wine revealed tableside, complete with a personalised note, a thoughtful touch that turns a glass of wine into something worth remembering.
Alongside the wine, AALIA’s Middle Eastern culinary language is expressed through a refined offering of snacks and small plates, designed for sharing and to complement what’s in the glass. Basturma with pickled chilli and quail egg gilda, beef nayyeh with rhubarb and freekeh crisp, and pickled kokotxas with tamarind and aleppo peppers sit alongside the wines.
At lunch, the menu shifts, Murray Cod shawarma with toum, steak frites with café de Cairo butter and a beef cheeseburger on a milk bun reimagine the familiar through a distinctly AALIA lens.
For ESCA Group, the Wine Room marks the first dedicated wine bar in their portfolio. For us, it's a very good reason to rethink the after-work drink and charcuterie plate.
AALIA Wine Room
T 6.33, 25 Martin Pl, Sydney NSW 2
Follow @aaliawineroom
