Clever

Review

Clever is an offshoot of the Cork & Bottle wine shop next door and since its opening late in 2008 has also garnered something of a reputation for its beers, well made cocktails in addition to its excellent wine list.

When wine merchant Jon Smith knocked a passageway through the concrete wall to open a bar in the empty space next door he intended it to predominantly be an intimate neighbourhood wine bar. Hence the 'Clever' name, from a quote attributed to the ancient Greek dramatist Aristophanes, "Quickly, bring me a beaker of wine so I may wet my mind and say something clever."

Clever is indeed chiefly an excellent wine bar offering Jon's full range of over 400 different bins with some 30 wines by the glass, but it is also now renowned for serving some of the best classic and contemporary cocktails in the city as well as offering over 20 different artisanal beers.

Smokers should note that smoking is only allowed in the small covered patio.