A cosy wine bar all about good food, good drinks, good service and good music. Walk ins only.

Our Interview

Originally published 12 June 2019. 

The templo family is growing, with their new addition, a wine bar in the heart of the city named Sonny, opening today. 

Most of you would be familiar with templo, a small neighbourhood restaurant synonymous with quality dishes. The Hello Hobart team would even go so far as to say that some of the best vegetables ever tasted came from the templo kitchen! 

Templo’s Chris and Matt are once again at the helm of this venue alongside new addition Alister. Heralding from Adelaide, Alister has moved down to front the bar, bringing his unique vinyl collection and passion for quality wine along with him. ‘I haven’t even been here for 2 weeks, yet I feel like I have been here for months. The team here make me feel right at home’, said Alister. 

Alister has come with a background in the hospitality scene having managed a vibrant bar for the last 5 years in South Australia. He tells us that he was keen to work with the templo team for some time. ‘I have been down to Tassie quite a lot. My best friend was living here and I loved templo, having dined there numerous times prior to this gig’. 

While adding the final touches of paint, Chris kindly stopped to chat to us about this second venue. ‘We wanted this place to be like eating at home. We want you to be surprised about how your night might evolve here. You might come in for a drink after work but end up eating a few plates of food and next thing you know, you’ve had a night well spent’, said Chris. 

This hybrid fusion of bar and restaurant is sure to be a hit with Chris confirming that they will offer the same quality produce and handmade pasta by Matt and the team. They offer a variety of all natural wines (which Chris even helps to produce and designs the labels). The menu will be seasonal and ever-changing to keep your taste buds delighted. 

You’ll notice other familiar faces in the space including Rachelle who is often greeting guests with her smile over at templo. ‘We want our staff to thrive, we help them grow. Hospitality can be a hard industry to work in but we try and create a family-type environment’, tells Chris of their secrets to keeping such talented staff. 

The space is intimate but there is the option to sit at the bar (and watch Alister make your drink) or if you’d prefer, there are a handful of individual tables for that more private evening. 

And the name Sonny? The team tell us that it evolved after watching the movie Lion and the character Sunny. The name resonated with the team as a positive and nurturing term. Chris was even tempted to name any future children Sunny but instead the restaurant came along and it was a perfect fit. 

The Hello Hobart team loved chatting to the humble Sonny team who openly welcomed us in, despite madly working away to get it ready for you all today! 

You don’t need a booking for this new space, simply roll on in. They will be open from 4 pm til late, Thursday through to Monday. Located at 118 Elizabeth Street, in the space formerly known as Kaiju Can Bar.