The cafe half of acclaimed cocktail bar Stay Gold usually sits silent at dusk, but founder Jerrold Khoo decided that a low-key wine bar would fit nicely in the space. Featuring an unexpected yet approachable wine list curated by sommelier Jay Ho, formerly of Michelin-starred Cloudstreet, Flamingo is designed for wine-lovers and curious beginners alike. The candle-lit bar eschews formality in favour of wines categorised by ‘feels’. ‘Life in Pink’, for instance, lists wines with notes of cherries, strawberry leaf and roses, whereas ‘Uptown Funk’ is where you’d find skin contact wines such as the 2021 Puchang Vineyard Rkatsiteli from Xinjiang, China. There’s a handful of casual bites to accompany the pours – the fried oysters are an easy favourite, but the ham and melted cheese allure of the Monte Cristo Sandwich is hard to resist. It’s the kind of place where you come for a drink and end up staying for more.
