Morningside’s New Neighbourhood Wine Bar Has 44 Seats And A Big Personality

Jacob Coomer and Diva Gattani know a thing or two about small spaces. After all, they met in New York (where Gattani is from and Coomer spent time working at Brooklyn’s The Four Horseman), which is a city known for pint-sized pads and hole-in-the-wall diners. It makes them perfectly equipped to transform 50 square metres of Morningside into an eclectic wine bar with a bold design and even better drops.

The Leopard takes cues from the husband-and-wife duo’s global escapades, while still being local at heart. They also own pizza joint Enzo’s in Mansfield, so naturally the round stuff has made it onto The Leopard’s menu—with dough made from scratch in-house and cold fermented for 24-48 hours. Highlights include the Genovese with house-made pesto, mozzarella, prosciutto and ricotta; Three Seasons with San Marzano tomatoes, prosciutto, mushrooms and olives; and the Potato & Sausage with (you guessed) thinly sliced potato, pork and fennel sausage, garlic, rosemary and mozzarella. 

There’s also a seasonal selection of small plates like anchovy toast with creme fraiche and roasted leeks, and king prawns topped with chilli butter and cooked in the pizza oven at 450 degrees, before being finished with a toasted garlic and parsley salsa.

Image credit: The Leopard | Supplied

The wine list leans natural and European, with a hand selection of Australian producers in the mix. In between pours, make sure to take note of the decor as most of the art and items on the shelves have been collected from around the world over the years—making the move from Coomer and Gattani’s living room into The Leopard.

The Leopard is walk-ins only at 188 Thynne Road, Morningside.