THE CHESSER CELLAR
29 Chesser Street
Adelaide South Australia 5000
W www.chessercellar.com.au
E chessercellar@optusnet.com.au
T +61 8 8223 3791
F +61 8 8232 0058
OPEN Monday to Friday lunch from 12 noon

FOOD The Chesser Cellar opened in 64 and in almost 50 years of trading has had but three owners. Current owner Primo Caon has been comfortably ensconced for 18 years. The Chesser Cellar is the type of establishment that could just as easily be found in London as Adelaide. Private entrance, small clubby bar, brilliant polished timber and brass, immaculate interior, glass cases storing precious wines and walls dripping with memorabilia from incredible wine dinners.
Presided over by owner and patron the impeccable Primo Caon the loyal clientele of The Chesser Cellar spans several generations. It is a rite of passage for wine aficionados to introduce the next generation to this Adelaide institution.
In the late 60s this tiny bar would be ten deep with a noisy babble of conversation that ranged from politics to the arts and often culminated in seduction. On Saturdays customers would be thrown out from lunch at about 10.00 pm after having drunk illegally for hours. In those days 64 Hill of Grace was pretty much the house wine and whilst we knew nothing about wine, even then we knew it was better than the average Australian ’plonk’ of the time.
Food at Chesser has never succumbed to fashion and the menu has remained virtually unchanged in all those years. The English buffet is laden with rare roast beef, cold cuts of all description including pressed tongue, potato salad, green and many other salads complimented by the full spectrum of condiments with mustards, chutneys and pickles. During the oyster season Thursdays and Fridays they always special South Australian oysters. Two dozen served natural with lemon and shallot in balsamic vinegar shared between three vanished in minutes. They were excellent. From their a la carte menu we chose Grilled King George Whiting ($33.90 main) and Rib of aged Coorong Angus with champ mash and tarragon glaze – 450g ($42.90) Unashamedly old fashioned, the whiting came plain with two large fillets, decent wedges of lemon, garden salad and mayonnaise. The steak, which we shared, was sublimely tender and cooked exactly as we had asked for. A large rib-eye is so much better than a thin one, which never seems to cook as well. Our meal ended with a customer making everyone Green Chartreuse and gin martinis (with a twist). The Chesser Cellar is the sort of place we love because ensconced in what appears to be a very conventional environment is completely irristable madness! AO

WINE The ambience of The Chesser Cellar immediately denotes a place where serious wine drinking is done. Patron Primo Caon is a member of Australia’s famous Single Bottle Club and his passion for wine is clearly articulated in their list. 21 wines by the glass, Sherries, Ports and a clear decision to mainly feature South Australian wines. Other classic Australian regions are represented and a smattering of European wines adds complexity to the mainly parochial list.
39 Shirazes and 15 Cabernet Sauvignons along with a fabulous array of Rieslings from the classic regions of Clare and Eden Valleys and an aged list of some 34 wines satisfies any objections to seeing so many recently released vintages on lists. There may not be much breadth in terms of geography but there is in quality, rarity and price options. A satisfying selection of reasonably priced wine starts at around $30 per bottle and good value can be found all the way up the price ladder. With over 200 wines to choose from The Chesser Cellar is a great place to discover the best of South Australia with plenty of good wine guidance at hand. Dr Alexandra Burridge

We have to own our friend Primo Caon would allow no argument about him paying.

OWNER MANAGER — Primo Caon
CHEF — Joel Faustino
SOMMELIER — Marco Conidi