How Melbourne’s best wine bars are built | Lyndon Kubis (Toorak Cellars, Milton Wine Shop, The Alps, Clover)

What actually makes a wine bar successful? In this episode of the Halliday Wine Companion Podcast, we sit down with Lyndon Kubis, the force behind some of Melbourne’s most loved venues including Toorak Cellars, Milton Wine Shop, The Alps and Clover. From starting at 18 years old with zero plan… to building a portfolio of iconic neighbourhood wine bars, Lyndon breaks down what really drives success in hospitality. This isn’t about wine lists or interior design.It’s about people, culture, and creating spaces that make people feel something. We cover: How Lyndon accidentally built a wine bar empire Why “vibe” matters more than product The shift in how Australians drink wine today Natural wine as fine wine The realities of running venues post-COVID How to scale without losing soul If you’re in hospitality, wine, or building anything customer-facing, this episode is a masterclass. The Halliday Wine Companion Podcast is hosted by Halliday editor Anna Webster.   Lyndon Kubis on Instagram Halliday Wine Companion Halliday Wine Companion on Instagram Anna Webster on Instagram Buy the 2026 Halliday Wine Companion    01:00 How Lyndon got into wine02:10 Buying his first wine shop at 2204:00 Turning a bottle shop into a wine bar06:00 Inspiration from Paris wine culture08:30 What actually makes a venue successful10:15 Why people come back (hint: it’s not the wine)12:30 Location myths and reality in hospitality14:00 The importance of “vibe”16:00 Building team culture in wine bars17:30 Expanding to Milton, The Alps & beyond20:00 Opening in “dry suburbs” and licensing challenges22:30 Why food became essential24:30 Opening The Moon in Collingwood26:00 Scaling back and focusing geographically27:30 Launching Clover and modern bistro culture29:00 How Australians are drinking wine differently31:00 Natural wine vs fine wine33:30 Building an online wine business during COVID35:00 Importing wines and global relationships38:00 Managing multiple venues39:00 Biggest lessons in hospitality40:00 Challenges in today’s market41:30 What’s nextSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.