Sleek, stylish bistros and bars in Taman Desa and Sri Petaling - the two branches of Gallo Wine Bar are hidden havens, ideal for an idyllic evening of wining and dining, their soothing spaciousness filled with comfy couches and plush sofas for patrons to sink into, amid a gently lit ambiance accented with elegant flourishes of wine racks, wood panels and mirror-tiled ceilings.
Gallo Wine Bar in Taman Desa accommodates up to 70 patrons, with a private cigar lounge for 30 patrons, while Gallo in Sri Petaling holds up to 120 patrons, with two VIP rooms that can fit up to 20 and 10 patrons each. (Photos of Gallo in Taman Desa courtesy of the management)
The wine selection is built to impress, spanning the harvest of vineyards from Argentina to Australia, California to Chile, Portugal to South Africa, with other mainstays like France, Italy and New Zealand eminently represented. You'll find a bottle for every wine-loving budget, from a southern French Grain d'Oc Merlot that clocks in at RM95 to a Piedmontese Pio Cesare Barbaresco DOCG 2011 at RM518.
To pair with our meal at Gallo in Sri Petaling, we went the Italian route, choosing the Bibi Graetz Casamatta Rosso (RM183), a Tuscan Sangiovese that fulfilled its promise of providing a lively, light-bodied experience with clear cherry characters, vibrant and versatile enough to complement many of the bold-flavoured courses that we ordered.
Gallo boasts an ambitious kitchen whose European foundation is peppered with Asian influences. The menu is extensive, encompassing the essentials that work well with wine, including nibbles like oysters (RM72 for six pieces, RM128 for a dozen), cheeses (RM20 for a tasty scamorza platter) and an intriguing torched beef tartare topped with a quail's egg croquette (RM58).
Fans of foie, Gallo is a great place to indulge in luscious liver: Our favourite temptations here are the mantou sliders stuffed with thick slices of foie gras, perfectly prepared (RM68), and the foie gras with Italian sausages and beans (RM68).
Other options include fusion recipes that range from Gallo's super-spicy spaghetti with chunks of oxtail (RM22) to a 'grown-up' mac-and-cheese that's absolutely addictive, crowned with dense sausages for the textural contrast of a savoury bite (RM68), alongside traditional classics like beef burgundy with crunchy ciabatta for dunking into the hot, thick gravy (RM28). And this is only the tip of the iceberg for Gallo's repertoire, which also includes pizzas, risotto and even yakitori.
Many thanks to Gallo Wine Bar for having us.
Gallo Wine Bar Taman Desa
5-0-1, Jalan 3/109F, Taman Danau Desa, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tel: +603-7971-9005
Gallo Wine Bar Sri Petaling
First Floor, 21-1, Jalan Radin Bagus 7, Bandar Baru Sri Petaling, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tel: +603-9055-4595
Both branches open daily, 4pm-2am.
