When Contentious Character recently moved from Fyshwick’s Dairy Road to Kingston Foreshore, it stayed true to its quirky personality.

That desire to make you smile included fun sayings featured on wooden wine barrels, interior signage and wine labels such as “No Riesling to Worry” and “Chardy Party”.

Contentious Character is an urban winery featuring a cellar door, restaurant and bar. It’s a super place to sip, snack, taste and dine right on the lake (inside or out). 

Order nibbles, small plates, large plates, a cheeseboard or sweets. We were up for sharing over a leisurely lunch, starting with salty white anchovies and slices of sourdough toast spread with a punchy, vibrant salsa that tantalised the tastebuds ($16). 

Our food adventure continued with the dish Contentious Character fondly labels Blue Cheese Affair ($18), with the cheese marrying well with thin slices of pear and decorated with crispy shavings of dried leek (swapped out for the eggplant crisps noted on the menu). 

Equally delicious was the smoked trout roulade ($24 for a small plate), served with tart and sweet cornichons.

Moving on to warm share plates, we gave a big tick to the truffle mushroom arancini, well executed with plenty of parmesan. Pretty on the plate, the arancini was arranged on a bed of peppery rocket and served with smooth, garlic aioli ($21).

We squirted lots of fresh lemon on our salt and pepper squid and dipped the tender pieces of seafood into the vibrant citrus aioli ($22).

The harissa aioli served with the cauliflower bites offered zing ($12), although the dish was cold by the time we got to it. The dressing on our leaf salad was too acidic for our liking ($14)

One of our party (already a semi-regular) was keen on a dish already declared one of his favourites, the seafood pie ($42). Flaky, crispy pastry encased a wonderful mix of barramundi, prawns and scallops. I had a taste, and this heart-warming dish is on my list for a future visit. 

If ordering share dishes, ask staff to pace delivery. We didn’t, and so cold and hot dishes arrived in quick succession. 

We enjoyed lunch with She’ll Be Rose, a pale salmon-pink colour wine featuring subtle strawberry, floral and spice notes ($60 a bottle at the table; $29 from the shop). Aside from its cool-climate wines, Contentious Character offers a small range of international drops. This list, and the food menu, will expand over time. 

Contentious Character’s journey began in the rolling hills of Wamboin. While Dairy Road was the next chapter, the team instinctively knew that securing a waterfront location was an opportunity too good to miss. 

Open from 11am, Thursday to Saturday. Wine flights and tastings available.