Food Drink

FIRST LOOK: ‘Spread’ by owners of iconic Dolly wine bar opens in inner South

Spread Delicatessen and Bar has officially opened its doors, serving paninis, toasties and more in a casual, fun space.

Photos: K Photography.

The latest venture by the owners of the much-loved Dolly wine bar has hit the streets of Unley: Spread Delicatessen and Bar is open and ready to serve you.

Spread was in the works for around four years and is a panini bar located just behind Dolly. The new venue was spearheaded by owner and director Sam Worrall-Thompson.

But Spread has a special twist which sets it apart from your regular sandwich bar- it will transform from a panini and toastie bar during the day into a wine bar on Friday and Saturday nights.

“It is something we always wanted to do in terms of more the ‘toastie bar’ kind of vibe, but we wanted it to be joint with another business we have so that crossover. Dolly is quite small and is full most Friday and Saturday nights, so the idea was to open Spread and use it at night for overflow from Dolly,” Sam said.

Although Spread and Dolly are located right next door to each other, they express very individual personalities and identities- but will frequently work together.

Spread is a great space expressing more casual, fun vibes, and if you’re looking for somewhere to drop in for a drink or something to ‘grab-and-go,’ this is your place. Whereas Dolly, on the other hand, can be considered a bit more high-end, sophisticated, and more of a ‘date night’ venue.

Spread expresses a Spanish-Italian vibe with a fresh interior- picture white, bright spaces with pops of orange and green. Framed artworks adorn the walls, decorative lights hang from the ceiling and jars of gorgeous produce fill the shelves.

“It is quite a simple fit out, it is all open, the idea when you walk in is it is like you are walking into someone’s home kitchen,” Sam said.

On their deli menu, you will find a range of toasties and sandwiches crafted by Sam and chef Michael. Flavours flirt between Italian and Spanish, using Italian sliced and cured meats as the hero ingredients.

Think cleaner flavours during the day, with naughty elements such as fried fish sandwiches also making an appearance.

All sandwiches are made fresh to order, and if you’re after a drink, there’s a range of hot and cold beverages including coffee, soft drinks, and tea to choose from. But there’s more to come, with a bar menu also in the works.

“The vibe during the day will focus on takeaway, so we are not really pushing the whole ‘sit in’ concept too much, everything is going to be served in takeaway containers or takeaway coffees,” Sam said.

“There has been a bit of a sandwich craze recently with all these delis opening up everywhere. But, it still baffles me that it is hard to get just a fresh panini, there are some out Rostrevor way, but I just feel like for a sandwich it is not easy to get.”

The wine menu will include mainly Mediterranean wines to marry up with the theme and there is no need to make a booking- you can just drop in and the staff will make it work.

For the first three weeks, Spread is starting with just daytime hours, with night-time hours added to the schedule from October for those who want to venture out after dark.

The venue can also be hired out for functions and is open each Sunday for private functions and venue takeovers only. Make your request here.

Visit the Spread website to view the full menu and more.

WHAT: Spread Delicatessen and Bar.
WHERE: 246 Unley Road, Unley SA, 5061.
WHEN: Current opening hours: Monday to Friday, 6:30am – 3pm, Saturday, 7:30am – 2:30pm.
From Friday October 6th: Monday to Thursday, 6:30am – 4pm, Friday and Saturday, 6:30am – late.
CONTACT: [email protected] 

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