Wellingtonian's, like many other people on planet earth, love nothing more than to wind down with a glass of wine. The trouble is, you can get into a rut going to the same old places. So when somewhere exciting and new comes along, it can be worth a nosey (pun intended).

On a warm Summer evening at twilight, it's easy to get the feeling of adventure in your bones. You're tingling in anticipation of an evening where who knows what will happen. It's not a grand meal you want, just a light 'aperitif'. May I suggest that you could find, like myself and my friend Megan on Wednesday evening, Noble Rot to be just the place.

I've recently fallen for Noble Rot wine bar. While I haven't yet had the privilege of coming here for dinner, I've come thrice to enjoy light nibbles. The first time was to have a 'business' meeting for The Residents and the second was to enjoy oysters and bubbles during Wellington on a Plate. However, on Wednesday I had a glimpse of what was to come in those warm Summery months ahead.

Noble Rot has the advantage of feeling like it could be in an elegant rural French village but being right in the heart of the city. It is just off Cuba Street, on Swan Lane to be precise, meaning it is perfect to attend while you mull over what the rest of the evening may have in store, whether that be a wild night of wandering through the city or home to bed with Netflix and cup of tea.

On arrival, the highly attuned staff quickly showed myself and Megan to a table, post-haste. Cosied away in the corner with a wide window onto the carpark beyond (to be fair, the scenery isn't all that hot - but that's not so much a restaurant problem as a council and city planning problem). The light was so natural it just felt right to take some snaps of Megan's bright blue dress. Our waitress (hiding above behind some wine glasses) complemented her on the outfit - which - let's be honest folks - is always a bonus. I really like how the interior is fresh and minimal, adding to the ambience without clutter or fuss.

It was explained that we could select from a range of meat and cheeses for a platter. We decided on salami and a slice of camembert with all the trimmings. Megan ordered a white of some variety and I decided on a pinot noir to match my sweater (because YOLO right?).

Our wine came promptly and was expertly poured by the restaurant sommelier (with authentic French accent! Bon-JOUR!). Then our platter arrived. It was generous with accoutrements although it certainly would have been good to have slightly more cheese (then again, I live by the philosophy that sometimes too much of a good thing can be wonderful!). The caprese salami was generous to a fault, however. Again, I managed to make my top match my food! That has to be lucky. The pickled vegetables were salty and tart. The spiced raisins were rich and heady. Everything came together like a midsummer's night party and champagne. At all times we had great service and were never left unattended.

On leaving, Megan settled up. We headed up into the street feeling relaxed and full, dancing onto Cuba Street. We agreed that the twilight was beautiful, perfectly spilling over the city. Noble Rot certainly will be featuring regularly in our routine over the coming months. And that deserves a firm 'SALUT!'