Ever since it opened, the Food File has been a major fan of Arossa, the Aussie-specialist wine bar and restaurant out on the leafy fringes of Shibuya's Shoto district. We like the modern styling, the extensive cellar of Antipodean wines and the sophisticated food menu. But there is one area in which we've always felt it's lacking -- it doesn't have any tables outside.
So when we heard that a second branch of Arossa had opened in Setagaya Ward, complete with a terrace, it didn't take us long to investigate. After all, what better way to spend a mellow evening than sitting outside in the warmth of late summer, gazing out at the sunset or up at the stars and quaffing a bottle of good chardy or shiraz?
Well, that was our fantasy, anyway. If the new Arossa doesn't quite live up to it, that's because it lies in the built-up back-streets of Sangenjaya, not overlooking Sydney Harbor or the St. Kilda waterfront. It's far enough from the main drag (Route 246) that the traffic noise is little more than a background hum. But, hemmed in by looming apartment blocks, this is not a scenic spot -- so it matters little that the outside seating is virtually enclosed and offers little in the way of a view.