Small bars in the big city
Hidden in heritage buildings and tucked down laneways, quirky bars popping up in central Sydney are transforming the city’s nightlife, writes Phil Keating.
TUCKED AWAY down side streets and lanes, and in basements of inner city buildings, a minirevolution is stirring in Sydney.
Cosy and quirky neighbourhood bars big on cocktails are popping up in heritage buildings, in odd spots and down laneways, helping transform the city’s nightlife.
It’s about time. Melbourne’s small, atmospheric bars have long been part of its appeal to visitors, and hip areas in Sydney like Surry Hills and Darlinghurst already have well-established small bar scenes.
But a wave of similar bars has recently opened up in the CBD just a short walk from the tourist hot spots around Circular Quay and the harbour, in easy reach of many hotels.
Each reflects the passion, personalities and quirks of their owner-operators. They cluster in and around downtown York St, which runs off George St, and are providing an alternative to the abundance of bland corporate theme bars with their rows of pokies and decor-by-numbers.
The newcomers are best located by foot, and are definitely worth hunting down.
Not merely just small, some are tiny and hold limited numbers. But, like neighbourhood bars around the world, that just makes for a more intimate experience and allows the chance to spark a conversation with locals, or chat to the owner-operators.
No two are the same and the furnishings, generally, follow a theme, be it 70s retro, dark and moody, Mad Men slick, ironic or post-modernist voodoo.
The new scene has emerged since New South Wales licensing laws changed two years ago to make it easier to open new, smaller drinking establishments.
Since then, a clutch of young entrepreneurs has stepped up to offer something different.
Take Shirt, for example. At 6pm, the bar is buzzing and customers are spilling happily onto the pavement outside.
The whiskey and wine list is extensive but, should you wish, even near closing time, you could also buy a shirt from the bartender. Customers actually do buy shirts late in the evening. Why? ‘‘Because they’ve had a lot to drink beforehand,’’ laughs manager Adam Hofbauer.
Shirt specialises in whiskey and coffee yet is open from breakfast onwards. But there’s a twist. One side of the interior is, well, a normal bar. The other resembles a London tailor’s shop, including mannequins.
A short walk away, Since I Left You in Kent St has a distinct Mad Men mood, all high ceilings, moody lighting, elegant furnishings and a huge cocktail list.
At the rear is a cobbled courtyard which is a slice of Naples. The food menu is extensive but the ‘‘toasties’’, sandwiches made from gourmet cheeses, are the star of the show.
It would be difficult to try all the other small bar options in one night, but perhaps spread over two nights would be manageable.
They are easily visited on foot, starting from a central area such as Martin Place or Circular Quay. Some are a few minutes apart, others are literally next door to each other.
Make a start with York Lane Bar. No surprises where it is – 50 metres down an unpromisinglooking lane off York St.
This postage-stamp drinking hole has an effervescent joie de vivre but is tiny – it fits just 30 people – with patrons happy to sit in the lane on milk crates.
Mojo Record Bar is down one level in a basement with a record shop selling vinyl to one side of the bar. Genial owner Daniel McManus greets you at the door with a big smile and a readiness to share his love of vinyl, music and hospitality.
A short walk away is The SG, with a 60s-70s fitout, including many knick-knacks and items such as Star Wars memorabilia donated by customers who, like the owners, share a passion for the 70s, including an original Atari video game console that is still in working order.
Exotica rules at Papa Gedes bar with its striking decor dedicated to ‘‘the voodoo spirit of lust, laughter and good times’’.
The Baxter Inn, a characterful favourite recently declared one of the top bars in the world, is so popular that customers queue to get in on busy nights and recline in its private-club-style overstuffed leather couches.
Balcony Bar is housed in a cute two-level terrace house. Its balcony at the back overlooks a laneway and it specialises in cocktails, with 60 on the menu.
Small Bar, in Erskine St, brims with charm and takes pride in being the first venue to open in Sydney under the new small-bar laws. It’s housed in a 140-year-old terrace building, over three levels.
Food is not forgotten, and most of the bars have full menus or at least snacks, with some having a specialty, such as dumplings at The Fox Hole.
As each is small, the bars take limited numbers and it may be best to avoid Fridays. But then, if an elbow-to-elbow atmosphere is your thing, try Friday, and mingle with the locals.
Just a five-minute taxi ride away, a whole other world of imbibing awaits. For a taste of Darlinghurst and Surry Hills’ cosy collection of small bars, head to the top of Oxford St.
Shady Pines Saloon should be the first stop, in a laneway just off Oxford St. It manages a warm yet moody atmosphere in what looks like a service lane. It’s just off the main drag and a wee bit hard to find (no sign outside, but often a bouncer).
Or, 50 metres away, try the very groovy Darly Laundromatic in Palmer St, a fine drinking option which recently opened. Look for the laundromat sign outside.
Another way to experience Sydney’s tucked-away bars, and maybe make new friends, is to join a walking tour. The city has a growing array of specialist operators offering boutique tours on foot.
Two Feet and a Heartbeat offers a small bar tour for up to 12 people on Tuesdays to Thursdays. The guide will take you past around a dozen bars, stopping at three for drinks, and a meal. The tour finishes where it began so it’s simple to return to a particular joint that took your fancy.
Besides the small bar tour, Two Feet and A Heartbeat runs tours of The Rocks, the city’s criminal past, and Kings Cross. In the pipeline is a gay-themed tour of Oxford St and the Darlinghurst area, and private bespoke tours are also available.
The range of guided walking options in Sydney is growing rapidly and even op shoppers are catered for, via a guided walking tour through Surry Hills’ op shops with Classie, which operates group tours with small numbers (no pressure to buy, they assure).
For a chocolate indulgence, Foodi offers a chocolate walking tour that samples some of Sydney’s superb chocolatiers.
No two are the same and the furnishings follow a theme.
The writer travelled courtesy of Destination NSW.