This was published 9 years ago
Walking tour of Sydney's small bars throws up some pleasant surprises
Sydney is not known for its cosy drinking dens but times have changed for the better, writes Tim Richards.
By Tim Richards
"There are often long queues for this bar," says Alison Albany, as she gestures toward the alleyway leading to the Baxter Inn, a popular whisky bar.
Tasty: The olives with mushroom dip at York Lane.
Queuing for a bar? How very Sydney, I think, but then she adds: "They have a rule that no one can jump the queue. Even if you're Hugh Jackman, you have to queue."
Now that doesn't seem like Sydney, at least my stereotypical view of it. But then nothing does on the Eat/Drink/Walk Sydney walking tour, which explores the city's young and thriving small bar scene.
Up my alley: The dimly lit York Lane bar is a hidden gem.
To a Melburnian, it's a familiar topic. Even the weather is recognisable as I step across the street from the Travelodge Wynyard to the glass dome above Wynyard train station: cold and drizzly, providing the perfect excuse to visit places serving warming drinks.
Outside the dome, Alison explains that the tour is both an overview of the bar scene, and a chance to experience a few select premises. On each three-hour walk, tour members enjoy 45-minute stays at three bars, with each venue providing a complimentary drink or food.
In total we'll visit or pass 14 bars, a good primer for those wanting to come back later.
Alison first leads our little band along Erskine Street. We pause outside the simply named Small Bar, one of the first to open, then take a shortcut through the narrow Balcony Bar to quiet Sussex Lane.
Stylish: The laid-back Shirt Bar, where you can drink and shop.
It's from here we enter Shirt Bar, a remarkable combination of upmarket shirt boutique and laid-back place to drink. The bar likes to match its serving hours with its shop hours so it's always possible to buy a shirt and a beverage, Alison says.
A short stroll leads to our first extended stop, Foxhole. I raise an eyebrow at Alison's description of it as a "speakeasy style" bar, as it's on a busy street corner with large windows.
One of the road: A thirst-quencher at Shirt bar.
After we're led downstairs to the cellar, however, I can see the resemblance. It's an atmospheric space - bare brick walls and a timber ceiling, with fewer suit-wearers than upstairs and more candlelight.
Foxhole prides itself on its dumplings, and large plates of pork, prawn and vegie dumplings soon appear on the table, their contents labelled on the edge of the plate in red sauce.
Smooth: The entrance to Since I Left you.
With old music posters framed along the walls and a soundtrack of musicians past, it has an earthy vibe.
They're excellent, and as we eat our group gets to know one another. There are a couple of friends who work in the CBD, a mother and son from Newcastle, and myself. It's a friendly atmosphere and we get chatting about our jobs as we order drinks.
Bar manager James likes to devise cocktails after talking to patrons about their preferences, though he also claims to make a "mean Old Fashioned". The bar also occasionally stocks a house-made marshmallow vodka, he says, which forms the basis of some memorable cocktails.
Back on the streets, we head south and pass more venues to mentally bookmark for later: including the Baxter, with its rigid queuing rule; the Barber Shop, at the back of an actual barber's shop; popular rum bar Lobo Plantation; and the smooth interior of Since I Left You.
Our next stop cheers my Melburnian heart. Down a dark alley past the garlic aromas of a pizza joint, York Lane is marked only by coloured light bulbs and a sign angled so that many assume its name is simply "YO LA".
Inside it's a welcoming space lined with timber, most of it recycled. The decking, seating and the bar itself has a cheerful, rough-hewn look, as has chef and barman Nathan. Bearded and wearing an apron, he could be an extra from Portlandia as he delivers excellent mushroom dip and olives to our table.
The cocktail menu here is relatively short, but Nathan recommends the Sailor Jerry with its dark rum, ginger beer, and fresh pear and lime juices.
After YoLa (as I inevitably now think of it) we pass several more bars as we head back toward Wynyard Station: including Asian-themed Uncle Ming's, and SG with its Star Wars props.
Our last stop is Mojo, reached by walking downstairs past a record shop of the same name. It's a warm, dimly lit space, containing big red-cushioned booths.
With old music posters framed along the walls and a soundtrack of musicians past, it has an earthy vibe which borrows more from the pub than the wine bar.
"It's a rock'n'roll bar," agrees Steph, the bartender who delivers our glasses of a local craft beer. I look around and think, this place is like the best bits of the 1970s all brought together in one place.
It's also unlike any bar I've been to in Melbourne. Which seems a fitting end to my introduction to the small bars of Sydney.
Tim Richards was hosted by TFE Hotels.
THE FACTS
FLY
Qantas (qantas.com.au) flies from Melbourne to Sydney from $200 return.
STAY
Travelodge Wynyard, 7 York Street, Sydney, travelodge.com.au.
TOUR
The Eat/Drink/Walk Sydney tour departs 6.30pm Tuesday to Thursday from Wynyard Station, York Street. Fee $50, bookings essential via twofeet.com.au.