Small Bar

I wouldn’t want come here if it was super busy because there is barely enough room for 25 ppl. Hence the name ay?
The food was great though. I had the special and the waffle fries are a cute little treat. The beer I had was flat but can’t really blame the bar for that.
It wasn’t too expensive for the city but still wouldn’t be my first for food/​beer with all the options around.

There are heaps of small bars in Sydney now but none of them would be there without Small Bar, Sydney’s first small bar. Small Bar is just around the corner from work, which is a dangerous thing. It is all too easy to end up at Small Bar for a few quiet drinks after work.
Unlike the small bars that have come after, use Small Bar doesn’t have a gimmick. It’s not done up like a speakeasy, it’s not voodoo themed, it’s not decorated with old sewing machines, it doesn’t specialise in whiskey or gin, it hasn’t invented any cocktails. When Small Bar opened, being a small bar was the gimmick. «My goodness… A bar that isn’t the size of a small barn, packed with poker machines and crammed with drunken office workers.» Its a formula that worked for them back then and it’s still working for them now even with all the competition from the dozens of other small bars that have come after.
It’s a great spot for a few quiet drinks after work. The drink selection is good. No gimmicks. The atmosphere is quiet and friendly. Service is fast and friendly. It’s usually busy but not packed. The bar food is good and reasonably priced.
The only thing I do need to make spacial note of are the stairs to the upper and lower levels. People with giant feet (like me) will need to take some care on the crazy steep, narrow treads. Particularly after a few drinks. Ladies in skirts (and Scotsmen in kilts for that matter) may also want to go last up the stairs to avoid giving the rest of your party an unintended eyeful. Seriously, you will see what I mean when you climb them.

Small Bar lives up to its name — it’s small! That’s part of its appeal, a nice little place to go for an after work drink. They also do food which I haven’t tried but my friends have told me the burgers are particularly good and filling. The area upstairs is good for small groups or functions. My friend booked a space for a small gathering to showcase some beauty products she was selling. I’ve used the term small five times now, so to balance it out I will conclude with the fact that the wine glasses are not small (six times!), they are big :-)

Lovely food… vegetarian options, nice atmosphere and friendly service. Very nice casual lunch.

Everyone needs an ol’ faithful. That place that is so generic it appeals to everyone. That place you go to when you’re so mentally exhausted that you can’t be bothered to think of somewhere impressive and you can’t be bothered to be around anyone who you need to impress. All you want is a good drink selection — not too much choice, just enough that you know you’ll find something that suits your mood. Enough tables that you don’t end up awkwardly lined up along the bar, too bad if your the one on the end straining to be included in the conversation, experiencing debilitating anxiety and FOMO. Yes I said FOMO. What?
Somewhere not too far from work but far enough that you’re not going to be caught by the very people you are trying to avoid. Small Bar is that place for me. Small Bar. I feel like that name could have been ironic at one point but like everything hipster the irony was quickly lost.
If you work nearby, Small Bar could be your old faithful. Great for self-​medicating. Great for discussing all the ways the world could be fixed if everyone was as smart as you. Don’t lie. You’ve all been in that headspace.
They also do food. Apparently.

Came here for a Christmas drinks with about 25 people so we had the downstairs section booked out. I’ve walked past this bar thousands of times over the past few years yet never realised there was a downstairs section (otherwise the ground level on tbe Erskine side is seriously tiny). The bar food we were served that night was fantastic and included fried zucchini, arancini balls, sliders, and battered fish (lots of unhealthy but great finger foods!). The only tip to note for the ladies — if going downstairs in heels, be super careful as the steps are thin and at night it’s not too well lit. Given the success of the night, I’m very tempted to come back and host drinks or a birthday event at Small Bar!

Have been here several times for boozy lunches with friends and colleagues. The great thing Small Bar is it’s cozy you can get together with a couple of friends or colleagues and enjoy lunch with a bottle (or two) of wine and good food and relax before heading back to work. Prices are reasonable for the location.

I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed this place yet– it’s an old favorite of mine and for good reason: great (although small) wine selection, good food and great music.
Small Bar is quite how it sounds– small. It looks like it’s a renovated old row house or something, so it’s three levels, but quite narrow. The stairs are quite treacherous so if you’re in heels or planning on drinking quite a bit I’d recommend staking out a spot on the main level. There’s also some outdoor seating as well, which makes for a great option if it’s a nice night.
The sliders and tacos are great and come four to a serve for $ 16-​$ 18, so great value as they’re fairly big portions. Skip on the dips as they’re not super flavorful, but the grilled prawns are excellent (and come with great crusty bread for dipping) and the grilled haloumi always hits the spot.

Seriously small! But for a small party its a great little stop off for a drink, or for a small event of 20 – 30 people. Two areas, upstairs and downstairs. Keep in mind if you have an event, there are only toilets downstairs so you are either going to have to book out the whole place, or have a stream of people going downstairs. Good selection of wines and very good service — in Sydney! Food was OK to middling, but could be better.

Small Bar, Sydney’s Original, Small Bar. Who’d have thought?!
With all the new bars opening all over the city, Small Bar have quietly continued to go about their business, and what a business it is!!!
Walk in off Erskine street, and you’re greeted by the oh so affable and humble Chris. His big smile and sharp whit, has us feeling at home instantly. Small Bar is easy on the eye too, and feels warm and cosy.
Split over 3 levels, giving you the choice of space, and available for hire, upstairs is intimate with its own small balcony while downstairs has its own bar with both indoor and courtyard seating.
The drinks list is impressive, with a great wine offering. Problem is you just don’t know where to begin. Highly recommend asking Chris or the other staff to take you through the list. They really know their wine, and are only too happy to provide a tasting if you’re not sure. Just another example of the exemplary service and standards here.
They also have some fantastic craft beers and ales, which is something I adore!
We will definitely be back! These guys really knocked it out of the park.
Follow them on twitter for all the latest updates — @SmallBarSydney

Busy bar that lives up to its name, between Wynyard station and King St Wharf. There’s an upstairs area that you can reserve if you like, and a downstairs that’s pretty packed on weekends. There’s a decent wine list, and a kitchen that serves things like sliders and arancini.
Small Bar is a good place to go if you equate cramped conditions and quality booze with trendiness.

I have been to Smallbar more times than I can count and that is entirely due to the kind of place that this is not. It’s not small. I know small. It’s not small. It’s cushiony and long (but not wide) without being stuffy, it’s contemporary (although there are pictures of Sydney lined up against the stairs taken many eons ago if you’re a history buff) and it’ll be a quick fix if you’re having «feeling lonesome tonight .» thoughts at any given time (lunch is a good time to go) because people who go here are generally very decent and the tables, for the most part, are close enough or communal enough if you have something to say or feel like saying something to a neighbour-​stranger. If you’re more into the isolation thing, not to worry, you’re still in luck. There’s a bench lined up next to the door which is separate from all the other seating options or just go upstairs. You’ll find many individual tables there (mind the stairs, though, they’re steep and they’re almost invisible).
The red wine here is great but the food is the best part — it’s outstanding. I have had the chicken burger with fries more than once but there are also a lot of other things on the menu like salads and various kinds of appetizers and red meat and fish. Come for lunch or at night mid-​week when there’s less people on the ship and if you like what you see, eat, and drink, come along to the (mellow) party on a Friday or Saturday night.

When the archaic drinking liquor licensing laws changed for NSW the Small Bar in Erskine Street was the first to lead on the small bar revolution in this city. Though I have always wondered how the Tank Stream bar let the Small Bar get away with the lead role.
There are three levels to this bar with the laneway level in Sussex Lane able to seat up to 10 people and stand 40 people. The ground floor inside can hold up to maximum 40 people seating or 60 people standing and finally the upstairs bar can seat 20 with maximum 60 standing.
This bar and restaurant is a regular for my work colleagues and myself. We frequent it mainly to enjoy lunch in the laneway area though on nice sunny days you have to get there early to ensure getting a seat. The menu is small and the drinks menu is short suitable to keep the theme consistent perhaps?
It has a welcoming atmosphere with beautiful curtains, exposed brick walls within this little heritage building. Even though all 3 levels of Small Bar get packed from lunchtime onwards it still manages to maintain a ‘quiet escape’ feel.
Its a must visit just to see how it thrives in this bustling CBD.

The name of this place pretty much sums it all up. Small Bar. It’s not the smallest place in the world and does go over three levels but the name is quite accurate, don’t worry about that!
It’s a midweek night that’s cold and rainy and my companion and I decide to avoid peak hour traffic so we try out Small Bar. A lot of other people have thought the same thing and this place is jammed. Even though yes, it is a small bar.
In saying that we manage to find a seat quite easily (luckily maybe?), there is a pretty good wine list and a handy food menu to match. It feels nice and cosy in here!
If you don’t manage to find a spot on the street level area, you can try upstairs which might be your best bet or if you’re lucky you might be able to snare a lounge down stairs. It’s a pretty busy position too although that may have something to do with the amount of foot traffic heading to the bathroom!