Small Bar — Restaurant in Sydney

We first arrived at the Small Bar for drinks. I read about it, and it sounded like such a chill environment. And so we came in for a couple of drinks, and it was really lovely, and everybody was so welcoming, and then… We saw they had Taco Tuesday. And we were excited, as the taco varieties look great, but it was not a Tuesday, sadly for us. We resolved to come back.

For drinks, we sat outside, because it was a bit of a mild day, but when I went inside and saw the courtyard, I knew we would have our Taco Tuesday in the interior courtyard one day. The courtyard was the perfect combination of sparkling and cozy. We were staying in the area for several more weeks, and so we put it on our calendar.

A couple of weeks later, on a Tuesday, we came in and sat in the courtyard; it was fairly early, so we were some of the only customers, and the tacos were exquisite! So inexpensive, so chock-full of goodness. We paired them with the spicy margaritas which perfectly complemented the tacos, and… Wow. Such fun. Our server was super friendly, and the courtyard was cozy even though it was a bit of a chilly day. Two tacos per plate (times three different versions) was certainly enough for dinner. And the flavors were really well-balanced. The hoisin duck was awesome! The fish was also very good. The only disappointment was the smoky pulled pork, because we felt that the barbecue sauce was a bit thick. We are from the American south, and so we love barbecue sauce, but we use it a sparingly, because it can be overpowering. So maybe if they pulled back a bit on the barbecue sauce with the pulled pork. Overall, we were thrilled with the tacos, and the service, and the price, and the margaritas. If we lived here, we would be back on a...

We have been going here long term for a number of years always with a large group of locals. We always have a generous spend on food and alcohol. As locals we have also supported them through Covid. It is very disappointing that they are not loyal back to us. To have a drink here now you can't just turn up, on the seldom chance that we can get seated we are told we need to leave within two hours. How can you enjoy a catch up with friends knowing you are going to be kicked out. Last Friday was the final straw. We call them for a booking and they say we might be able to get in if you walk in, we get there and are rudely told NO. Why can't you book if you have capacity for walk-ins. Unfortunately this is now their normal level of care to customers. There are plenty of other places in Crows Nest that welcome us warmly where we are happy to spend our money. Happy to support you but if we keep on having the same experience we will...

Everything about this place was amazing! I was impressed.

Our table ordered a variety of different snacky foods and tacos and not one thing missed. We agreed it was the best bar food we’d had in ages. The halloumi was divine and so were the duck tacos. The chips had a perfectly crisp outside and soft interior. You’ve never had a pub chip this good. North Shore prices, yes, but what can you do. Drinks list was long and impressive. Great cocktails.

The interior was beautiful without being pretentious. I would love to have an event in the back deck area. It would be great for a birthday or engagement, something like that.

On top of all that the staff were super friendly, attentive and made us feel at home. Shout out to Henry who embraced our party’s impromptu flavoured milk tasting session (long story) with good humour. He’s now a legend in...