Small Bar

One of the things I like about going and checking out places is that I end up going to areas that I would not normally visit if I was a simply tourist, and one of those places on my recent trip to Sydney happened to be Crows Nest. Okay, I’ve always wanted to check it out, and I’m glad I did this time because I came across this little gem of a bar. While it isn’t exactly hidden away, I wouldn’t have discovered it if I hadn’t have gone to Crows Nest. It is an absolutely gorgeous little bar with a lovely garden out the back, and with the recent changes in the smoking laws, you can sit out here smoke free. The staff are really nice as well, though the best part about this place is the atmosphere.

Beer garden in the back is not as air-​y as I’d like but the plants on the ceiling with fairy lights and old stone & wood with cushioned booth seating is very well done. Great for groups or a date, especially in the back. Easy to meet others. Friendly atmosphere. No smoking in the beer garden allowed.
There is outdoor street seating as well. Dining area in the front. Open space bar scene in the back. Impressive to have 3 atmospheres in one not-​too-​small, narrow bar.

Now this lovely little nook of drinking and eating intimacy is a bit of a gem for the patrons North of the bridge. Small Bar provides a truly relaxing and placid spot for social drinks and romance. It definitely has that air of ‘first few dates’ appeal about it. You can drink and also eat from a simple menu but interesting menu of small foods and food to share.
There are three entertaining areas, on the sidewalk (covered), the dimmed lighted interior or my own personal favourite the rear exterior. This last area has its own bar, candle lit tables and again, really friendly and professional service. The ambience allows the drinker, lover or thinker to simply blend into the atmosphere of smooth easy going fun.
I don’t talk about prices because quality is what you pay for. No need to quibble with prices because you truly do get a worthwhile experience. The only thing that I could say I would like to see happen at Small Bar is a change in their choice of tables and seats. Not the most comfortable of seats and wobbly tables but that is not any reason to avoid this lovely bar. You can’t go wrong if you desire a chilled atmosphere where you take in the ambience as much as the booze and food. Totally recommend!

I really like this bar,
It is quite good place, and nice tasty, also the price good too. happy, happy.

Let me start off by saying that I really like this place. I have been many times. I love the atmosphere (some high tables, open air seating in the back and outdoor seating in the front). I love the menu (the arancini, quesadilla, grilled haloumi, guacamole and sliders the best). The service has impressed me on more than one occasion, especially the time they brought us free mulled wine on a particularly cold day.
However, on my last visit there was a rat running back and forth through the courtyard throughout most of my meal. Shit happens, rats exist, I know. My issue was more with the response. Either lack of caring or a «they come from outside, we can’t help it». Yes, I know they come from outside… they should not come inside. Please do what is necessary to fix this problem! I really like this place and if I wanted to eat with my feet up I would stay home.
Thanks. Happy to edit this with an appropriate response.

A really cool little spot that brings some city-​center chic to the relatively quiet business suburb of Crows Nest. Great drinks selection too, and a cosy-​feeling, undercover outdoor area out back. Perfect for diving into a big glass of vino at the end of a long busy day.

I really like this bar. It’s long and narrow with a range of areas in which to hang out: enclosed bar-​front, or semi-​garden back yard, with vines and wrought-​iron furniture.
The drinks menu is varied, and the wine list is very good.
I’ve eaten brunch here, which was quite good. Tasty, not too much.
There’s just something civilised and trendy and relaxed about the whole vibe of the place that really makes me like it here. Maybe I’m just pretentious but it feels like the right mix of upscale and casual to really interest me.

Went on a quiet Monday night — nice selection of wines and beers, a narrow quiet bar with excellent sliders. I ordered at the bar, and they let me mix the pork and burger sliders since it was a quiet evening (though I was told this wasn’t a great idea to ask on a busy Friday night). Great heaters in the back patio, would definitely go back!

Wow, I really enjoyed this bar, it has a really nice balance of funky and up market whilst still being casual enough to simply chill out with friends.
There is an outdoor area in the back (which makes the venue larger then you may think from the street) with a nice vine covered roof, lighting provided by some low-​key fairy lights (it works well). No table service, but it was not a hassle to go to the bar, and the guy behind the bar was able to help with useful tips on the wine.
We shared two bottles of red (A Pinot Noir from NZ and a blend from Spain), both were very enjoyable, I would definitely go back if I was looking to catch up with some friends over a leisurely glass or two.

Confronted by the din and raw elemental assault of Cabana Bar, we sought a new Friday drinks lair, somewhere bereft of the cold winter chill. Our search led us to Small Bar. This is the cousin of the CBD Small Bar; I’ve never been to that establishment, but this one does enough to get the seal of approval, pedigree or no.
Small Bar is not actually that small — the area spreads across a patio section in front of the bar on Willoughby Road, the interior section and then an outdoor section with vines growing across the trellises and garden furniture. It is, however, cosy. Cosybar doesn’t have the same ring to it, though. The entirety of the bar is properly-​lit, as in the kind of lighting that makes everyone gorgeous, and the vibe is very relaxed and friendly. The crowd tends to be a little older in the early part of the evening before turning younger once it reaches 8:30pm. I assume this is due to the more senior members of the surrounding offices getting an early mark while the younger members have to stay back later.
The drinks aren’t cheap, per se, but they are fairly reasonable: most of the beers are imported or microbrewed and are generally in the $ 7-​$ 8 range. The bar staff are both welcoming and extremely photogenic. Whether one attribute is related to the other, I don’t know, but all the same, I’m not complaining.

Melbourne had a bar scene that I dare say Sydney did not… until recently. In the past couple of years we’ve seen tiny drinking holes and laneway delights popping up all over town. Small Bar led this Sydney revolution. The success of their original Erskine Street establishment led to the opening of the Crows Nest space. Again, another revolution by Small Bar. Crows Nest doesn’t exactly have the cool factor that the likes of Surry Hills or Paddington have but there is a young, attractive crowd that lives and works on the lower north shore looking for somewhere to have an after work drink or a local Saturday night.
Safe to state the obvious, the bar itself is on the small side. But not stupid small, more intimate, cosy small (100 people max.). Inside the atmosphere is intimate and relaxed with the courtyard a great place to chill out with a wine and cheese board ($ 19.50). They say small things are the cause of great things, which is ultimately true of Small Bar. Viva La Revolution!