4 Small Bars to Discover in Surry Hills

Whether you’re going out for an after work bevy, some late night dining or on a drinking safari in Surry Hills, here’s a few of our fave small bars you should visit… like now!

Button Bar - 65 Foveaux Street Surry Hills

This place really is as cute as a button, the dim interior is warm and inviting and it’s not hard to see why it’s become a local favourite. The wood-panelled large communal table runs down the middle of the space along with comfy booths which provide plenty of seating. It’s the kind of place where you can get lost for hours and easily work your way through their cheeseboards, pizzas or their beer selection. But where they really shine is their cocktail list, which plays alongside their pirate themed venue- Ahoy Matey!                                                                                    

Tio’s Cerveceria - 4-14 Foster Street Surry Hills 

The rowdiest small bar in Surry, should definitely be crowned to Tio’s. This eclectic South American inspired bar that ex Shady Pines bartenders Alex Dowd and Jeremy Blackmore have created – is the real deal when it comes to channelling the authentic ale houses and cantinas across Latin America. Think cold cement surfaces, long cheap tables lined with Jalapeno Margaritas with dim lighting, as you listen to Mariachi music surrounded by neon animal lights and having to shout to order your next tequila. They’ve created a space, which is all about the culture surrounding alcohol and enjoying the company you’re in with 10 cocktails for $10. There’s punchy tequila-based classics, or their “Spirit of Mexico” beer for $5! But don’t go in on an empty stomach as their free paprika popcorn is all you’ll find.                                                                    

121BC - 4/50 Holt Street Surry Hills

If wining and dining in a petite dim lit enoteca is more your style, then 121BC tucked away down a dark laneway in the backstreets of Surry Hills will tick all of your boxes.  Offering a compact menu of flavoursome Italian snacks paired with their list of fine wines will not disappoint, not to mention their helpful professional staff, who are all mostly Italian.  You can even wander through their temperature-controlled wine room and select a bottle yourself to share in the bar next door with your food!                                                                                                        

Vasco - 421 Cleveland St, Surry Hills 

Sydney’s Italian rock ‘n’ roll bar Vasco is a small bar with good times written all over it. Appropriately named after Italian rock star Vasco Rossi, the bar may be named after him, but the entire space is a shrine to the rock ‘n’ roll genre with their ‘RIP Kurt’ crucifix, Fender bar stools, framed pics of The Beatles and even their Italian-inspired menu and cocktails are musically themed! It’s definitely a place where you feel like you forget everything else as soon as you walk into the darkened establishment…except that it’s Vasco happy hour every day from 5-7pm, and on Wednesday nights’ (5-7pm) you can get a selection of their Italian snacks free with every drink- delizioso!