Bulletin Place - CLOSED

Overview

Since launching in 2012, this pint-sized cocktail bar, by bartending buddies Tim Philips-Johansson and Rob Sloan, has gone from strength to strength.

Named after the historic laneway it sits in, Bulletin Place has been on the receiving end of pretty much every major award in the bar biz, including consecutive spots on the World's 50 Best Bars list from 2013–2016. It's now ranked a not-so-shabby 75, which is still the highest position in Sydney, and second highest in the country.

Bulletin Place has certainly never relied on good looks to get it to the top (although, like most things, it gets more and more attractive after you've had a few drinks). Turning its back on the trend for bright, shiny and over-designed spaces, Bulletin Place sports a rough and worn aesthetic, where exposed bricks and beams meet raw timber floors and grungy, pock-marked walls.

But don't let the décor fool you, the drinks here are silky smooth, with bartenders mixing and shaking just five cocktails a night, and the selection changing every single day. The list runs from lightest to heaviest and revolves around fresh market produce.

Unfortunately, that means you'll never know the tasty creations that we knocked back recently, from a punchy yuzu and mandarin sour ($19) to an agua fresca ($22), made from thick, sweet watermelon juice with a tingling hit of jalapeños. The menu also included a smoked scotch and caramelly apple concoction ($21), and a locally foraged lilly pilly, wild nasturtium and Seville orange-spiked gin spritz ($22). For those who prefer a cab sav to a cocktail, Bulletin pours six wines by the glass and four craft ales, with options chalked up on the blackboard.

For a snack between sips, the staff can rustle you up a bowl of Barbecue Shapes (really) otherwise you can settle in with a meat or cheese board ($24–32) from the White Label Supper Club, a charcuterie delivery service also run by the Bulletin crew. Choose from one of the house-made boards or build-you-own with options like wagyu bresaola ($15), Calabrese salami ($10) or a semi-hard Spanish goat's cheese washed in local red wine ($13).

For a late night snack, you can't beat the bar's molten four-cheese toastie ($15), stuffed with gruyere, monterey jack, american and swiss cheese and served on greaseproof paper. It's just the right amount of cheese and carbs to get you back to the bar.

Images: Cesar Echeverri.