Button Bar

Overview

Button Bar is back. The much-loved Surry Hills bar closed in 2020 for building renovations, but the House of Pocket crew promised it would return. We've had to wait a while, but the team has remained true to its word, re-opening Button Bar with the same small-bar charm that made it a much-loved local for a decade — but this time, in a brand-new location.

For its second iteration, Button Bar has landed uptown — specifically, in the city's YCK Laneways district. Fans of the original might experience a delightful feeling of déjà vu upon entering the Kent Street space, with exposed brick, naval-themed decor and soft candlelight nodding to the Foveaux Street original. But while that space might have given the impression of being cosily ensconced in the hull of a pirate ship, this expansive new address feels more like the top deck, thanks to its high ceilings, showpiece lighting fixtures and dramatic black textures.

The cocktail menu is smartly arranged in ascending order of strength — the two-page list begins with For the Plot, a sunny mix of Bombay Sapphire, green apple liqueur, fresh honeydew juice, house-made pineapple vinegar, lime and honey, and ends with the big-swinging Keep the Change, in which solera-aged whisky from sibling Stitch Bar is layered with Averna, orgeat, cold-drip coffee, orange bitters and whisky barrel bitters and garnished with a raspberry. The house program is complemented with a considered list of classics — when was the last time you spotted a Hotel Nacional Special or Mary Pickford on a cocktail menu? — as well as booze-free classics and a handful of wines and beers. Snazzy bar snacks include honey-drizzled goat's curd served with pane carasau and smoked mortadella with grissini and whisky piccalilli.

New for Button Bar 2.0 is the Lab Series, a rotating residency program that invites emerging culinary talent to trial their concepts in a real-world setting. Each three-month residency acts as both a launchpad and a testing ground, giving budding entrepreneurs the chance to refine their ideas, gain hands-on business experience and even pitch to potential investors.