Bar Suze - CLOSED

Overview

UPDATE Friday, July 2: Bar Suze has transformed itself into a pop-up fish and chip shop during Sydney's two-week lockdown. On the menu you'll find beer battered flathead, fried halloumi, crumbed sardines and a crispy fish sandwich as well as tasty sauces and sides. To pre-order, text or call 0431180389, or swing by the Foveaux Street spot to pick up some takeaway.

New bars and restaurants are always finding their way onto the ever-changing streets of Surry Hills. From Korean delicatessens, to Melbourne pizza empires, the suburb is always offering up fresh spots to duck in for a meal or martini. The latest venue to pop up in the bustling streets of the inner city suburb is Bar Suze, the brainchild of long-time hospitality mainstays and friends Gregory Bampton, Phil Stenvall and Brenton Hassan.

Located on Foveaux Street just down from Excelsior Hotel, Bar Suze offers a cosy, candle-lit wine bar experience with food inspired by Stenvall's Swedish heritage and a wine list handpicked by Bampton. Together, the venue's central trio bring years of experience from Sydney favourites like Pinbone, ACME, Vini and Johnny Fishbone — and they've named the bar after fellow hospitality star and friend of the trio Sarah 'Suze' Simm.

Bar Suze is designed to be friendly and welcoming, as inspired by late nights Bampton, Stenvall and Hassan have spent in local wine bars and restaurants across the world. "It's really important to us that Bar Suze feel like a place you can hang out for hours at a time," says Bampton.

At the heart of Stenvall's menu is the combination of Australian seafood and Scandinavian flavours. Across the 'smorgasbord' menu you'll find smoked prawns accompanied by saffron aioli, smoked mussels paired with nduja and anchovy rye toast. "Australians are very proud of their prawns, but nobody smokes them," Stenvall says. "It's a very typical thing to do in Sweden, but when done with Aussie prawns it's a dish to get really excited about."

Those looking for something more substantial can satisfy their hunger with honey bug and ricotta gnocchi, or wood-smoked eggplant with brown butter, sour currants and sheep's cheese. A small but decedent dessert menu includes bombe alaska, cloudberry sorbet, and a cheese selection.

Bampton's wine list showcases a reserved selection of Australian, Italian and French wines, and is accompanied by sour beers, farmhouse ales and organic spirits. Bampton will also be serving his own house-made apple wine.

Open until midnight Tuesday–Saturday, the bar promises after-work and late-night snacks and drinks five days a week. And, by late, it means late. Bampton promises "we're not going to be one of those places that says we're open late and then close the kitchen at 9pm. If you walk in at 11.30 at night, we're still serving the whole menu".