The Crow Bar

The brains and bellies behind Sydney’s Crow Bar are far from a murderous bunch. A gaggle of passionate foodies, these guys and girls have together locked their beady eyes on a shared passion for good food, fine wine, creative cocktails – and they’re very eager to share what they’ve built from their cosy eyrie down Burlington Street in, yes, Crows Nest. Crow Bar is a perfect place to sample carefully curated international cuisine, innovative cocktails, fine wine and crafty beer, whether you’re up for a casual bite or a large celebration.

When three resourceful crows figured it was best to nest together in their quest to offer Sydney an intimate bar experience backed by a very clever kitchen, they settled on a lofty down Crows Nest’s Burlington Street but discovered they still needed to add a few feathers to their flock. And so John, Tracey, and Kerry – a trio with over sixty years collective hospitality experience – began the hunt and soon became four, welcoming international chef Anna Borna to the fold. Borna’s contribution is some of Sydney’s best tapas­style share plates and platters, plus grand function menus for when Crow Bar opens its doors to diners looking to celebrate a big event or simply get together en masse, like a much less ominous (though possibly as hungry) take on Hitchcock’s classic!

Crow Bar has some serious leverage when it comes to the already crowded Sydney tapas bar and wine bar scene. First to the food, a highlight of this Crows Nest restaurant and stylish watering hole’s offering. Borna’s plates are designed for picking and sharing, focusing on authentic recipes culled from Spain and the Mediterranean, but open also to a few international flourishes – the Thai beef salad and Crow Bar’s famous chips with American­style sauce are just two globe­trotting examples. If you’re indecisive, with a larger group, or simply want to sample a range of bites that showcase Crow Bar’s culinary curatorship, go for the handsome and generously apportioned share boards, covering charcuterie, cheese, or a combination of both. Bigger appetites are cared for by dishes such as the twice­roasted lamb shoulder, fish tacos, schnitzel sliders, American­style ribs and the Crow Bar burger. A visit to this Burlington Street eatery wouldn’t be complete without a sip from the bar, with an impressive range of wines, boutique whiskies, signature cocktails and man­tails (for easily embarrassed blokes) on offer.