For big, memorable experiences, visit the (very) small bar
Because it turns out that size does matter.
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When I think of my favourite drinking experiences, size does matter. Everybody likes to unearth a hidden gem; giving cavernous tourist traps a wide berth and heading down side streets or alleyways to discover a diminutive drinking den is one of the best ways to feel that you’ve got under the skin of a city.
In Sanlúcar de Barrameda I drank the best manzanilla I’d ever tasted in a bar just wide enough to accommodate the large barrels from which they poured the sherry. I asked if they could sell any to take away and, once the bartender deciphered my broken Spanish with a Scottish twang, he rustled around under the bar and pulled out an empty 7UP bottle, gave it a rinse and filled it up for us. That’s the kind of personalised service you can only provide when you have a maximum of 10 patrons, at a push, and the kind of experience that makes memories.
Tiny holes in the wall in Lisbon sling ginjinha, a sour cherry liqueur, in teeny cups to be knocked back in a few sips while standing – it gives you just enough energy to tackle the next big hill. One of the best pints in Scotland is to be had at the Jigger Inn, a wee pub at the 19th hole of the Old Course in St. Andrew’s, housed in a station master’s lodge built in 1852. It’s probably not the beer itself, but the act of cosying into its nooks and crannies to get out of the chilly North Sea wind. At Cantina OK! the bartenders ask the name of every guest who squeezes themselves in for an icy Margarita as respite from the Sydney heat.
This is the magic of the small bar. Their owners will probably never retire on a yacht, but they can curate an experience specific to their place and space.
Andy Chu, owner of One Or Two in Chinatown in Melbourne, always wanted to focus on quality over quantity. His concept came first, with restraint built into the name, and after a long search he finally found the right spot in a Gold Rush-era heritage building. The narrow room can fit 24 people (there is an as yet unused upstairs space) and the space constraint means that they can’t host larger groups – come with one or two people, have one or two drinks.
“Having a small bar, we have a chance to talk to every table,” says Andy. “How are you doing? What have you been up to today? We don’t have to pump the volume, we can play softer music on a good speaker. As long as there are human beings in the venue the vibe is instantly created as people start talking, having a good time, smiling and laughing, or some people want a quiet corner and we have that too.” In the hustle and bustle of Chinatown, it is a welcome sanctuary.
Andy’s own favourite small bar is Above Board, a 15-seater venue which punches well above its weight in local and international accolades. Here, the bar itself is the focal point with seats surrounding it entirely, but its minimalist design foregoes a lot of the usual trappings, like a back bar. As Andy says, “when you walk in a venue with that kind of structure and style you might question, is it a bar?” But, the facetime afforded to each guest in these kinds of intimate venues quickly puts people at ease.
Melbourne’s newest miniscule watering hole is the aptly named Tiny Bar in Brunswick East. Owners Zac Shearer and Jamila Fontana are locals – the bar, which can hold 15 people, is directly across from their house, useful for extra storage space as the venue itself only has a two and a half door fridge with Zac preparing the food offering out of half a door and Jamila’s bar program claiming the other two.
For them, it’s really a lifestyle choice, says Zac, who has been a chef for many years. “I’m back at school and I’ve got my daughter as well, so I’m not able to be a mad head chef any more,” he says. “But the rent is cheap and we only have to open three nights a week, so it's very manageable for us.”
“We’re not the kind of place where you can ask for cocktails off the top of your head — what you see is what you get — but it's a fun offering with a little bit of an Italian vibe and we’re keeping everything really fluid; if you want a Vodka Martini we can run across to our house and grab a bottle of vodka. I just go to the market and figure out some tasty snacks, but we are very much a bar rather than a restaurant.”
“Being such a small place and us being in there, it feels like being in our own home. With 15 people in there it gets a great buzz, it's loud and has a great feeling, but even with four people in there it's super cosy.
“You can get a read on everyone, you get a nice one on one with the customers and you do get to sell it and meet everyone because service is pretty easy,” Zac says. “You have a fair bit of time to look after everybody.”
This is the power of these small but mighty venues – who doesn’t want to feel like they’re just hanging out at a mate’s house, but with much better drinks?
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