40Res

✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here.

40Res is the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it small bar of our dreams. I blinked and I did miss it cycling past in a blur on my e‑bike after finishing work on a recent Friday evening. Despite consulting my map app, I found the darling little wine bar thanks to its atmospheric outdoor lighting festooned between the branches of a tree, just like ornaments. It also gets a glowing report for its soft sepia‑toned lighting inside.

You'll find 40Res tucked away down a side street (40 Reservoir Street, for those playing along at home) in Surry Hills just a short stroll from Central Station, away from the hubbub of Crown Street and the wow factor of the new Wunderlich Lane. And it’s all the better for it. Low‑key. Lo‑fi. Laid‑back. Lacking pretension. Luverly.

A proper little neighbourhood wine bar

Josh Raine was executive chef at Tetsuya’s for six years and was recently the inaugural chef‑in‑residence at the acclaimed Canvas at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art. 40Res is the first venue owned by Raine alongside general manager Keliann Zellman, and together they’ve recruited Michael Tran (ex‑The Bellevue and Clove Lane) as head chef.

Both chefs honed their skills in Michelin‑starred restaurants in England, so it’s no surprise the wine bar has quickly become a fixture for inner urbanites craving after‑work drinks and bar bites. 40Res takes its vino seriously, as evidenced when the waiter pours a drop of CRFT K1 gruner veltliner into an expensive Plumm glass. While sipping this rich, full white from the Adelaide Hills, I ponder the interiors, which Raine and Zellman achieved with a minimum of fuss by reusing and repurposing much of the former restaurant’s infrastructure. It’s an approach that makes sense for both economic and environmental reasons.

Although the fit‑out didn’t cost a fortune, 40Res has all the feels of a pretty farmhouse kitchen in Provence

Think whitewashed walls, dried flowers hanging from timber rafters, a whimsical wall of wine and artwork by Mitsuo Shoji. The restaurant seats 60, and there are space heaters and blankets outside during winter to lure diners to the footpath tables. It’s all very civilised. Walk‑ins are welcome, and there’s no timed seating for your reservation.

While the moody lighting is definitely a major draw, it’s the food and drinks that pull a stylish crowd. Raine pays homage to his British heritage with dishes like coral trout fish fingers, which tell a story about the British cuisine he grew up with. The fingers are paired with a creamy pil‑pil sauce made from fish skin and emulsified with garlic and oil – and we hoover up every last salty crumb. We also dive into a raw yellowfin tuna dish that's like a delicate wreath from the ocean served with a bitey mix of wasabi and the crunch and sweetness of apple.

The menu is also inspired by dishes both chefs have loved in wine bars around the world. Case in point: the casarecce e pepe, which has a nurturing richness with the signature cheese and pepper sauce whipped into a delicate foam. The snapper served with a vegetable potage of lightly pickled shimeji mushrooms and cannellini beans celebrates the healing power of food, and it’s very comforting on a cold winter’s eve. The only disappointment is the dressing on the leafy green salad, which errs on the side of being too acidic.

There’s limited cellar space at 40Res, so sommelier Lauren Baker has curated a concise, approachable list filled with drops from boutique producers worldwide. My enthusiasm for Plumm remains undimmed as I sip a glass of velvety Luke Lambert syrah from the Yarra Valley. It pairs beautifully with a yuzu posset – another nod to Raine’s Oxford upbringing, where his mum would make lemon posset to finish off a Sunday roast. The chef uses yuzu instead of lemon for the creamy posset, balanced with an earthy rhubarb compote and roasted rhubarb sorbet.

40Res has so much to offer. It’s tiny and mighty. Alluring but not snobby. And home to one of Sydney’s dreamiest dining rooms. Not looking like the undead isn’t just a first‑date Hinge cringe; it’s equally important when you’ve been married as long as I have. And that’s just one of many reasons to revisit this charming little wine bar. Just don’t blink and miss it.

In the area? These are the best restaurants in Surry Hills.