NOW EXPERIENCING:Bar Copains
Wednesday: 4:00 PM – 12:00 AM
Phone
No phone
Website
barcopains.com
Instagram
@barcopains

Read time 3 Mins

Posted 06 Apr 2023

By
Alexandra Carlton


The facade of Sydney's Bar Copains

“Copains” means “buddies” in French and you’ll want to make friends with this charming neighbourhood bar with its strong wine game and clever European-leaning snacks.

Bar Copains co-owners Morgan McGlone and Nathan Sasi
Why you goEveryone’s opening a small bar these days. And why not? You can pour the drinks you like, serve delicious snacky things in any old order, chuck dad-vibe Hall and Oates and Huey Lewis on the stereo, and the only real requirement is a steady stream of sunshiney vibes. Even better if you can do it with a good mate, as is the case here with Morgan McGlone (pictured left), formerly of Belles Hot Chicken, and pal Nathan Sasi (you may know him from Nomad – pictured right). Sounds great for chef-owners, but what’s in it for diner-drinkers? Much the same, really – it’s relaxed, unhurried and unfussy, and it’s an easy way to chat and hang with your buddies, plus you get to try whatever is taking the fancy of whoever’s behind the pans or the bar. Done right, it should blur the line between a business and a friend’s well-equipped lounge room-kitchen: you really ought to feel entirely at home. And they’ve done it right at Copains.
Why you stayOn a recent visit, just a few days after Copains opened its doors, one solo diner – an older gentleman who lived a few doors down – revealed that he’d been in the day before and ordered the snapper. He liked it so much he was back and ordering it again. “It’s very good,” he called across the tables with a small wave. Fairly safe bet he can expect to get that prime window seat ad infinitum. Copains has that feel about it: the sort of place where a local mild eccentric will get treated just as well – if not better – than any celebrity or name of note. Which is exactly what a good neighbourhood bar should be. 
What drink to orderYou’re not here for cocktails – you could count the list on half a hand. The big pull here is wine. Both Nathan and Morgan love the stuff, and it shows. France and Italy are strong players, and small, creative producers lead the way. The by-the-glass list is robust and constantly changing – you might find something as granular and local as a Minim fiano-vermentino blend from Victoria’s Heathcote or a grenache-cinsault-carignan from the Rhône Valley in France. By the bottle, things get even more exciting: a generous 11 sparklings are on offer – natural bubbles and proseccos for days – and the whites and reds ricochet all over Europe, with a bit of Argentina and Australia thrown in. Most of the wines come from the team’s personal cellars, so if you need guidance, ask and they shall walk you through.
A glass of wine with one of the tasty snacks at Bar Copains
Various snacks with a Martini at Bar Copains
What to pair it withThere’s a European edge to the small plates here, but a little bit like if Europe was watching the Superbowl. There’s a lot more frying and cheese and pastry and mayo than you’d find at, say, the more delicate Gildas down the road. The golf ball-sized choux-pastry buns stuffed full of mustard custard and snowed with comté are shocking in their decadence, as is the criminally smooth and sexy whipped cod roe served with a stack of snappy potato crisps. And that fire-roasted snapper on its bed of creamy corn that drew old mate in for round two? He was on the money – it’s a cracker. 
Regular’s tipIt’s not exactly a private room – after all, everyone has to walk through it to get to the bathroom and it’s overlooked by an outdoor fire escape – but the tucked-away table behind the bar is great if your group wants an area to itself (or if you’re the types who are likely to be so rowdy that you ought to be kept away from polite company – no judgement!).
Make it fancyBehold the Wine Diamond list. This is Copain’s range of prized, top-shelf wines by the bottle to order if you’re up for slapping down some serious cash – things like a Maison Pierre Overnoy savagnin for an ice-cool $650, or a Jean-François Ganevat Jura chardonnay for a mere $450. “But!” you cry, “that’s the sort of chump-change this chump simply doesn’t have.” Never fear! The nice folks at Copains have a rotating Diamonds list by the glass where they let you try these rare gems for relative pennies. A glass of 2019 premier-cru Eric de Suremain biodynamic white Burgundy for under $50? That’s worth a splash.
Who to take

“Copains” means “friends” or “buddies” in French, and to ram the point home, the first page of the menu features the heads of the restaurant team superimposed over the cast of the ’90s sitcom Friends. So, it goes without saying you’d do far worse than gathering up a bunch of mates and coming here for a good old catch-up. That said, it’s also got very strong solo-diner vibes, especially if you grab one of the cosy window seats or an outdoor table where you can watch the Surry Hills sidewalk procession strut its hipster stuff.