40Res Surry Hills NSW

In a city where wine bars often lean heavily on mood lighting and playlists but forget the wine part, 40Res steps in as a refreshing anomaly. Tucked deep into the ever evolving food maze that is Sydney's uber hip Surry Hills, this snug little gem is the brainchild of chef and owner Josh Raine (ex Tetsuya’s), now Culinary Director at the MCA’s Canvas (because apparently running one place at a time is for the weak). He’s joined in the kitchen by Michael Tran (Clove Lane, The Bellevue) and on the floor by his partner Kelliann Zellman, who somehow makes 20 seats feel like a party and not a panic attack.

Let’s talk size. The space is intimate, bordering on 'Sorry, was that your coat or a small dog?' Guests who enjoy personal space may want to come midweek or gracefully embrace the elbows of strangers.

The wine list, curated by sommelier Lauren Baker is boutique heavy but not bank breaking, with bottles from Australia, Italy, France and Spain. Bonus points for kicking off our night with a Chartogne Taillet Saint Anne Champagne, which felt both celebratory and very correct.

Coral Trout Fish Fingers

The food is what happens when high end kitchen talent plays with comfort food without losing their grip on technical finesse. Take the fish finger, crafted from coral trout mousse wrapped in nostalgia, served with a mayo made from trout skin and bones. It’s a literal childhood memory turned Michelin canapé. The prawn risotto, anchovy spiked potato pave, and Wagyu with wasabi leaf chimichurri all brought serious skill to the plate.

But here’s the kicker. It’s all just a bit beige. We’re not talking Fifty Shades of Fawn. The flavours are bang on, elegant, umami rich and confidently restrained but we craved a pop of colour. A rogue radish, a rebellious microgreen, something to break the tyranny of taupe. We eat with our eyes and we were juts a bit underwhelmed by the lack of colour.

Calamari

Other incredible flavour punches included saltbush and pepperberry calamari, and a sugarloaf cabbage with yuzu kosho and chicken crackle, a dish much better than it sounds, and disappears faster than your dignity after the third glass of 23 Murdoch Hill Cabernet Franc (yes, we had that too).

Service is impeccable. Zellman runs the room like a low key maîtred’ with high emotional intelligence. The whole place feels friendly, not fussy. This isn’t fine dining, more finely tuned casual. And it works.

Anchovy topped potato pave

40Res is an intimate, well drilled, deeply thoughtful spot delivering clever food and a brilliant bottle list without trying too hard. A little more legroom and a little less monochrome on the plate wouldn’t hurt but when the food tastes this good, you’ll forgive it for dressing in neutrals.

40Res is at 40 Reservoir St, Surry Hills NSW

https://www.40res.com.au/

Open Weds - Sat from 5pm.