Though there’s still a place for a bag of salt and vinegar chips at the pub or a bowl of olives while you’re waiting for a table at a restaurant, a wave of excellent bite-sized dishes has emerged in the shadows of Sydney’s small bar revolution. Taking a hint from the enviable European tradition of aperitivi, where a little plate of something salty is set down next to your drink to whet your appetite, lately we’ve been making a dinner of it.

It’s a hell of a lot of fun to sit at the bar rather than a table. There should be aperitifs first, maybe a Negroni, followed by wine poured by the glass. You’re probably hungry, but not that hungry, so you order a few little plates to graze on. Ideally, the kitchen will be open late and they’ll be quick on the pans. Here are some of the bar snacks that have caught our attention lately.