A great drop and a small snack to bookend your day is a tried and tested formula for good living. Just look at the enotecas of Italy, where this ritual has existed for centuries. Sydney newcomer 40 Res – from the former exec chef of Tetsuya’s – is all about it, in its own little pocket in the lower half of Surry Hills.

Chef-owner Josh Raine – currently the culinary director at the MCA’s dining room, Canvas – quietly opened the wine bar last week, with his partner and co-owner Keliann Zellman running the floor and head chef Michael Tran (ex-Hibiscus, a now-closed Michelin-starred restaurant in London) in the kitchen. The team led the minimal fit-out themselves: soft-cream washed brick walls, low lights and nothing too fussy – letting the wines and food do the talking.

“There are less boundaries here,” Raine tells Broadsheet on his switch from fine to just-drop-in dining. “We can do what we want, we can adapt it and change it quite often. We can just have fun – have a play and enjoy the vibe.”

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When Broadsheet visits, a Jo Landron muscadet kicks off the meal alongside a couple of Sydney rock oysters topped with toasted rice vinaigrette. This perfect pairing sets the theme for the whole meal: next, restaurant manager Ronnie Gorman (ex-Saint Peter, The Apollo Group) pours a Domaine Goisot bourgogne aligote, the white you want next to lively saltbush and pepperberry calamari and a just-seared tuna dressed delicately in shiso ponzu.

Sommelier and longtime friend Lauren Baker (of boutique wine wholesaler Imbibo, who moonlights at the likes of Dear Sainte Eloise) put together a list that’s “balanced, affordable and approachable”. Small producers represent regions across Oz, Italy, France and Spain, and the styles lean to the lighter side, to support Raine’s delicate plates. The offering will continue to develop under the eyes of Baker and Gorman as the venue settles in.

We know the share-ready small plates bit is a winner, so the team hasn’t messed with it. There’s no set style or cuisine, and dishes are visually striking. The special touch? Raine and Tran’s Michelin-starred background. Fish fingers? Anchovy-topped spuds? Chicken croquettes? All in attendance, with a special fine-dining edge.

The hefty $10-a-pop fish fingers are the antithesis of the frozen variety. Golden coral trout arrives with a “fancy version” of the mayo Raine grew up eating: pil pil sauce, made from the oil and natural gelatin of the fish skin and bones).

There will always be a risotto and pasta, so you’re catered for if you want more than a snack’n’stop. At the moment it’s cacio e pepe, where the typically heavy sauce is aerated and served as a foam, and a punchy prawn risotto topped with crème fraîche.

The Salad a la Robuchon (a nod to legendary French chef Joel Robuchon) delivers a mix of three lettuces, tarragon, chervil and parsley, dressed in balsamic. It’s just the right amount of zest for juicy seared Wagyu with wasabi leaf chimichurri and a glass of Yarra Valley lambert syrah.

Stop in at 40 Res for a glass on your way home, or settle in for a bottle. There are no expectations or table time-limits – just a new little space for you to play your way.

40 Res
40 Reservoir Street, Surry Hills

Hours:
Thu to Sat 5pm–late

40res.com.au
@40reservoir