There’s a lot to like about Lokal, a tiny wine bar situated on a sunny corner in Surry Hills, across the road from The Cricketers. But at the top of the list is that it’s a two-man operation. There are no other floor staff, no kitchen hands, nada. It's all run by Patrick Frawley and Nelson Cramp, who met moons ago working overseas and reconnected over their shared dream of opening their own place. Like hot chips and tomato sauce, their skill sets complement each other well. Frawley, an expert on grown-up grape juice, previously served as head sommelier at top hotels in London and Hong Kong, like the Mandarin Oriental. Meanwhile, Cramp feels at home over a chopping board, after earning his stripes at Fairmont Banff Springs in Canada and Porch and Parlour here in Sydney. Together, they opened Lokal in late 2022.
Lokal is truly tiny, seating just 20, so the place lends itself well to date nights and overdue catch-ups. The interiors feature a neutral color palette – warm timber, a concrete and terracotta-coloured floor (there are a few scuff marks), and duck-egg blue walls – with a turquoise-tiled bar. We take a seat at one of the handful of tables outside, the sun’s soft rays nearly wrapping up for the day, with 50 Cent’s tunes on in the background. It’s time for a drink.
Frawley warmly welcomes us and shares a bit about his background. Here’s the second thing to like: he’s picked grapes at 12 of the 14 wineries that feature on the by-the-glass list (made up of the usual suspects: fizz, whites, skin-contacts, orange drops, rosé and chilled reds, as well as room-temperature reds). As well as wine, there’s a solid selection of vermouths, three beers (including one from Redfern’s Atomic Brewery) and interesting non-alcoholic options.
I start off with a blend of verdejo and malvasia from the Duero Valley in Spain, which has a floral aroma and tastes like tropical fruit with a touch of funk. Frawley shares the story behind the label, and it’s evident he knows a heck of a lot about each wine he’s pouring. He can also talk, a lot. By this point the wine is tasting even better. That’s what good service can do: make you appreciate and really taste the drop you’re sipping on.
Lokal’s menu is divided into bar snacks, smaller and larger plates, and 'the after-party', which is what I think dessert should be called from now on. We’re told we need to order the halloumi fries, and we’re glad we did when golden finger-like halloumi chips come out served with a rosemary-scented pot of honey, just like Pooh Bear’s. I dunk the cheese in, and the honey drizzles down the halloumi seductively. Crunch. It's peddling salty and sweet flavours like Lance, and it’s hard to stop until they are gone.
Next, two chubby, golden king prawn croquettes arrive under a shower of pecorino and chives, resting on a bed of nut-free romesco sauce that is bright and fruity thanks to the roasted capsicum. The outside is crisp, and the smooth potato filling is well-seasoned and tasty, though the prawn meat gets lost. My glass of moscato bianco from Piedmont, Italy, tastes like juicy, fermented stone fruit – it’s delicious.
My date asks for another glass of wine, and when it arrives, we notice it's a different hue from the chilled red she has been drinking. To be fair, she didn’t specify the same, and we don’t want it to go to waste, so she drinks it. Going with the flow seems to be the vibe at Lokal, and when the wine is this good, we’re happy to oblige.
A dish of seared cuttlefish is a dark horse; the meat is incredibly tender with charred and smoky notes from a quick sear. Paired with fresh tomatoes, pickled daikon and burnt orange butter, it's a winner. A tomato tartare – served san choy bow-style in a bitter radicchio leaf, the diced fruit and cucumber coated in a sweet, mustard-spiked emulsion and sprinkled with matchsticks of taro – is a clever and juicy handful.
As we prepare to leave, Frawley recommends we check out Chez Crix next door, the newish Frenchish bistro atop The Cricketers. It’s a small gesture, but it's clear the community spirit is well and truly alive here. I like that, too.
There’s a bit of fine-tuning needed to elevate Lokal to the next level and knock your local off the top spot, but this tiny wine bar exudes a sunny-yet-cool attitude, offers thoughtful plates, and pours vino we’re keen to keep drinking. If you’ve got a date coming up or a catch-up with a vino-loving pal, give it a go.
Time Out Sydney never writes starred reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills for reviews so that readers can trust our critique.
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