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“Bar Copains on steroids” is how one friend described Bessie’s to me, some weeks ago. I’m already a big fan of the Surry Hills wine bar and its cult-level snacks (hello, pig’s head fritti with sauce gribiche) – it won Time Out Sydney’s Best Wine Bar Award in 2023. So when news broke about a bigger – and better! – Bar Copains, you bet my ears pricked up.
Found on Albion Street, just 70 metres up the road from Bar Copains, Bessie’s is a Mediterranean restaurant with wood-fired flair. It’s by chefs Morgan McGlone (founder of Belles Hot Chicken) and Nathan Sasi (the founding chef of Nomad), as well as Sasi’s partner Sali (co-founder of Wrapd). The team brought in serious talent to helm the kitchen, with Sydney-born Remy Davis – from the Michelin-starred Elkano restaurant – relocating from San Sebastián for the gig.
Tonight, he’s in the open-plan kitchen, flames flickering behind him
The cavernous space – with its Scandinavian-leaning wooden furniture, exposed brick walls, pops of colourful art and more wine bottles than one can count – holds a special piece of culinary history. It used to be a Chefs' Warehouse, where cooks came to stock up on kitchen supplies. Now, those tools are being brought to life under the same roof.
At the front is Alma’s, a go-to for small plates and party-ready cocktails. A large marble-topped bar divides the room, and I’m already looking forward to coming back.
Soon, Alma’s Martini arrives in a frosted glass. I take a sip and tiny shards of ice melt on my tongue, while house brine adds a saline, mineral taste. Awesome. Elsewhere, the team celebrates the classics with a strong line-up of The Greats: Gimlet, Americano, Cosmo and more. Up my alley. No offence, theatrical bubbles.
Garlic and herb sourdough flatbread arrives soft and warm – and doesn’t last long, thanks to a smooth, umami-rich cod-roe dip. Hunks of slow-cooked eggplant, adorned with feta and basil and coated in a sauce of tomatoes and olive oil, taste like summer nights – but I reckon you can skip that and go straight for the snack of devilled eggs, a nod to ’70s dinner parties. The inside of the egg is piped with a paprika and hot English mustard-spiked mayo, with folds of soft, buttery house-made mortadella and zippy, crunchy pickles on the side. It rocks.
So, too, does a glass of chilled 2023 Beulah Violetta sangiovese blend from Umbria that’s juicy and lively. Thirsty for something else? There’s a solid selection of Aussie whites, rosés and reds, backed up by drops from France, Italy and Spain. The cellar even includes bottles from McGlone and Sasi’s personal vault. If you like to have fun with wine, this is the place to do it.
The Moreton Bay bug sandwich – a riff on the one at Bar Copains – is delicious. Slices of round, squishy, crustless white bread hold together crumbed, juicy bug meat, pickles, shredded ’berg and a creamy, hot sauce-laced mayo. It tastes like a Big Mac with spice, minus the cloying cheese, and comes straight from the sea.
A snail of glistening, house-made chorizo isn’t as spice- or garlic-rich as others I’ve had – but it’s ideal to complement the pow of salsa mojo verde featuring jammy green peppers supercharged with sherry vinegar and herbs. A cut of barbecued snapper from New Zealand is beautifully cooked, resting on a tomato and crab bisque that’s both buttery and deeply concentrated – like tomato soup that’s taken a holiday by the sea. I’d just like a lemon cheek, or something fresh, to cut through. And now my jeans are tight, so I’m also coming back to try Bessie’s wood-fired Portuguese custard tart.
There are similarities between the two venues. The room is soundtracked to hip hop and old-school hits. Service is friendly and intuitive. McGlone is once again behind the incredible ceramics – like those chubby water jugs.
The food, wine and vibes all slap
But Bessie’s is bigger – in both menu size and in actual size. Fire is at the heart. And there’s emphasis on both the snacks and the mains here. It feels like a natural, confident evolution from a team that knows what they’re doing – and how to show Sydneysiders a damn good (and yum) time.
I still love Bar Copains, of course. Maybe even more – like the way your first crush hits you brick-hard. But there’s no doubt about it: Bessie’s is fire-hot.
Bar Copains on steroids? You bet.
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