When people hear that I have a food blog, they often ask what my favourite place in Sydney is and consistently over the years, Tokyo Bird in Surry Hills has been in my top 3 list. Words cannot begin to express how much I love Tokyo Bird, whether it’s just for the drinks or the food or both.
Tokyo Bird is a tiny Japanese whisky and yakitori bar just off Commonwealth Street. It used to be even tinier but sometime in the last two years, they have expanded into the space next door. The great thing about this is that it seems to have eliminated the queuing outside on a Saturday evening which was totally worth it but a slow event given they used to only have like 20 or 30 seats.
What do I love about Tokyo Bird?
1. The atmosphere including the warm service that you get there. For a small venue, they have so many staff attending to the various tables such that you never really have to look around for more than 20 seconds, before someone comes over asking how they can help. Tokyo Bird feels lively and vibrant, but it also feels intimate and cosy. It’s also a great date or catch up spot because even though it’s full and lively, you can definitely still hear the people near you.
2. The drinks. The range of whisky, particularly the Japanese whiskys is super impressive and a little intimidating. But if you’re not into whisky, the cocktails are also superb. My all time favourite is the Matcha Milk Punch which honestly tastes like I’m drinking a matcha latte with a little bit of vodka and also a generous slab of white chocolate on top. It is so delicious and so easy to drink, that if you came there after dinner, you could be forgiven for thinking it was your dessert.
3. The food. The yakitori skewers and other grilled items are quite reasonably priced between $7 to $15 for 2 skewers. I’ve never had anything to eat at Tokyo Bird that I haven’t enjoyed and the little skewers are perfect little bar snacks to go with your drinks. Some of my favourites are the grilled scallops, grilled chicken livers, grilled chicken hearts, and the miso eggplant.
If you go to Tokyo Bird, I personally love sitting at the bar looking at the all the whisky bottles and watching the bartenders make the cocktails. Before they moved into the space next door, they also used to grill the yakitori skewers in front of you at the bar but this has now moved into a separate kitchen.
Details: Tokyo Bird, Commonwealth St & Belmore Ln, Surry Hills NSW 2010
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