Bar snacks often play second fiddle to the star of the show — the drink — and their underrated status is a bit of a culinary injustice (in my opinion). After all, bar snacks are the unsung heroes of a night out — the wingmen to the bar scene.
In Australia, bar snacks can be anything from a sausage roll to a prawn cocktail or gyoza. In the U.S., bar snacks remain in the fast food category, usually opting for a bowl of spicy nuts or popcorn chicken — classic and delicious, but not exactly a lifestyle.
In Europe, bar snacks are a culture. It’s common for people to hop from one bar to another, sampling different snacks, or pintxos (pronounced peen-chos), as they call them, in the Basque Country (Northern Spain). And with all the new Spanish wine bars and tapas haunts opening around Sydney, we’re finally getting our own slice of the Basque life in the form of pintxos bars.
Sydney has witnessed the subtle emergence of pintxos bars, including Lennox Hastie’s Gildas Spanish wine bar and the longstanding Bar Topa by Merivale, though the latter leans more towards tapas than pintxos. However, the true essence of a pintxos bar came to fruition with the recent opening of Deux Frères in Quay Quarter Lanes, courtesy of the team behind Bouillon l’Entrecote.
For co-owner Vincent Ventura, the decision to open Deux Frères, Sydney’s first dedicated pintxos bar, stemmed from a desire to introduce an authentic taste of the Basque Country to the city. Although there are existing Spanish restaurants, the duo felt that these establishments lacked the genuine essence of Basque cuisine and the personal touch of individuals from the region.
“We’ve been to several Spanish restaurants in Sydney that attempted to capture the flavours of the Basque Country, but none truly transported us there,” says Ventura. “The authenticity was missing, and we felt compelled to fill that gap by bringing a piece of the Basque lifestyle to Sydney.”
According to Ventura, pintxos are small finger foods that form the heart of the Basque culinary tradition. “They are quintessential Basque and form the backbone of the local food culture,” he says, listing off boquerones to bocadillos, gildas to vermouth and sangria — common items you’d eat and drink in Basque Country.
The heart of Deux Frères lies in its diverse menu of small plates, both hot and cold, showcasing the rich flavours of Basque cuisine. From the $8 Gildas to the $12 Ibérico Jamón Bocadillos, each dish tells a story of the duo’s travels through Basque Country, evoking nostalgia for those who have experienced the region firsthand. The larger share plates, such as the tortilla de patatas and txistorra chorizo from the hibachi grill, offer something more substantial for when you choose to stay for dinner.
The beverages are equally enticing, featuring house-made vermouth, sangria (available in red or white), and a curated selection of Basque region wines. The traditional Basque wine, txakoli (pronounced “cha-ko-lee”), is a type of sparkling wine traditionally poured with flair from height. The theatrics here create a lively atmosphere reminiscent of the tavernas found in the duo’s favourite Basque establishments.
Adding the finishing touch, the al fresco terrace lodged in a paved laneway has the power to momentarily transport you away from Sydney, especially when there’s a carafe of sangria sitting on the table and the weather is balmy. Meanwhile, indoors, the marble countertop laden with tempting bite-sized pintxos steals the spotlight. As the first dedicated Basque Pintxos venue in Sydney, Deux Frères has the potential to kickstart a trend.
“You can do bar crawls in Australia, but there’s just not enough pintxos style bars in one concentrated area to make it a trend yet,” says Ventura. “But maybe we will be the first? Perhaps several more pintxos venues will open in the same laneway, and Circular Quay can have its very own ‘Golden Mile’!”
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