Iris Black

A corner jazz bar in Surry Hills and nice place for a few drinks or date night.
I found the dishes all presented well and surprised at the interesting combination of flavours. Scallops were plump and perfectly seared, pork belly had a nice crunchy crackle and the beef short rib was so tender and fell apart easily.
The cheese and charcuterie plates were the most simple in presentation but I guess not much is needed as long as what’s on the plate is good. We opted for red wine on the night to go with. Overall enjoyable night.

Iris Black is a new establishment located on the corner of Cleveland & Bourke Sts in Surry Hills.

With its chilled atmosphere & relaxing jazz playing in the background it's the perfect after work drinks venue serving unique craft beers on tap & enticing cocktails.

Whilst my partner savoured a Stone Ruination Double IPA beer, my Water Buoy cocktail of Stolichnaya Vodka, watermelon liquor, watermelon, cranberry & lime was deliciously refreshing on a hot Summer evening!

After out initial drinks we stayed on to have dinner. Unlike some other bars Iris Black also has an incredible and innovative food menu.

All the dishes are designed to be shared tapas style which suited me perfectly as it meant I got to taste more of the exquisite menu!

The dishes were all beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. 

Service was friendly, unobtrusive and timely.

The dish of the night for me was the perfectly seared scallops with crispy Parmesan wafers on smooth corn with corn husk ash. Definitely a must try dish, especially if you are a fan of seafood like I am.

My partner's favourite dish was the heirloom carrots with cucumber, dukkah, orange & Persian feta. He loved the combination of flavours and different textures.

The beef short ribs were melt in the mouth tender and full of flavour. The beetroot, asparagus and quenelle of horseradish cream were the perfect accompaniment to the beef.

The octopus, chorizo, ink, kifler potatoes and tomato dish not only looked spectacular but also tasted amazing! Such a perfect flavour combination. 

When dining at Iris Black make sure to leave room for dessert! There may only be two choices on the menu but trust me both of them were absolutely mouth-wateringly scrumptious!

Chocoholics will love the chocolate brownie balanced out beautifully with buttermilk & passionfruit! We both did!

If you want a little less sweetness however then the panna cotta with almonds, coconut, yuzu & edible flowers is the dessert for you. It looks pretty and is such a refreshing way to end your meal! The flavours are palate cleansing and fresh!

Based on my experience of Iris Black I would definitely highly recommend this venue for both it's drinks and food!

If you don't want a full meal, there's some comfortable leather lounges you can chill out on with your friends, drinks and maybe even nibble on a cheese board or charcuterie board.

If you enjoyed this review and photos you can find more on my Instagram account @sydneyfoodbites.

We had booked a table in advance but when we arrived they only had the high table facing the window available which was kind of annoying. However they quickly made room for us when we said we would like to sit at a dining table. Anyway, here's what we ordered:
- Heirloom Carrots (4/5): This was cooked to perfection (perfect char that was soft on the inside), seasoned well and I loved the crunchy nuts on top. Good flavours and a great mix of textures. I was happy.
- Buffalo Mozzarella (4/5): You can't go wrong with a big ball of mozzarella really!

And my friends had:
- Pork Belly (3.5/5): The crackling could have been crispier but my friends did think the dish was tasty and it was a generous serving of pork belly
- Octopus (4/5): The octopus looked impressive! The roasted veggies on the side and the sauce went well together but there could have been more octopus. My friends liked this dish a lot.
- Scallop (4/5): the scallops were large and juicy and apparently tasted very fresh. I had the crispy parmesan chips and the sauce and they were delicious!

Would 100% return here to try more!!!! I'm surprised at how much I loved the food!!

Iris Black, sibling to SaltVine on Crown Street, feels a little older and a little more sophisticated.New signage and some dark geometric wallpaper are the only signs that anything much has changed from the venue’s Black Penny days.By keeping the grungy neighbourhood bar aesthetic, and not wasting money on a big refit, it seems to have slid rather seamlessly into the repertoire of Surry Hills’ post-work drinkers.It doesn’t hurt that the wide windows onto both Cleveland Street and Bourke Street let in a lovely golden afternoon glow; adding warmth to the darkly lit space. You can tell a lot about a place by their Charcuterie Plate ($24). Iris Black’s caters for the health-conscious with meagre bread, tart pickles and good quality olives accompanying three, high quality meats. There’s jamon Serrano, chorizo Pamplona, and my personal favourite, Cabecera de Cerdo. The latter is a Spanish thinly sliced air-dried pork neck that melts on the tongue like a Communion wafer, with a clean, slightly salty finish. Good bitterness in the Family Tree ($18) (sounds like my own) makes this Italian-inspired gin cocktail a...

While most visitors to Surry Hills tend to head straight to Crown Street, locals are quite happy to keep the knowledge of less known charming venues on the side streets to themselves.  Reborn on the site of Black Penny we welcome Iris Black.  Sliding patio windows connect the indoor space with the outdoors, providing the perfect opportunity to people watch while sipping away on your wine, cocktails or craft beer of choice.