Small bars are not Leichhardt's bread and butter – that title belongs to the classic Italian joints that ensure you're never far from a penne arrabiata or a boscaiol – but suddenly they're also sporting a little boozy kick with the addition of Creek and Cella.
They nailed the atmosphere part of the brief with this open, honest, simple space that ticks all the boxes of a good small bar. Kick back in a spacious sandstone terrace that lifts you just above the bobbing heads of passersby and prepare to stick around for longer than intended.
The staff are relaxed and friendly and know their business. And that business is cheese, beer and wine. The cheese board here comes with gorgonzola dolce, French brie, 10-month aged gouda, honeycomb and a pear baked until it’s sweet and velvety. Although this is the latest venue from the craft beer-loving crew behind Surry Hills Bitter Phew, they're branching out a little – here they' re as fond of a wine as they are a barley brew.
There’s a wide range of wines from all over the map, and prices ranging just as far, but even the cheapest option, a white from the McLaren Valley, is no slouch. For regular passengers on the natural wine wagon, they're also packing some cool, small scale stuff from the likes of South Australia's Commune of Buttons.
On the craft side of things, what's on tap run from the cheap, crisp and cheerful Tradewind Lager from Akasha Brewery in Five Dock to the tall, dark and unfairly delicious Sweet Potato Stout Saison from gypsy brewers Doctor’s Orders. You can have a cheap time here with something bottled for under a tenner, or achieve ultimate beer god status with a $35 bottle of cherry kriek or a cuvee sour from Derinke in Belgium.
These guys are channelling the vibes of a charming little boutique winery tucked behind some coastal highway and have slipped it into the rows of terraced townhouses in the sleepy suburb of Leichhardt. Creek & Cella is a genuinely pleasant refuge from the hustle and bustle of the world, and the perfect spot to daydream about being absolutely nowhere else.