Izakaya Fujiyama

On a Waterloo Street corner of Surry Hills, this long-running izakaya has built its name as much on what is poured as what is plated. The drinks list is the serious business: a wall of sake offered in generous pours, a deep bench of Japanese whisky, plus highballs, rare Japanese beers and sodas, assembled with the care of a dedicated bar rather than an afterthought to the kitchen. The name itself nods to the format, a room for staying, drinking and eating in no particular hurry. Food keeps pace with the glassware. The kitchen turns out chicken-and-prawn steamed wontons, crisp pork belly and considered takes on izakaya staples, with an eye for less-common fish that rewards ordering beyond the familiar. Staff are known for steering drinkers through the sake by feel, matching pours to plates. A hat from the Sydney guides confirms what regulars already treat as given: this is small-plate drinking food done at a level that justifies lingering. Happy hour early in the week and lunch toward the weekend widen the entry points, but the heart of the place is an evening spent working slowly down the bottle list, plate by plate.