Black Iris, Surry Hills

Black Iris is a Tapas Bar that has taken over the former Black Penny site in Surry Hills. I head here one Saturday afternoon with Matt and fellow influencer the random foodie and her guest.

The menu is relatively short for cocktails and tapas which is good for me as I can be quite indecisive at times. Most of the tapa dishes are about $18-20 and the cocktails are also $18.

We start chatting away all about life, road trips and the love lives of some. From left to right (below) is a watermelon mocktail, then it's the Water Buoy ($18), 56 Pimbledon Cup ($18) and Subpina ($18).  My cocktail is the 56 Pimbledon Cup which is really refreshing as it's made from Pimms, Cynar, lemon juice, ginger beer, fresh fruit and mint. It's predominantly ginger beer which I like so I was happy. What a great way to start off Saturday lunch!

Tapas is a great way to share multiple dishes. We kick off with the Heirloom Carrots ($18) with orange, dukkah and persian feta. The carrots are mildly sweet with really nice crunch from the dukkah and refreshing retreat with the orange. The group agrees that we all like the carrots.  Next up is the Beef Short Ribs ($20) which is incredibly tender and is served up with asapagus, beetroot and a mild horseradish. This dish is very popular with the group and quickly disappears. It's very melt in your mouth and comes in a portion of two pieces. 

The girls are particularly fond of the Scallops ($19) with is served up with a crispy parmesan crisp, corn, corn husk ash and nusturtium (edible flowers). I love scallops and this creamy scallop dish was served up with 4 scallops. The crispy shards made for textural contrast which was nice. The very simple Buffalo Mozzarella ($18) is served up with basil pesto, heirloom tomatoes and strawberries. We're all fans of the refreshing tomatoes and the creamy soft buffalo mozzarella. The candied strawberries were a nice touch as it added sweetness to the dish. This dish was particularly nice in contrast with the protein dishes.

One of the sexiest looking dishes has to be the King Trumpet ($18) which has three different mushrooms, egg yolk, matcha and sourdough. What a great way to eat mushrooms, so delicious, moreish and aesthetically pleasing to the eye. 

I'm starting to get full by this stage but the group are in full agreement that the food has been absolutely delicious so far. It's been really enjoyable to eat. 

We have the Pork Belly ($20) which has cauliflower, fennel frands, mostarda. Everyone was waiting in anticipation for the pork belly and crackling. Mostarda is a candied fruit condiment that is from Northern Italy. Matt devours the pork belly and seems content. The final dish we try is the Lamb Belly ($20) which has anchoiade, onion and quinoa. The lamb is soft, tender and satisfying.

There's two desserts to choose from and I had to try a bit of both. First there's the Lemon grass and yuzu panna cotta ($16) which also has lemongrass, yuzu, coconut shards and almonds with a side of biscotti. I have to say that this was simply divine. That lemongrass and yuzu jelly really brings the dish to life with those bold citrus flavours. I absolutely recommend. For those who are more chocolate fans, there's also a chocolate brownie ($16), which interestingly has a black pepper and buttermilk sauce with a few droplets of passionfruit cream.

Summary: Overall, I really enjoyed the high standard of food at Black Iris. Naturally with tapas, you generally get a smaller portion of food to share so it can add up when each dish is approx $18 but the food is of high quality and is delicious. Couple that with a few cocktails and I'm sure you'll be very happy. 

My favourites were the scallops and that lemongrass and yuzu panna cotta. I know Matt really enjoyed the protein dishes.

Price: Approx $50-70 per person

Location: 435 Cleveland st, Surry Hills

Opening Hours: 

Closed Monday

Tuesday to Friday 5pm to 10pm (11pm on Friday only)

Saturday 11:30am to 11pm

Sunday 11:30am to 10pm

Weekend Food Escapes dined as guests of the venue or their representatives. All photos, opinions and words are my own.